Stand Up to Disability Discrimination in the Workplace with a Disability Discrimination Attorney in Minneapolis
Federal and Minnesota laws guarantee equal treatment for individuals with disabilities. Yet, far too many employers violate these laws, leaving employees to face unjust barriers, harassment, or termination.
Anti-discrimination laws play a crucial role in protecting individuals with disabilities, ensuring they are not discriminated against based on physical or mental disabilities. These laws, including the ADA and California’s regulations, provide essential safeguards and resources.
Disability discrimination can be subtle—or devastatingly overt. Whether you’ve faced demotion, been denied reasonable accommodations, or lost out on a job or promotion because of your disability, you deserve justice.
Here’s the truth: standing up for yourself starts with knowing your rights. Our experienced attorneys have successfully fought for countless clients in cases involving the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Minnesota Human Rights Act (MHRA). From legal protection to meaningful compensation, we’ll guide you every step of the way.
What is disability discrimination?
Disability discrimination can take many forms. Do you feel like you were denied a job because of a disability? Were you treated differently or given fewer training opportunities because of a disability? Do you feel your position was terminated or you were denied a promotion because of a disability? If so, you should consult experienced disability discrimination attorneys to understand your rights.
Disability Laws and Regulations
Disability laws and regulations are in place to protect individuals with disabilities from discrimination and ensure equal opportunities in various aspects of life, including employment, education, and public accommodations.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a cornerstone of federal law designed to prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities. This comprehensive legislation covers various areas, including employment, transportation, public accommodations, and telecommunications. Under the ADA, employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities, unless doing so would cause an undue hardship. Reasonable accommodations can include modifications to the work environment, adjustments to work schedules, or the provision of assistive devices, all aimed at enabling the individual to perform the essential functions of their job.
Rehabilitation Act
The Rehabilitation Act is another critical piece of federal legislation that protects individuals with disabilities, specifically in programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance. Like the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act mandates that employers provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. This law ensures that individuals with disabilities have equal access to opportunities and resources in federally funded programs, reinforcing the commitment to non-discrimination and inclusion.
State and Local Laws
Beyond federal laws, many states and local governments have enacted their own disability laws and regulations, offering additional protections and requirements for employers. For instance, the Minnesota Human Rights Act (MHRA) provides robust protections against disability discrimination in the workplace. Similarly, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) offers comprehensive safeguards for individuals with disabilities. These state and local laws often complement federal regulations, ensuring a broader and more inclusive approach to protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities.
Protected Disabilities
Disability laws and regulations protect individuals with a wide range of disabilities, including physical, mental, and sensory impairments.
Conditions Defined as Disabilities
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Major life activities encompass a broad range of functions, including but not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, writing, reasoning, and communicating.
Examples of conditions that may be considered disabilities under the ADA include:
- Physical disabilities: Conditions such as multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, heart disease, and epilepsy.
- Mental disabilities: Disorders like clinical depression, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Sensory disabilities: Impairments such as blindness, deafness, and speech impairments.
- Learning disabilities: Conditions like dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
It’s important to note that the definition of disability under the ADA is broader than that under the Rehabilitation Act. Additionally, state and local laws may have their own definitions and criteria for what constitutes a disability, often providing even more extensive protections. Understanding these definitions is crucial for recognizing and asserting your rights under various disability laws.
Common Scenarios of Disability Discrimination
Not sure if your situation qualifies as discrimination? Here are examples of what unfair treatment may look like in the workplace:
· Being denied a job because of a disability
· Facing harassment or hostile work environments due to your condition
· Unfair termination, demotion, or loss of opportunities for promotions
· A refusal to provide reasonable accommodations for your needs
· Exclusion from training or development programs
If you have faced disability discrimination, you can seek legal assistance to address the unfair treatment and file complaints to protect your rights.
Don’t let discrimination ruin your career. We are disability discrimination lawyers who represent employees and managers throughout Minnesota who have been wrongfully terminated or treated differently because of their disability.
Your Rights: ADA & MHRA
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Minnesota Human Rights Act (MHRA) are federal and state laws designed to protect individuals with disabilities from discrimination. These laws guarantee equal opportunities and prohibit employers from treating employees or job applicants differently due to their disabilities.
Key Protections:
· Reasonable Accommodations: Both the ADA and MHRA require employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities, unless doing so would cause undue hardship to the employer. Reasonable accommodations 1 are changes or adjustments to the work environment or the way things are usually done that enable an individual with a disability to perform the essential functions of their job. Examples include:
- Modifying work schedules
- Making facilities accessible
- Providing assistive technology
- Reassigning job duties
· Equal Opportunities: The ADA and MHRA prohibit discrimination in all aspects of employment, including:
- Hiring
- Firing
- Promotion
- Training
- Compensation
- Benefits
Why Choose Wanta Thome?
When you’re fighting for your livelihood, you deserve attorneys who deliver real results. Here’s what sets us apart:
- Proven Success in Employment Law: We’ve recovered millions in compensation for employees across Minnesota. Our expertise in employment law has led to historic settlements that created better workplace conditions for all employees.
- Efficient Resolutions: We resolve cases as quickly as possible while maintaining the attention to detail every client deserves.
- Unwavering Support: From day one, we commit to transparent communication. You’ll always know what’s happening in your case, and we’ll handle the heavy lifting so you can focus on moving forward.
Real Stories, Real Impact
“I was denied fair treatment for years due to my disability, and no one took me seriously. Wanta Thome gave me hope—and justice. Their support changed my life.” – Sarah, Minneapolis
“This law firm knows what they’re doing. They’re compassionate, knowledgeable, and relentless in fighting for their clients.” – James, St. Paul
How We Work
We don’t just provide legal services—we take action. Here’s how we fight for your rights:
- Case Evaluation: Tell us your story. We’ll assess the details of your situation and explain your legal options in clear, jargon-free terms.
- Strategic Planning: Based on your goals, our team will create a personalized legal strategy designed to achieve maximum compensation quickly and effectively.
- Pursue Justice: Whether it’s negotiating settlements or litigating in court, our attorneys will relentlessly advocate for your rights.
Every client’s situation is unique, and every case deserves a tailored approach. Your story matters—and so does the outcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
What qualifies as disability discrimination?
Disability discrimination occurs when an employee or applicant is treated less favorably due to their disability. This includes denial of employment, hostile environments, unfair treatment, lack of accommodations, and more.
Who is protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act?
Under the ADA and MHRA, individuals with physical or mental conditions that significantly limit major life activities or bodily functions are protected from discrimination in the workplace.
How much time do I have to file a claim?
The deadlines for filing a complaint vary based on the type of claim and jurisdiction. Consult our attorneys as soon as possible to ensure that legal deadlines are met.
What compensation can I receive?
Compensation may include lost wages, emotional distress damages, legal fees, and reinstatement of employment or opportunities.
How do I file a disability discrimination claim?
In the event of discrimination, it is important to consult with an experienced disability discrimination lawyer who can assess the facts of your case. During 2008, significant amendments were made to the Americans with Disabilities Act to make it ”easier for an individual seeking protection under the ADA to establish that he or she has a disability within the meaning of the ADA.” According to the Amendments, the terms of the ADA are to be interpreted broadly to ensure the broadest protections are afforded to disabled employees. The Minnesota Human Rights Act and cases interpreting the MHRA also follow the 2008 amendments to the ADA in determining what conditions are disabilities under the law. Wanta Thome PLC’s disability discrimination lawyers can help you understand your rights under Minnesota and federal disability laws.
Am I legally disabled?
When assessing a disability claim, one of the first considerations is whether the victim actually suffers from a legal disability. Under the law, a disability is a condition or characteristic that causes a person to have:
- A physical, sensory or mental impairment that materially affects a major life activity;
- A history of or record of such a disability; or
- A perceived disability, even if you don’t.
Our employment lawyers have fought for victims in these cases and have successfully established the rights of workers in Minnesota. We were successful in proving workplace disability discrimination in the case Gilbert v. MetLife, 2011 WL 1843441 (D. Minn. Mar. 14, 2011), where the court held that the employer did not retain or rehire the plaintiff, a claims supervisor, because of her disability—laryngeal cancer. The company closed the Bloomington, Minnesota office where Plaintiff had worked, and rehired all the claims supervisors from that office except the plaintiff. There was also evidence that the employer considered Plaintiff’s disability, cancer, in making the decision to not hire her.
Is my medical condition a disability?
Not every medical condition is considered a disability. Under the law, “the disability must materially limit the person in a major life activity.” Generally, a disability is “materially limiting” if the condition “materially limits” the ability of the individual to perform a major life activity as compared to most people in the general population. For example, if you are unable to care for yourself, perform manual tasks, see, hear, eat, sleep, walk, stand, sit, reach, lift, bend, speak, breath, learn, read, concentrate, think, communicate, or interact with others.
The definition of disability also includes the operation of major bodily functions such as the immune systems, skin, digestive systems, neurological, respiratory, circulatory, cardiovascular, lymphatic, musculoskeletal and reproductive functions.
Diseases such as diabetes, cancer, anxiety, depression, muscular or skeletal degenerative diseases (bad back, arthritis, fibromyalgia) are all examples of disabilities that can be treated with medications and forms of therapy to the point where the disability is not actively debilitating. Even when the disability is not active, it can fit the definition of disability under state and federal law. Further, even temporary medical conditions may be considered protected disabilities under the law. Temporary disability may also be covered under the ADA on a case-by-case basis, providing protections against discrimination and ensuring reasonable accommodations in the workplace.
In some cases, employers or coworkers my regard an employee/coworker as disabled. This means that they think the worker has a disability based upon how that employee looks, acts, moves or communicates. When treated differently from others not regarded as disabled, this employee may also have rights under state and federal disability law.
A disability discrimination attorney can review your medical condition and help determine whether your situation is considered a disability under Minnesota or federal law.
What is disability discrimination retaliation?
Minnesota and federal laws protect disabled individuals from discrimination as well as any retaliation resulting from those claims. This means that it is illegal for your employer to discriminate or retaliate against you due to your association with a disabled person—such as your child, spouse or even a coworker. The anti-retaliation provisions of state and federal law also prohibit retaliation against an employee that reports discrimination or requests a reasonable accommodation.
The disability discrimination lawyers at Wanta Thome PLC have continued to fight for employees who have suffered discrimination and disability retaliation. In Poshek v. Lakeview Hospital, our lawyers represented an employee who was terminated after reporting discrimination. The employee asserted that her employer’s adverse treatment of her was due to her disability and requests for accommodations. In situations like these, we are dedicated to safeguarding your rights and securing the compensation you rightfully deserve.
What is a “reasonable accommodation” for disability?
A common violation by employers is the failure to provide reasonable accommodations to disabled employees. Under the law, an employer is required to provide a reasonable accommodation to an employee or a job applicant with a disability, unless doing so would cause an undue hardship to the employer—that is, that it would cause significant expense, infringe on the rights of other employees, impair workplace safety or greatly reduce efficiency in other jobs.
A reasonable accommodation may include:
- Job restructuring
- Part-time or modified work schedules
- Reassignment to a vacant position
- Acquisition, or modification of equipment or devices
- Provision of aides on a temporary or periodic basis (readers/interpreters)
The goal of a reasonable accommodation is to permit a qualified applicant or employee with a disability to enjoy the same privileges of employment equal to those enjoyed by employees without disabilities. Simply put, an accommodation is a change in the workplace that allows an employee with a disability to perform the main parts of the job.
Is disability harassment illegal?
Unfortunately, disabled persons have been the target of harassment, cruelty, and other forms of hostility in work environments. If you feel you have been illegally targeted because of your disability, you may have a claim. Minnesota and federal laws prohibit an employer from harassing an employee or applicant because of their disability or permitting a hostile work environment.
Harassment may include offensive remarks or communication, verbal or written, about a person’s disability. Common forms of hostility based on disability are name calling, mocking, mimicking, criticizing or complaining about accommodations or accusing an employee of faking their illness or injury. No one should be forced to endure disability harassment in the workplace. If you or someone you know has suffered discrimination, harassment, or retaliation, we can help.
CONTACT OUR MINNESOTA DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION LAWYERS
Wanta Thome is dedicated to protecting the rights of employees throughout Minnesota. We have significant experience investigating, litigating, and resolving employment discrimination and retaliation cases. If you are experiencing discrimination or harassment because of your disability, we want to hear from you. Contact us for a free initial consultation.
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