Disabled and Facing Discrimination??

The American Association of People with Disabilities,
(AAPD), would like to hear from you. It doesn't
matter if you've taken the case to court or not.

AAPD needs your compelling, real-life stories of
employment discrimination on the basis of disability
to help make our case to Congress that the Supreme
Courts narrow interpretations of the Americans with
Disabilities Act have harmed people with disabilities
in employment and that its time to restore the
original scope and intent of the ADA! AAPD, in
conjunction with the Consortium for Citizens with
Disabilities (CCD), will use these personal stories
in coming weeks to build bipartisan support
while educating members of Congress in a way which
they can readily understand and relate to about
the need for a legislative fix to the ADA.

Background:
* In recent years, a number of Supreme Court
decisions have significantly reduced the protections
available to people with disabilities within
employment settings.

* Courts are quick to side with businesses
and employers, deciding against people with
disabilities who challenge employment
discrimination 97% of the time, often before
the person has even had a chance to show that
the employer treated them unfairly.

* Courts have created an absurd Catch-22 by
allowing employers to say a person is too
disabled to do the job but not disabled
enough to be protected by the ADA.

* People with conditions like epilepsy, diabetes,
HIV, cancer, hearing loss, and mental illness
who manage their disabilities with medication,
prosthetics, hearing aids, etc.  or mitigating
measures  are viewed as too functional to have
a disability and are denied the ADAs protection
from employment discrimination.

* People denied a job or fired because an employer
mistakenly believes they cannot perform the job
or because the employer does not want people like
that in the workplace  are also denied the ADAs
protection from employment discrimination.

This Is Not What Congress Intended When
They Passed The ADA in 1990!

Who can help: ANYONE who has experienced employment
discrimination on the basis of his or her disability.

* Both those who have AND havent brought their
claims to court

* Those who dont bother to go to court because they've
been told or believe they cannot prove they have a
disability

* Veterans with disabilities

What you can do: Send an email summary of your story
what happened, when it happened, and how it was
resolved (if at all).

* Denials of reasonable accommodations
* Hiring discrimination
* Discriminatory firing and layoffs
* Harassment

When you should do it: We have an immediate need
for these stories, so please send these stories ASAP!

Where to send your stories: Please send your
stories to Anne Sommers, Policy Counsel at
AAPD by email at aapdanne@earthlink.net.

(**We will not use your name or details of your
story without first receiving your express
permission.**)

For more information, contact:

Anne C. Sommers. J.D.
Policy Counsel
American Association of People with Disabilities
(AAPD)
(202) 457-0046 (V/TTY)
800-840-8844 (V/TTY) toll-free
aapdanne@earthlink.net