Just because someone has a disability does not mean that they cannot be productive, contributing members of society. There was a time that this was the prevalent opinion on disabled individuals, but that is no longer the case. Changes to state and federal law have made great effort to ensure that disabled individuals are not prevented from doing the jobs they love and contributing to society simply because of a disability.
Many people are familiar with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the federal law that offers rights and protections to disabled employees, but California residents should also know about the Fair Employment and Housing Act, which is a state law that further helps disabled individuals in the workforce. Thanks to this law, disabled individuals in California can apply for jobs and work safe in the knowledge that they are protected from discrimination.
It is important to note that even though you are legally protected from discrimination, you are not necessarily safe from discrimination. Some employers do not know about their responsibilities when it comes to disabled employees, and some simply do not care. However, employees in California must make every effort to provide reasonable accommodation for an individual’s disability so that the individual can still perform the functions of their job.
If you are a disabled individual in California and you feel that you are not being treated appropriately because of your disability, if you are being discriminated against for example, you could file a lawsuit against the employer. A successful lawsuit could not only ensure that the discrimination is stopped, but you could also be compensated for lost wages and more.