With many of the disbabled going back to work these days, because we can still work, how many companies in the public workforce enterprise who say they are following the ADA laws are actually not hiring those in a wheelchair? I'm taking a step out to be a whistle blower here for what I have witnessed.
With do respect, many companies are hiring those on SSDI, with their ticket to work approved by Social Security and will work to keep them in the income limit. I have noticed that they would choose individuals to hire who are amongst DMD. There is nothing wrong with that. And that's how they fill their disbility requirements for hiring.
With this said, there is a difference between hiring the disabled for the state and federal requirements to fill the 20% required at your business and those who the ADA stepped into for with their laws and requirements of businesses across America.
Sam Walton, owner as we well know of Walmart and you might say half the world now, has hired ADA Lawyers for Walmart employees. One of these lawers is a personal friend of mine. This lawyer is also disabled. When I walk into my local Walmart, they have people from A-Z working there. All sorts of disabilities. One of my other friends who is also disabled who couldn't hold a job anywhere else prior to working at Walmart, has held his job there now for over two years. I'm very proud of him. Plus I have seen people with wheelchairs, walkers, canes and crutches all working there.
I have worked for the TJ X Companies. They are the owners of TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Home Goods. They comply with the ADA laws and SSDI laws. They hire every one from all walks of disablities. They hire people with wheelchairs, walkers and canes. They have them work in the warehouse with full pay and benefits.
Of all the food chains that I shop in, Wegmans and Aldis follow full ADA and SSDI laws. Both of them have wheelchair cash registers and hire those with wheelchairs to operate them. The isle's are so wide for the customers that you use your chairs, scooters plus other things that you need in them.
Many of the other food chains that I shopped at had signs up that they followed ADA laws. They were not set up for wheelchair access. Nor did I ever see anyone with a wheelchair, walker or a scooter working there. Only DMD individuals with their job coaches were working there. So that was only to look good on paper and legally. For this post, these places will remain nameless.
Some of the past places that I worked for in retail, had me sign contracts that they abide by the ADA laws and SSDI laws. On the SSDI, they were good. On the ADA, where were those individuals? Not working with us. Once again they had job coaches come in to train there employees for their DMD quota. When I asked them about hiring those with wheelchairs, they said that they can't hire them because of liability. They said that when they come to apply, we look for another reason not to hire them. They were lying to the ADA and getting away with it.
With all this said, you can also say that this is a form of discrimination too. To say that people with certain disabilites are liabilites, while those with other disabilites are not; I think that is discrimination. If you have encountered this, please advocate and speak up for yourselves. I'm also hoping this post is assistance to wheelchair users looking for employment as well.
All votes and comments are welcomed.
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