Discrimination in the workplace against persons with disabilities is wide-spread and pernicious. Persons with disabilities face barriers in hiring, promotion, and accommodation for daily needs. The fight against this discrimination is part of our commitment to dismantle injustice and pursue lasting change. We are proud to partner with the following courageous clients:

Deaf Restaurant Employee Fired Due to Refusal to Accommodate Communications Needs In Connection with Maternity Leave.  Or client worked as a prep chef for seven years at a national chain restaurant. She is Deaf and her requests to her employer for an interpreter or other accommodations were consistently denied, making communication ineffective. On one occasion, when she wrote a note requesting accommodations, her boss threw the note in the trash while she watched. When she became pregnant, she requested maternity leave in writing. As a result of the employer’s refusal to accommodate her deafness, there was a misunderstanding about whether her leave was approved and she was fired. Following the birth of her baby, she tried to return to work, but as refused a position. We filed an administrative complaint with the DC Office of Human Rights on her behalf and secured a settlement through mediation.

Blind Federal Employee Denied Opportunities for Promotion. We represent a federal employee who, for more than 13 years, has worked for the Government Services Agency (GSA). He has received superior evaluations and trained others who have gone on to higher-level positions. Despite all this, because he is blind and cannot access software that is essential for him to do his job, the GSA refused to promote him as they have other employees. In 2018, the Committee filed suit against GSA for their failure to provide reasonable accommodations the failure to ensure he has the same professional opportunities as his sighted peers. The case is ongoing.

Worker with Intellectual Disability Subject to Abuse by Employer. We represented man employed to provide janitorial services by a company whose mission is to provide employment to persons with disabilities. Despite its professed mission, the employer subjected our client, who has cognitive disabilities, to constant abuse and harassment. The employer did not allow him to take brief breaks to accommodate an injury, subjected him to belittling, verbal abuse, accused him of theft when he tried to take sick leave, and ultimately terminated him when he filed a complaint for discrimination. We represented the client in a successful unemployment claim and negotiated a monetary settlement with the employer.