Disability Discrimination
What to Know About Disability Discrimination
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 protects federal employees from discrimination on the grounds of a known physical or mental disability and requires federal agencies to reasonably accommodate disabled employees.
If you have been the victim of discrimination related to a disability, you should seek professional legal representation for assistance navigating the EEO complaint process. To protect your rights, your future, and your livelihood, it is critical that you contact a lawyer right away.
Our federal employment attorneys will aggressively protect your rights and hold federal agencies accountable for failing to be the model employer the law requires it to be. We can help you when you have experienced discrimination or been denied reasonable accommodations.
Requests for Reasonable Accommodations
The federal government is required to accommodate the known mental and physical disabilities of disabled federal employees. In some cases, a federal employee may need legal assistance even to establish that they are a “qualified individual with a disability” and thus are entitled to reasonable accommodations.
A reasonable accommodation is considered a change, adaptation, or modification in a workplace that is needed for disabled employees to fulfill the duties of their job. Rasonable accommodations may also include changes or modifications to policies which enable all qualified workers to accomplish the tasks that their specific job requires. These can include modifications to a workstation, wheelchair accessibility, accessible parking, telecommuting, or other similar accommodations.
Agencies must respond in a timely manner to requests for reasonable accommodations. Managers and supervisors are not allowed to discriminate or otherwise ignore reasonable requests from their employees or to retaliate if they have requested reasonable accommodation.
If you have experienced discrimination or are concerned about your rights regarding requests for reasonable accommodation, contact an experienced disability discrimination attorney.
An FPG Disability Discrimination Attorney Fights for Your Rights
Whether it’s combating discrimination or advocating for reasonable accommodations, we tenaciously defend your right to a fair and accessible workplace, helping you establish and maintain your status as a qualified individual with a disability.
Our expertise extends to every aspect of disability law, including navigating the EEO complaint process and fighting for necessary workplace modifications, ensuring your career is not hindered by disability.
Contact our team and let us know about your case.
Our Practice Focus
What Makes Us Different
From EEO complaints to adverse actions, our experienced federal employment attorneys ensure your entitlement to due process and legal representation every step of the way.
Represent government employees at all federal agencies, nationwide and overseas
Highly-skilled MSPB appeals attorneys with a proven track record
Notable success in EEO complaints and appeals
Frequently Asked Questions
Federal employees are protected from discrimination based on sex, gender, color, race, national origin, religion, age, and disability, and have the right to file an EEO complaint against their agency should they face discrimination. Federal employees also have the right to due process before being subjected to an adverse action.
Yes, federal employees can sue for discrimination, but first you must exhaust administrative remedies, which includes filing a formal complaint with your agency and letting 180 days pass. In many instances, federal employees elect to pursue their EEO complaints through the EEOC’s hearing process instead of filing a civil action.
Federal employees must initiate contact with an EEO Counselor within 45 days of any act of discrimination. After an informal complaint stage, you will be issued a Notice of Right to File a formal complaint, which will permit you 15 days to do so.
Federal employees do not have the right to sue for wrongful termination the way private sector employees do, but most federal employees have the right to appeal a removal to the MSPB, which will adjudicate whether the Agency can sustain any charges raised against you.
Yes, most federal employees can file a complaint against their agency with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) if they are facing whistleblower retaliation. If OSC does not accept your complaint for investigation and prosecution, OSC will issue you an Individual Right of Action (IRA) notice giving you the right to pursue corrective action at the MSPB. Federal employees do not have the right to sue in court under the Whistleblower Protection Act.