Advanced Employment Discrimination Disability and Accommodation in the Workplace

Catalog description

First passed in 1990, and later amended in 2008, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is the central piece of legislation advancing civil rights for persons with disabilities in the United States, on a national scale. In this course, we will learn about the major sections of the ADA (also known as “Titles”), and about the key concepts embodied in the legislation, and created through subsequent federal court cases. Our primary focus is the application of the ADA in private and public employment, although we will also more briefly review the application of the ADA in other spheres. Topics include, but are not limited to: definition of disability, definition of employer, prohibited acts, reasonable accommodation, qualified individuals, essential job functions, substance abuse, defenses to the charge of disability discrimination (including direct threat, undue hardship, and fundamental alteration), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and interactive process.