The US is not known to be the most benefits-friendly country in the world for persons with disabilities (PWDs). According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, European countries like Sweden, Norway, and Finland have more generous compensation or benefits given to disabled persons than the US. It is worth mentioning that the integration of the PWDs to society, including the workforce, in the US is above the OECD average. However, its integration efforts still pale compared to the inroads made by countries like Germany, Denmark, and Finland. A disabled black man in the US who wants to assert his rights can call on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to protect him.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is the guiding civil rights law that shelters PWDs from unwanted discrimination. Passed as a law in 1990, its amended version with the title Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments (ADAAA) was signed into law and took effect on January 1, 2009. It mandates a no-discrimination policy for individuals with disabilities in the areas of employment, public transportation, and public accommodation. For those who experience discrimination at work, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is the agency tasked to regulate and enforce the law. The US Department of Justice, meanwhile, prosecutes violators in the public transportation and public accommodation sectors.
Black men and women PWDs need to know that discrimination should not be tolerated. When subjected to such, they have, at their disposal, the means and mechanism to fight back.
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