Disability discrimination is allowed to flourish in the United States. The ADA as well as NJ state laws against discrimination are worthless as they are not being properly enforced. I made the mistake of insisting on my right to job accommodations, believing that I had the law and the government on my side. I was fired and ended up heavily in debt.
The sad part is that my former employer provides services for children with disabilities.
The law is only on the side of people who can afford expensive employers (who therefore can afford to be fired from a job). A third of cases filed with the EEOC are resolved without the EEOC investigating. When the EEOC has to do their job and actually investigate the claims, 90% of the time they rubber stamp them as unsubstantiated. They claim they actually investigate, but that is obviously a lie. I had substantial concrete evidence that my employer committed discrimination.
I notified them of my status as a person with a disability and request fro accommodations repeatedly via email and certified return receipt mail (and have copies of the notifications)... The main accommodation I asked for was to be exempt from an out of state meeting with the sole purpose of the company saying how great it was... Quite obviously not an essential function of the job...
They claimed they knew nothing about it
I had excellent job evaluations
They claimed it was poor performance
There was a month backlog of work (with funding to pay for it)
They claimed there was no work available
I proved they LIED
EEOC told me to pursue the case on my own... Between this incident and my college's refusal to accommodate my disability, I have been robbed of $90,000 in income. I was $25000 in debt as a result. Legal Aid is a joke... They only provide phone consultations for this type of case for people making less than $20000 a year... Not actual representation... And who making only 20k a year can afford a lawyer? (I had a new job by this time.). I tried to find a lawyer to take the case pro bono or on contingency... But no one was interested... From what I understand—it's just not profitable for them... Meaning getting paid $100k isn't enough... They all wanted thousands of dollars up front... Remember—I am $25k in debt...
I pleaded with the NJ Division on Civil Rights to review the EEOC findings which there are supposed to do... They ignored me for 11 months—despite countless emails and certified return receipt mail—they calim they never received my requests... Until I said I would sue the state if they did not address my request appropriately... They finally responded, but only rubber stamped by claim as unfounded just as EEOC did. They claim they actually looked at the evidence—but I know they didn't.
The statute of limitations has run out on my claim against my employer. There is a more difficult lawsuit I could pursue, but again, I can't afford a lawyer. I do have time to sue the state of NJ, but I cannot afford a lawyer..
Because the government refuses to do its job, I cannot afford my healthcare, home maintenance, and car maintenance needs. I can't even afford to take time off from work for medical appointments for things insurance does cover Despite the fact that I should only be working part time due to my disability, I am forced to work overtime... Making myself sicker.
I am desperately trying to find a voice to help me... A public figure who will speak out against discrimination and government inaction and change the apathy of the government.
I have written to everyone I can within the government itself... They just ask the EEOC and NJDCR if they did their job&they say they did—and there is no action.
Please help stop discrimination.
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