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This article summarizes the facts and rulings of a recent representative federal appeals court decision concerning the legal claims of two school nurses who lost their positions after advocating on behalf of students with diabetes. Their primary claim was the anti-retaliation protection under the pair of federal laws prohibiting disability discrimination—Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The second of the two nurses additionally asserted protection under this pair of laws based on her own asserted disabilities. The discussion reveals the sometimes significant difference between legal requirements, as determined by appellate courts, and professional norms, as perceived by practitioners and professors in school nursing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence of different workplace accommodation request strategies, the effectiveness of different request approaches, and situational and individual factors associated with different request strategies for individuals with disabilities. Common action plans of accommodation requests may vary depending on decisions about mentioning the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) (or not) and whether a formal (or informal) request is submitted, though past literature has focused primarily on formal accommodation requests made under the auspices of the ADA. Participants (n = 408) were recruited from rehabilitation agencies and organizations serving people with disabilities in the United States. The results indicated that informal requests without mentioning the ADA were found most often, followed by formal requests while not mentioning the ADA, formal requests while mentioning the ADA, and informal requests while mentioning the ADA. The odds of acquiring the requested accommodation were significantly higher, relative to other strategies, for requests made informally without mentioning the ADA. A variety of individual attributes capable of discerning when participants chose one strategy over another were observed; these included self-efficacy and outcome expectancy, negative affect, and an array of situational and personal attributes. Implications for research and practice were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author reflects on the impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on people with visual disabilities 30 years after its implementation. She examines the legislative intent of the ADA and the relevance of its goals to her personal experiences during the time the legislation was created. She describes the effect of the legislation's effective communication requirements on the way the government, businesses and nonprofit organizations communicate with the visually impaired.

As one ages, the chance of acquiring functional limitations increases dramatically. Thus, a remarkably high proportion of older workers will likely qualify for workplace accommodations. The current study aimed to gain an understanding of subgroups of older workers who were less likely to request and receive accommodations, associations of psychosocial factors (i.e., workplace supports, employees’ knowledge of the Americans With Disabilities Act [ADA] and accommodations, and whether an individual has a work goal) with requesting and receiving accommodations, and differences on these psychosocial factors within various demographic subgroups of older workers. Two hundred thirty-one individuals 50 years and older recruited from multiple national organizations and rehabilitation agencies participated in this study through an online survey. The study found that the psychosocial factors were positively associated with requesting and receiving accommodations. In addition, participants who were less likely to request and receive accommodations reported lower scores in the psychosocial factors. Practical implications for rehabilitation counselors and further research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a 2017 report on equal employment opportunities and treatment in employment on visually impaired individuals in the U.S. Topics discussed include Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and ADA Amendments Act provisions, the continuing receipt of workplace discrimination complaints, and the link of categories of discrimination charges to their filing before or after ADAAA. Also noted are the job acquisition charges decline and discrimination charges increase after ADAAA.

Federal legislation, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504, and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, mandates that individuals with disabilities be integrated in all aspects of life from education to employment to independent living. A recent development involves a settlement reached between the United States and the State of Rhode Island/City of Providence regarding sheltered workshops. States must ensure the availability of a continuum of alternative settings that span from restrictive (e.g., sheltered workshops) to fully integrated, community-based, competitive employment. The use of sheltered workshops as categorical, permanent, segregated practice is discriminatory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The empirical literature on the impact of psychiatric disability on employment outcomes has consistently shown that individuals with psychiatric disabilities are more likely than those without to experience adverse labor market outcomes. One strategy invoked to address barriers to employment has been reasonable job accommodations, developed originally through the Americans With Disabilities Act legislation. However, little is known about the factors associated with the request for reasonable job accommodations among those with serious psychiatric disabilities. Data for this study come from a longitudinal multisite demonstration project funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Accommodations were reported by individuals with serious mental health disabilities who became employed. Results from logistic regression analysis found that those who disclosed their disability to their employers, who were more severely disabled, and who had positive social relationships were more likely to request accommodations. This study advances our knowledge of the factors that influence the decision of individuals with serious mental health disabilities to seek accommodation in the work environment and offers a framework for guiding rehabilitation counselors in ways that might help to enhance employment outcomes for this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Job accommodation is a multifaceted and interactive process. Stakeholder groups (i.e., employees with disabilities, employers, and in some cases service providers) make decisions about requesting or providing job accommodations based on multiple factors in this process. An understanding of stakeholder differences in their perceptions of these factors may mitigate the myths and misconceptions about accommodations, and facilitate the accommodation process. Stakeholder perspectives on the importance of factors involved in the accommodation process are compared. How these perceptions may affect the likelihood of requesting or providing accommodations is discussed, along with the implications for rehabilitation professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study examined the extent to which transition components of students’ Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) were compliant with IDEIA 2004; the extent to which transition components provided evidence of best practices; the association among disability, ethnicity, compliance, and practices; and the relationship between compliance and best practices. The sample included African American, European American, and Hispanic students with developmental, emotional, and learning disabilities. Low levels of full compliance were found in these IEPs. Approximately half of the substantiated transition practices were found in the IEPs. Disability and ethnicity were associated with the probability of an IEP being compliant and/or having evidence of best practices. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between compliance and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]