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TIME: Almanac 1993
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TIME Almanac 1993.iso
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080392
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08039918.000
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1993-04-08
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THE WEEK, Page 25SOCIETYHelp for the Disabled
An act that covers 87% of American workers is now the law of
the land
Hard as it may be to eradicate, discrimination against women
and minorities in the workplace has been illegal in America for
years. But for people with physical and mental disabilities,
substantial obstacles to suitable employment have remained in
place -- until now. On July 26, a major new law, the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA), went into effect for companies with
25 or more employees -- which means that 87% of U.S wage earners
will be covered.
The statute, which bans discrimination against those who
are blind, deaf, mentally retarded, hiv positive, physically
impaired or have cancer or epilepsy, is designed to help more
than 10 million Americans move into the mainstream of the
working world. "This is the 20th century Emancipation
Proclamation for people with disabilities," says Iowa Senator
Tom Harkin, the law's chief sponsor.
Under the act, employers are forbidden to discriminate in
hiring, promotions and firing. They are also compelled, if it
is not too burdensome, to offer "reasonable accommodations" --
things like a ramp for a wheelchair or a sound amplifier on a
phone -- to people with disabilities. The fuzziness of that
language has prompted many of the 264,000 employers covered by
the act to seek advice about their new obligations, especially
since they face stiff financial penalties if they violate its
provisions. Says Bobby Silverstein of the Senate Subcommittee
on Disability Policy: "Companies are sending human-resources
employees to seminars and sensitivity training, reading manuals
and meeting with disabilities-rights advocates."
Smaller companies have been concerned about the costs of
the new law and its potential for generating lawsuits. But
Nancy Fulco, an attorney with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce,
which supported the bill, argues that economic benefits will
outweigh the costs. "The business community is in desperate need
of qualified labor, and this opens up a huge untapped resource
of workers," she says. The EEOC, which administers the ADA,
estimates that the average cost of accommodating a disabled
worker will be $260. The act is expected to save the government
$220 million a year by helping people with disabilities get off
public assistance and onto the tax rolls.