Comments on: Affirmative action hiring for the disabled

By: Chris Hoey

Chris Hoey — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 19:53:33 +0000

I worked extensively in the retail industry’s lobbying efforts for the ADA in 1989 until its passage. All proponents of the legislation assured all who inquired that if the law passed, it would never require affirmative action. I pointed out that the same assurances were made before passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but was told my fears were misplaced. As Yogi Berra once said, “It’s Deja vu all over again!”

By: Mark Biggar

Mark Biggar — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 14:28:36 +0000

Where did they get the 12% and 2% numbers? Where is the evidence that that’s even close to the actual population stats?

By: bob

bob — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 05:19:36 +0000

In reply to DensityDuck. uh, the ADAAA already took care of making everyone over age 35 disabled under the law. It's really a joke.

By: DensityDuck

DensityDuck — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 22:34:49 +0000

I see a coming explosion in the number of Americans with disabilities. This is because more and more people will be defined as “disabled” in order to meet this requirement. Whole categories of things now only vaguely recognized as issues will be swept into “disabled”. Social anxiety disorder, fibromyalgia, restless-legs syndrome; you got these, now you’re disabled.

And in their quest to meet the Five-Year Production Plan goals, even more things will be declared indicative of disability. Wear thick glasses? Visual impairment! Can’t climb stairs quickly (because you’re fat)? Mobility impairment! Heartburn from spicy food? Digestive disorder! Can’t manage to add two numbers together and get the same answer twice? Cognitive impairment!

And, of course, these definitions will be applied to vast swathes of Americans who will now be counted as “disabled”, giving us even more reason to insist that the ADA be applied to grind down all distinctiveness into a flat, bland, gray soup.

By: Walter Olson

Walter Olson — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 19:21:46 +0000

In reply to Gregory Dwyer. I believe this particular round is for federal agencies as distinct from companies, though the question remains equally interesting in either case.

By: Gregory Dwyer

Gregory Dwyer — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 19:18:14 +0000

And how are companies supposed to figure this out when it’s against federal law to ask someone in an interview if the person has a disability?