EEOC Report Analyzes Situation of Workers with Disabilities in the Federal Workforce
In a newly issued report, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) shows that opportunities for persons with disabilities in the federal workforce are improving, but that further progress is needed on retention and representation in leadership positions.
The study examined federal workers with disabilities’ demographics, their hiring, advancement, and separation from employment at federal agencies, discrimination complaints based on disability, and ways that federal agencies are improving accessibility for persons with disabilities.
Justice Department Launches Civil Rights Investigation into Kentucky’s Mental Health Service System
The Department of Justice announced today that it has opened an investigation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into whether the Commonwealth of Kentucky subjects adults with serious mental illness living in the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro area to unnecessary institutionalization, and serious risk of institutionalization, in psychiatric hospitals. The investigation will examine whether Kentucky unnecessarily segregates people with serious mental illness in psychiatric hospitals and places them at risk of law enforcement encounters by failing to provide integrated community-based mental health services needed to avoid these results.
DOJ and Vancouver Police Department resolve alleged violations of Americans with Disabilities Act
The Vancouver Police Department in Vancouver, Washington, and the U.S. Department of Justice today reached a settlement agreement to ensure equal access to services for all individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. The investigation and settlement resulted from the complaint of a Vancouver resident who is deaf and was denied auxiliary aids or services during her interview and arrest. The settlement agreement calls for substantial updates to the Department’s policies and procedures. The complainant will also be paid $30,000 by the Vancouver Police Department.