Handicapped movie patrons sue
for better accessibility to first-run films. Experts say this is the start of a "second wave" of
ADA-related suits targeting public facilities.
The number of
employment-discrimination lawsuits filed has soared in recent years. Many experts point to the
increased diversity of the work force as a key reason for the increase.
The next major battleground
over the scope and meaning of the Americans with Disabilities Act may be the public sidewalk. In City
of Sacramento v. Barden, which the U.S. Supreme Court will consider for review at its private
conference this Friday, the issue is whether the 1990 federal disabilities law requires local
governments to overhaul existing sidewalks to make them more accessible to the disabled.
The Court of Appeals recently
considered the issue of whether an employee's injury caused by a piece of candy during work time was a
compensable injury for purposes of workers' compensation, or simply an injury incurred while engaging
in a recreational or social activity primarily for the employee's personal pleasure.
The Supreme Court has
recently taken yet another bite out of the Americans with Disabilities Act, making it easier for
employers who consistently apply seniority systems to handle competing claims of ADA accommodation. The
Supreme Court ruled that while a seniority system does not always "trump accommodation requests," it
"will prevail in the run of cases.
Claims under the American with
Disabilities Act (ADA) traditionally have focused on adverse employment decisions such as terminations
or challenged working conditions or assignments. Recently, however, ADA plaintiffs have been adding
claims for harassment because of their disability.
Handicapped movie patrons sue
for better accessibility to first-run films. Experts say this is the start of a "second wave" of
ADA-related suits targeting public facilities.
The number of
employment-discrimination lawsuits filed has soared in recent years. Many experts point to the
increased diversity of the work force as a key reason for the increase.
The next major battleground
over the scope and meaning of the Americans with Disabilities Act may be the public sidewalk. In City
of Sacramento v. Barden, which the U.S. Supreme Court will consider for review at its private
conference this Friday, the issue is whether the 1990 federal disabilities law requires local
governments to overhaul existing sidewalks to make them more accessible to the disabled.
The Court of Appeals recently
considered the issue of whether an employee's injury caused by a piece of candy during work time was a
compensable injury for purposes of workers' compensation, or simply an injury incurred while engaging
in a recreational or social activity primarily for the employee's personal pleasure.
The Supreme Court has
recently taken yet another bite out of the Americans with Disabilities Act, making it easier for
employers who consistently apply seniority systems to handle competing claims of ADA accommodation. The
Supreme Court ruled that while a seniority system does not always "trump accommodation requests," it
"will prevail in the run of cases.
Claims under the American with
Disabilities Act (ADA) traditionally have focused on adverse employment decisions such as terminations
or challenged working conditions or assignments. Recently, however, ADA plaintiffs have been adding
claims for harassment because of their disability.
