35
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] s38b35M5@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

In mine and my partner's experience, ADA accommodation process was a joke, and little more than lip service.

My partner is diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, and Bipolar 1 with psychotic features. That is to say, they get crippling depression and often anxiety to the point of shaking, which can lead to hearing voices of those around them, convinced coworkers hate them. They are fully medicated and the illness is under relative control, but episodes are inevitable under stress.

The position was IT support through phone, email and a ticket system. No in-person support required.

The requested accommodation was a dark office (which was available ten steps from their desk) to work from during the worst of times. Also requested/suggested (as alternatives are recommended) was remote work up to three days in a week, as needed.

Medical documentation was requested and provided. Phone and zoom interviews with my partner's Pdoc in addition to written statements from the Pdoc.

DENIED
REASON: No justifiable work need
TRANSLATION: We don't want that, so no.

After sharing so much intimate information, supervising manager then used illness as a cause for discrimination and ridicule. My partner was offered a better position by an admiring manager in a similar but less intense department, with their own office, and remote work as they saw fit. Within a month, their self image improved and received a promotion and accolades for quality of work.

This was at a state university, who many would assume have a liberal slant favoring disabled workers, not to mention awareness of how ADA works. The old manager had forced them to work on site during COVID even when the building was empty and locked to visitors, despite having full remote capability with softphones and ...you know, the internet.

For my case, I had my own office, and requested to be left alone when my migraines came on. I would continue to work, but needed to be left alone. My work was 90% alone, as the only IT support staff on site. Even during COVID, I was forbidden to shut my door, despite a locked building with no staff on site.

The ADA coordinator at the university was an HR person that always simply deferred to the requests of the manager. The union later told us ADA accommodations were exceedingly rare, unless it was about wheelchair clearances, translators for the deaf, or RSI-friendly input devices and furniture.

this post was submitted on 23 Jan 2024
35 points (97.3% liked)

ADHD

9688 readers
28 users here now

A casual community for people with ADHD

Values:

Acceptance, Openness, Understanding, Equality, Reciprocity.

Rules:

Encouraged:

Relevant Lemmy communities:

Autism

ADHD Memes

Bipolar Disorder

Therapy

Mental Health

Neurodivergent Life Hacks

lemmy.world/c/adhd will happily promote other ND communities as long as said communities demonstrate that they share our values.

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS