Which Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment?

Which Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment?

• A. Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• B. Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act
• C. Americans with Disabilities Act
• D. Architectural Barriers Act

Answer: (C)

The core idea behind this item is identifying the federal law that explicitly protects workers from discrimination based on disability in the workplace. The Americans with Disabilities Act does this most directly and broadly for employment across most employers. It prohibits treating someone unfavorably in hiring, firing, promotions, pay, job assignments, training, or benefits simply because they have a disability or because the employer believes they do. It also requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to help a qualified applicant or employee perform the essential job tasks, unless doing so would create an undue hardship for the business. This protection applies not only to people with visible disabilities but also to those with nonvisible disabilities and to individuals who are perceived as having a disability or who have a record of one. Other laws mentioned have narrower scopes. The Rehabilitation Act does address disability protections, but primarily for federal employees and programs receiving federal funding, not the general employment landscape. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act targets the use of genetic information in employment decisions, not disability status itself. The Architectural Barriers Act concerns accessibility in federal buildings, not employment protections. Therefore, the Americans with Disabilities Act is the applicable law for prohibiting employment discrimination based on disability.

The core idea behind this item is identifying the federal law that explicitly protects workers from discrimination based on disability in the workplace. The Americans with Disabilities Act does this most directly and broadly for employment across most employers. It prohibits treating someone unfavorably in hiring, firing, promotions, pay, job assignments, training, or benefits simply because they have a disability or because the employer believes they do. It also requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to help a qualified applicant or employee perform the essential job tasks, unless doing so would create an undue hardship for the business. This protection applies not only to people with visible disabilities but also to those with nonvisible disabilities and to individuals who are perceived as having a disability or who have a record of one.

Other laws mentioned have narrower scopes. The Rehabilitation Act does address disability protections, but primarily for federal employees and programs receiving federal funding, not the general employment landscape. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act targets the use of genetic information in employment decisions, not disability status itself. The Architectural Barriers Act concerns accessibility in federal buildings, not employment protections. Therefore, the Americans with Disabilities Act is the applicable law for prohibiting employment discrimination based on disability.