Do Sheltered Workshops Violate ADA?

A landmark lawsuit filed in Oregon claims that thousands of disabled individuals are stuck in dead-end jobs at sheltered workshops because of failed state programs that should be helping them obtain mainstream employment. The lawsuit alleges violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and names Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber and members of the Department of Human Services and the Office of Developmental Disability Services as defendants.

In this installment, we'll be discussing the lawsuit and the broader issues of employing disabled individuals with Michael Bailey. Mr. Bailey is the Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) in Washington, DC.

NDRN is a leading voice for the rights of Americans with disabilities. It works to secure support for disability rights advocacy and to keep federal laws for people with disabilities robust. It works with funding agencies and state systems to assure that public resources are used effectively to protect and advocate the rights of individuals with disabilities.