Here is today's Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns (KCDC) Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Information Network message. I hope you have a wonderful day.?

Martha

Martha K. Gabehart | Executive Director
Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns (KCDC)
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly
900 SW Jackson, Suite 100 | Topeka, Kansas 66612
(785) 296-6525 (direct) | (785) 260-4027 (cell)

[email protected] | www.kcdcinfo.ks.gov

*****

This message is from Ray Petty, Kansas single point of contact for the Great Plains ADA Center

THERE ARE 3 DAYS OF TRAINING - EACH DAY COSTS $150

Here is the link to the Virtual ADA Symposium Registration page:

https://web.cvent.com/event/81646762-f87f-485c-8f29-f5ba785d24de/summary

This is a great opportunity to begin acquiring training needed to obtain an ADA Coordinator Training and Certification Certificate (ACTCP) from the Great Plains ADA Center at the University of Missouri!

Also - see the attached agenda broken down DAY BY DAY in 9 pages -
in both WORD and .pdf versions.

You can follow the National ADA Symposium on social media!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalADASymposium
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ADASymposium
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/great-plains-ada-center/

?

*****

This message is from the US Department of Justice (DOJ).

On April 9, 2024, the United States filed a complaint against West Memphis School District (WMSD) for violating Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The lawsuit alleges that WMSD denied the request of a school science curriculum specialist with a disability temporary telework as a reasonable accommodation to avoid damage to her health. WMSD denied the request without discussing it, or possible alternative accommodations, with the employee. As a result of WMSD?s denial, the employee was forced to resign. The United States seeks a court order directing WMSD to modify its policies, practices, and procedures to comply with the employment provisions of the ADA, train staff on the requirements of the ADA, and award relief to make the former employee whole. To read more, please read our press release. For more information on the ADA, please visit ADA.gov or call the toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TTY 833-610-1264).

*****

View as a webpage.
EEOC Issues Final Regulation on Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
Aids Implementation of Civil Rights Law Expanding Protections and Accommodations for Pregnant Workers?
U.S. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION
For Immediate Release
Apr. 15, 2024?
EEOC Issues Final Regulation on Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
Aids Implementation of Civil Rights Law Expanding Protections and Accommodations for Pregnant Workers?
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today issued a final rule to implement the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), providing important clarity that will allow pregnant workers the ability to work and maintain a healthy pregnancy and help employers understand their duties under the law. The PWFA requires most employers with 15 or more employees to provide ?reasonable accommodations,? or changes at work, for a worker?s known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless the accommodation will cause the employer an undue hardship.
The PWFA builds upon existing protections against pregnancy discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and access to reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The EEOC began accepting charges of discrimination on June 27, 2023, the day on which the PWFA became effective.
The final rule will be published in the Federal Register on Apr. 19. The final rule was approved by majority vote of the Commission on Apr. 3, 2024, and becomes effective 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.
The final rule and its accompanying interpretative guidance reflect the EEOC?s deliberation and response to the approximately 100,000 public comments received on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. It provides clarity to employers and workers about who is covered, the types of limitations and medical conditions covered, how individuals can request reasonable accommodations, and numerous concrete examples.
?The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act is a win for workers, families, and our economy. It gives pregnant workers clear access to reasonable accommodations that will allow them to keep doing their jobs safely and effectively, free from discrimination and retaliation,? said EEOC Chair Charlotte A. Burrows. ?At the EEOC, we have assisted women who have experienced serious health risks and unimaginable loss simply because they could not access a reasonable accommodation on the job. This final rule provides important information and guidance to help employers meet their responsibilities, and to jobseekers and employees about their rights. It encourages employers and employees to communicate early and often, allowing them to identify and resolve issues in a timely manner.?
Highlights from the final regulation include:
? Numerous examples of reasonable accommodations such as additional breaks to drink water, eat, or use the restroom; a stool to sit on while working; time off for health care appointments; temporary reassignment; temporary suspension of certain job duties; telework; or time off to recover from childbirth or a miscarriage, among others.
? Guidance regarding limitations and medical conditions for which employees or applicants may seek reasonable accommodation, including miscarriage or still birth; migraines; lactation; and pregnancy-related conditions that are episodic, such as morning sickness. This guidance is based on Congress?s PWFA statutory language, the EEOC?s longstanding definition of ?pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions? from Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and court decisions interpreting the term ?pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions from Title VII.
? Guidance encouraging early and frequent communication between employers and workers to raise and resolve requests for reasonable accommodation in a timely manner.
? Clarification that an employer is not required to seek supporting documentation when an employee asks for a reasonable accommodation and should only do so when it is reasonable under the circumstances.
? Explanation of when an accommodation would impose an undue hardship on an employer and its business.
? Information on how employers may assert defenses or exemptions, including those based on religion, as early as possible in charge processing.
More information about the PWFA and the EEOC?s final rule, including resources for employers and workers, is available on the EEOC?s ?What You Should Know about the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act? webpage.
For more information on pregnancy discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/pregnancy-discrimination.
The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.
###
Please contact [email protected] for media inquiries.
Office of Communications & Legislative Affairs
131 M Street NE
Washington, DC 20507
TTY 202-921-3191
ASL videophone 844-234-5122
[email protected]
?
? U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
131 M St. NE, Washington, D.C.? 20507
www.eeoc.gov | [email protected]
800-669-4000 | 844-234-5122 (ASL Videophone)
This email was sent to [email protected] using govDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Kansas Office of the Governor ? Capitol, 300 SW 10th Ave., Ste. 241S ? Topeka, KS 66612-1590 GovDelivery logo