Oct 112006
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled yesterday that UPS violated the ADA when it prohibited deaf workers from driving UPS delivery trucks. The court found that UPS couldn’t offer a compelling reason for issuing a blanket prohibition against deaf drivers, especially since other delivery services use deaf drivers and no state disallows a deaf person from obtaining a regular driver’s license. UPS may appeal, but this decision is a clear victory for the deaf community and for the ADA. Too often, employers cite “safety concerns” as a reason for not hiring people with disabilities. But in most instances, those “safety concerns” have their roots in long-standing misconceptions about living with a disability.
