Speaker Will Address Disabled Workers Law

Consultant Robin Weissman, a project manager for several banks, health-care providers and insurance companies, will discuss how the Americans with Disabilities Act affects small businesses, at a Sherman Oaks Chamber of Commerce luncheon Thursday.

“Most of the people I talk to who work for small businesses or who own small businesses are completely unaware of what the ADA means and what they need to do to comply,” Weissman said.

The act’s key phrase, she said, is “reasonable accommodations.” Employers of more than 25 people must give qualified disabled people a fair chance at employment and should provide those employees with the proper tools to do their jobs well.

For a multiple sclerosis sufferer like Weissman herself, reasonable accommodations can include a chair that moves up and down and a scooter to get from place to place. For another employees, it might mean computer software for the visually impaired.

When the act was passed in 1992, employers first wanted to know what the act would cost them, she said, but many are now finding that compliance is cheaper than the risk of employee lawsuits.

The law, which has as its premise federal civil rights legislation and California fair employment and housing legislation, covers disabilities ranging from AIDS to mental impairment.

“What the law is trying to do is to establish an even playing field for all human beings in the United States,” Weissman said.

Thursday’s luncheon will begin at 11:45 a.m. at Sportsmen’s Lodge, 12825 Ventura Blvd., Studio City. The luncheon costs $18.

For information, call the chamber at (818) 906-1951.