Working With a Disability

When I was a fairly young child one of the children's librarian at my library got around in a wheelchair. She didn't do her job any differently than the other librarians. She read to us during story hours, helped us find books and answered any questions we had. Because of this woman, I learned early in life that people with disabilities could do anything everyone else could do. Fortunately, the Brooklyn Public Library, this librarian's employer, gave her that opportunity. This was at a time when there weren't many laws protecting people with disabilities from discrimination. Things are very different now. Employers can't discriminate when it comes to making hiring decisions and they must, thanks to the Americans With Disabilities Act, make reasonable accommodations that will let an employee with a disability carry out the responsibilities of his or her job. Read Working With a Disability for more information.