What we do
When people are denied the opportunity to work, they are also denied their place in society. Without a decent income, a person is unable to access essential resources like housing and healthcare. Employment discrimination keeps marginalized populations – people with disabilities, racial minorities, people in poverty – trapped on the fringes of society.
Today, the Law Center focuses on overcoming barriers to employment for people with disabilities and people with prior criminal convictions. Here is what we are currently working on:
SEPTA Background Checks Violate Federal and State Laws
Together with a coalition of legal advocates, we are suing SEPTA for denying jobs to people with unrelated criminal records. READ MORE
Discrimination Against Deaf Employees
A complaint alleges that UPS has illegally denied deaf employee Michael MacDonald reasonable accommodations for equal access to the workplace. The complaint alleges that UPS, a $58 billion company, denied Mr. MacDonald the accommodations of an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter on numerous occasions for over a year. READ MORE
FEOP: Heard v. Genesis
A lawsuit filed in the Chester County Court of Common Pleas alleges Genesis Health Care violated Pennsylvania law by refusing to hire a prospective employee solely because of her unrelated criminal history. Genesis operates skilled nursing facilities, assisted living centers and rehab facilities in 34 states. The company is headquartered in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. READ MORE
Disability Employment Discrimination Project
We are proud to launch the Disability Employment Discrimination Project by Independence Fellow Julie R. Foster. The mission of the project is to enforce disability rights and to help individuals with disabilities access and remain in the workforce. READ MORE
Fair Employment Opportunities Project
The Fair Employment Opportunities Project is a partnership effort with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the Criminal Record Expungement Project of Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equality that comprehensively addresses criminal background employment barriers through collaborative litigation, public education and communications. READ MORE
