Working with a Disability
We would like to introduce you to the UFT Committee for Members who are Capably Disabled. We are disabled educators just like you. The members of our committee run the gamut of visible and invisible disabilities. We know what it is like to face the challenges of a school environment while working with a disability. We’ve been there. We know what it’s like and we know how to help.The UFT established the committee in March 1990 to focus on the concerns of members seeking certain accommodations to continue as educators. However, you do not have to be capably disabled in order to be a member of the committee. We also include persons who, based upon medical prognoses, expect to be disabled in the future. And we have members who simply support our colleagues in their pursuit of their legal and contractual rights.
A capably disabled person is qualified to perform an assignment but might require a reasonable accommodation to do it well. Our committee fights for capably disabled UFT members who are working with a disability, and we have scored some impressive victories in recent years. For example, our unrelenting efforts convinced the New York City Board of Education to hire a Disability Rights Coordinator. As a result, disabled members who requested work accommodations found the process a bit smoother because the Disability Rights Coordinator intervened on their behalf.
The committee can provide you with:
- Information
- Advice
- Support
- Assistance with a work accommodation request
Standing Up for Your Rights
If you are disabled and you need some type of help in order to perform your job more effectively, we can help you get the assistance you need. With the Committee for the Capably Disabled behind you, you can stand up for your rights successfully without fear of resentment or reprisals. You need not stand alone.
Certain rights of the disabled are guaranteed by federal and state laws. However, those rights are meaningless unless members know them and report violations to us so we can make sure the laws are enforced. We understand that some people are reluctant to complain or be identified as disabled because of concerns about social stigmas or job security. But no one should give up his or her rights and settle for working under adverse conditions. The UFT is here to make sure that does not happen.
Am I Disabled?
According to federal guidelines, workers are considered to have a disability if they:
have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities such as walking, talking, seeing, hearing, self-care, learning, working; or
have a record of having had an impairment such as a history of cancer, past mental illness; or
are regarded by others as having an impairment (for example, because of a facial scar or limp).
Specifically, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of an individual’s major life activities. The list of impairments includes any physiological or psychological disorder or condition, cosmetic disfigurement or anatomical loss. It also includes—but is not limited to— cerebral palsy, epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, HIV infection or AIDS, tuberculosis, drug addiction and alcoholism.
Perhaps you are coping with a disability or condition that isn’t listed here. Even so, you can still be entitled to the protections and rights to accommodations offered by the
ADA. If you have questions, ask us!
Getting Reasonable Accommodations
The ADA is just one of the laws that entitles people with disabilities to reasonable accommodations to help them with their work. For example, there are regulations to make sure that medical hardships receive priority for transfers. Other examples of accommodations are modifying or eliminating a difficult building assignment or arranging to have all of your classes in the same classroom.
Here are other examples of accommodations we’ve helped our members to win:
Classroom on first floor
Vibrating beepers to alert hearing impaired persons about emergencies
Accessible work sites
Projectors instead of chalkboards for written work
The assistance you need will be based upon your disability. Do not be afraid to ask!
About the Committee
Our goal is to help you so that you can perform like the professional you are. The committee holds monthly meetings to keep you up to date on the latest information about working with a disability. Non-disabled members who wish to support disabled colleagues are also welcome. We urge you to attend our next meeting at UFT headquarters located at 260 Park Avenue South in Manhattan.
Call us at (212) 598-9276 Monday through Friday between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. if you have questions.
How Do I Join?
If you’d like to be on our mailing list for notices of our meetings and activities, please write to: The UFT Committee for Members Who Are Capably Disabled, 52 Broadway, New York, NY 10004. Be sure to include your name, home address, school site, district, position and telephone numbers for home and work.
