If you’ve been treated unfairly at work because of a disability, you should contact an Ellicott City, MD disability discrimination lawyer as soon as possible. At Eric Siegel Law, we’ve spent over 30 years helping our clients with civil rights and discrimination cases, and we’re ready to help you get the justice you deserve. Read on to learn more about how to prove disability discrimination, and contact us today to get started on your case.
Start By Showing You Have A Disability Under The Law
The first step in a disability discrimination case is showing that you have a disability as defined by law. This usually means having a physical or mental condition that limits one or more major life activities, such as walking, seeing, hearing, or working.
You don’t need to share every detail about your health. But you do need to show that your condition qualifies and that your employer knew about it. That could be through a doctor’s note, a request for accommodation, or even a conversation with your manager or HR.
Show That You Were Qualified For The Job
It’s not enough to have a disability—you also need to show that you were able to perform your job, with or without reasonable accommodations. This is where job performance, training, and experience come into play.
Point To Unfair Treatment Or A Change In How You Were Treated
Discrimination in the workplace can show up in different ways. Maybe you were passed over for a promotion. Maybe your hours were cut or you were let go soon after disclosing a condition. Sometimes people stop being invited to meetings or are left out of important communications.
Connect The Discrimination To Your Disability
One of the most important parts of the case is showing that the unfair treatment happened because of your disability. This connection can be shown through timing, comments made by managers, or inconsistencies in how rules were applied.
For example, if you asked for reasonable disability accessibility support and were suddenly written up or terminated shortly after, that timing matters. If someone made comments about your condition or suggested you couldn’t do the job because of it, that also helps build your case.
Keep Records And Document Everything
We always tell clients to write things down. Keep emails, save texts, and make notes about conversations. If something happens that feels off, jot it down with the date and who was involved. Even small things can matter later.
If you asked for an accommodation and it was denied or ignored, save that request. If you were written up for something vague or inconsistent, keep a copy. The more we have to work with, the better we can support your claim.
Working With The Right Support Matters
Every case is different, and it’s important to build a strong foundation from the start. A disability discrimination lawyer can help gather the right records, present the facts clearly, and push back when employers try to defend their actions.
At Eric Siegel Law, we work with employees who have been treated unfairly because of a disability. If you think your rights have been violated, reach out to us to get started.