$200,000 to Blind Woman Turned down for Job

 
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A telemarketing company has agreed to pay $200,000 to a blind woman whose job application it refused to consider because she came to the interview with a guide dog.

"This case should send a message to employers not to close their doors to disabled applicants and the service animals they use," said Gregory M. Gochanour, an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission supervisory trial attorney.

US District Court Judge Joan Lefkow approved the consent agreement between Americall Group of Naperville and a woman who was qualified for the job, EEOC officials said.

The woman came to Americall's Lansing facility to interview for the job. Afterward, she was sent a letter saying they could not accommodate her guide dog.

Though guide dogs may not be appropriate in all conceivable circumstances, there is no good reason why employers cannot readily accommodate service animals in office environments like call centers," Gochanour said.

Americall - which employs 3,000 people in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Florida and two foreign countries - offered as part of the decree to work with the Chicago Lighthouse for People who are Blind or Visually Impaired to seek out additional qualified applicants for employment. Americall issued a statement Monday saying it admits no violations of equal protection law.

- More information on the Council for Disability Rights at: www.disabilityrights.org

( Source: REHACARE.de )