If you are disabled, it is important that you know what protections you have under the law and where you stand legally in multiple situations. Read on for a comprehensive guide on the information that you need to know about the law if you are disabled (or suddenly become disabled).
Are you classed as disabled?
First of all, although you might know that you are disabled, whether you are disabled or not by law depends on a number of factors—and this may change depending on the service or help that you are applying for. For instance, in terms of social security, your disability must impact your ability to work and how much you can still carry out the work that you used to do.
For instance, your working life might be impaired and have come to a halt due to issues such as loss of vision or extreme pain. Your ability to carry out this work must also have changed significantly and you must be able to prove this by being trained up at your job and having worked there for long enough to know what is reasonable of your employer to expect of you.
Are you being discriminated against?
You should also know where you stand when it comes to discrimination—an issue that, unfortunately, a lot of disabled people have had to face. For instance, you are protected by law from being discriminated against when it comes to employment and your career; you are also protected against discrimination when it comes to federal agencies and organizations.
You may have been discriminated against if necessary accommodations have not been made for you, if you are unable to find a job because of your disability, or if you are being criticized and demeaned due to your disability. If this is the case, you should contact the HR department of the organization or arrange an employment tribunal.
If you are being discriminated against when you are in an education setting or when you are out and about, you should also take steps to file a complaint and report the discrimination in question to the correct federal office.
Are you able to get social security?
You should also make sure that you are aware of whether you are able to get social security or not. Therefore, you need to research the answers to questions such as: “How much is social security disability in California?” This will help you plan your finances and ensure that you are able to get the money that you deserve now that you are disabled.
If you are struggling to apply for social security or you have remaining questions, you should consider contacting an attorney. They will be able to guide you through the application process, temper your expectations, and ensure that you know that you always have the law on your side.
This can prevent any problems with your application from occurring and enable you to get the social security money that you need quickly and without any of the stress that this type of application can usually cause.
