“Reasonable” accommodation means conditions created for a person with a disability for the professional performance of their qualified work. Such accommodation should create equality and not cause additional inconvenience. Examples of such accommodation in the American Disability Act are working conditions that integrate the disabled person into the process. Accommodation is also considered to be a restructuring of work and the attraction of other personnel to help in adaptation – as it should have happened with Adele. Indeed, the financial claim submitted for implementation by the hospital appears to fit under the undue hardship column. These hardships may mean other reasons than financial inability to provide housing for the employee. For example, a hardship could be caused by the disruption of the natural work environment by providing accommodation. However, in this case, creating conditions for living is financially difficult for the company. Adele’s disability also requires additional expenses, in particular, for a permanent translator.
It seems logical that, paying attention to the formal fit into the framework of the law, the hospital had the right to cite financial reasons and refuse Adele to work. However, in the context of the constant problem of employment of people with hearing impairments, this act seems ethically dubious (Garberoglio et al., 2019). Despite the economic rationale, the very form in which the decision was made to refuse Adele shows signs of discrimination. Portraying the situation in a way that the new employee is causing inconvenience to the hospital and not the other way around seems derogatory and discriminatory. Thus, despite the formal observance of the rules of equal opportunities and fair selection, human rights were violated in this particular case.
Reference
Garberoglio, C. L., et al. Deaf people and unemployment in the United States: 2019. National Deaf Center. Web.