Reasonable accommodation of teachers with amputated legs in public schools

Abstract

The year is 1985. A man applies for a teaching position at the local high school. Despite his stellar educational credentials and his being the best qualified candidate for the position, he is denied the job. The reason is because he has no legs and is confined to a wheelchair. The high school is very old and is not wheelchair accessible. There are no elevators, and even if the disabled man were assigned to a classroom on the first floor, there are a series of steps to climb to enter each building on campus, and the doorways to the classrooms are too narrow for a wheelchair to fit through. These are just a few of the myriad physical obstacles on campus that would prevent him from doing his job. The school officials regretfully send him on his way.

Predictors to employees with disabilities’ organisational behaviour and involvement in employment

“…In addition, all walks, halls, corridors, aisles, skywalks, tunnels and other space designated as accessible routes must be with a minimum width of 32 inches at a point and 36 inches continuously. Building passageways must also be able to make allowances of at least 60 inches minimum for two wheelchairs to pass (Hammond and Kleiner, 2005). Newton et al's (2007) study shows that inaccessibility of the working environment matters to people in all impairment groups, when entering or staying in employment.…”