Affiliations: Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA | Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation,
Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Pamela R. Mitchell, Ph.D., School of
Speech Pathology and Audiology, A109 MSP, Kent State University, Kent, OH
44242-0001, USA. Tel.: +1 330 672 2672; Fax: +1 330 672 2643; E-mail:
pmitchel@kent.edu
Abstract: There is a substantial lack of knowledge regarding the extent to
which employment discrimination may be perceived or experienced by individuals
with speech impairments. This investigation examined 1,637 such allegations of
employment discrimination extracted as part of the National EEOC Americans with
Disabilities Act research project. Allegations by individuals with speech
impairments were compared to a group of individuals with orthopedic and visual
impairments. The group with speech impairments consisted of a higher proportion
of males and younger individuals than the comparison group. There also were
differences in the alleged discrimination issues for the two groups, most
notably a higher proportion of allegations of harassment and a lower proportion
of allegations related to reasonable accommodation in the group with
speech-impairment. In addition, the proportion of allegations between the two
groups differed with respect to industry type, employer region and employer
size. The proportion of cases judged to have merit was similar across the
two groups, but there were within group differences in the pattern of merit
resolutions.
Keywords: Workplace discrimination, speech impairment, disability, Americans with Disabilities Act
