EEOC sues Walmart for refusing to provide interpreters for Kansas deaf employees
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) said in a press release that it is suing Walmart for violating federal law for allegedly refusing to hire an interpreter for two deaf employees at a store in Olathe, Kansas.
The EEOC explained that the two employees were hired as overnight stockers. They needed interpreters for key times such as orientation, training, and meetings and for day-to-day tasks to be communicated in writing, but Walmart did not provide an interpreter and the store’s management “routinely refused to communicate with the two employees in writing.”
The EEOC said the two deaf employees were “forced to quit because of Walmart’s refusal to provide effective, on-the-job communication.”
The EEOC said the “alleged conduct violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination based on disability and requires employers to make reasonable accommodations to allow employees with disabilities to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment.”
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The EEOC is suing Walmart in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas and is seeking back pay and compensatory and punitive damages, as well as injunctive relief to prevent future discrimination.
The director of EEOC’s St. Louis District office said, “Even now, over 30 years after passage of the ADA, some employers still fail to provide necessary accommodations for deaf workers. We need to encourage all businesses to provide reasonable accommodations so these individuals can fully participate in our workforce and provide for themselves and their families.”