Employment Disabilities and Discrimination
Disclaimer: These resources are regularly reviewed to ensure that links still work correctly and the resources listed continue to be helpful to our visitors. If you find that a link isn't working or information is incorrect or if you'd like to have your own organization listed here, please email thedirectory@lls.org.
Because we want to be sure that our visitors find the most relevant resources, we've listed these organizations in order of relevancy from most specifically relevant to most generally relevant to the topic of this page.
2-1-1
Population served: Everyone in the United States (check the website for availability in your area)
2-1-1 is the telephone number of a call center that offers information and provides referrals to health and human services for every-ay needs and in times of crisis. Services vary from community to community.
Examples of service referrals include:
- Basic human need resources: food banks, clothing, shelters, rent assistance and utility assistance
- Physical and mental health resources: medical information lines, crisis intervention services, counseling, drug and alcohol intervention
- Employment support: unemployment benefits, financial assistance, job training, transportation assistance and education programs
- Support for older Americans and persons with disabilities: home healthcare, adult daycare, congregate meals, Meals on Wheels, respite care, transportation and homemaker services
- Support for children, youth and families: childcare, family resource centers, summer camps and recreation programs, mentoring, tutoring and protective services
Survivorship A-Z
Population served: People in the United States, diagnosed with cancer and/or HIV, who need assistance in obtaining information concerning health insurance, employment issues and other areas of need
Survivorship A-Z is a Web-based resource for information and referral.
- Provides a tool that asks a series of questions of the individual patient to then offer personalized information to address specific patient needs such as emotional well-being, financial resources, information about legal and insurance issues
- Offers online Community Message Boards on a variety of topics
- Provides information on a variety of issues relating to disease and "life after diagnosis"
Cancer Legal Resource Center (CLRC)
Contact: (866) 843-2572
Population served: People with cancer, their families, friends, employers, healthcare professionals and others in the United States
CLRC provides free, confidential information and resources on cancer-related legal issues.
- Offers a call center where callers can receive information about relevant laws and resources for their particular situation
- Offers conferences, seminars, workshops, outreach programs and other community activities regarding legal and health insurance issues
Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF)
Contact: (800) 532-5274
Population served: Patients in the United States with any diagnosis
PAF seeks to safeguard patients through effective mediation assuring access to care, maintenance of employment and preservation of their financial stability relative to their diagnosis of life-threatening or debilitating diseases.
- Offers a call center to assist in resolving job retention matters
- When appropriate, provides legal intervention
- Offers the guide, "First My Illness, Now Job Discrimination: Steps to Resolution," a tool that provides easy-to-understand consumer strategies to resolve job retention issues
- Assists in health insurance and healthcare access problems through their staff of case managers
- Provides information on government and/or private health insurance programs
Work Life Law (WLL)
Contact: (800) 981-9495
Population served: Working parents and caregivers in the United States
WLL is a research and advocacy group that works to identify, prevent and eliminate discrimination in the workplace relating to family responsibilities for a loved one.
- Provides a call center
- Provides discussion on work situations to assess discrimination, provide information about applicable laws and, if necessary, pairs callers with attorneys who are experienced in this relatively new area of employment law
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Contact: (800) 669-4000
Population served: People in the United States
The EEOC is a federal government agency that has the responsibility of enforcing employment discrimination laws in the United States.
- Provides information and guidance for resolution regarding equal employment opportunity laws and discrimination (by type, e.g., age, disability, equal pay, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, retaliation, gender, sexual harassment, etc.)
- Provides contact information for the EEOC office in your area and how to file a claim
- Provides training and outreach for small businesses that do not have a Human Resources Department
Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
Contact: (800) 526-7234
Population served: Employees, employers, employment providers, people with disabilities, their family members and other interested parties, in the United States
JAN is a service provided by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy to facilitate the employment and retention of workers with disabilities. It provides employers, employment providers and people with disabilities information on job accommodations, entrepreneurship and related subjects.
- Helps patients and caregivers identify local, regional and national organizations, resources and support groups; obtain accommodation and legislative information, become educated about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act (RA)
- Informs employers on hiring, retaining and promoting qualified employees with disabilities; provides information on accommodation options and practical solutions; educates employers about their responsibilities under ADA and RA; informs employers about workers' compensation and other insurance costs and accessibility issues
- Informs rehabilitation professionals about accommodation options in the workplace and resources for device fabrication and modification
Cancer and Careers
Contact: (212) 685-5955
Population served: Women of all ages with cancer or cancer survivors in the United States
Cancer and Careers is committed to changing the face of cancer in the workplace.
- Provides a comprehensive website
- Offers free publications, including the Living and Working with Cancer Workbook in English and Spanish, as well as a version for the United Kingdom
- Provides job coaching via email
- Provides educational seminars for employees with cancer
- Offers peer-to-peer support
