Disabled Veterans Affirmative Action Program

There is a constant argument whether disabled veterans should get preferential treatment over better qualified candidates who are not disabled veterans. It is common for most employers to prefer to hire a person without a disability regardless of qualifications over a disabled veteran that has a physical or mental impairment which limits one or more major life functions. There is a phobia that the employer will have to change the way business is done and possibly feeling uncomfortable in the work place. Also, the physical changes of the workplace as well, for example, the facility may not be to standard for wheelchair access. Federal or local government agencies are required to adhere to laws to stop discriminating against veterans with disabilities such as Disabled Veterans Affirmative Action Program (DVAAP) of 1944. Disabled Veterans Affirmative Action Program offers disabled veteran’s preference over others in hiring from competitive lists of eligibles and also in retention during reductions in force. There have been systems in place to guard against discrimination of disabled veterans since the Civil War. Additionally, there is the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 that safeguards against the discrimination against anyone with disabilities. The two are very similar but the Disabled Veterans Affirmative Action Program (DVAAP) of 1944 includes very specific requirements and takes the ADA one or two steps farther.

There are other affirmative action programs to help people whether they have a disability or they are a part of a minority race or gender. As an example equal opportunity was offered to women in the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibited sex discrimination in employment. Although sex discrimination and discrimination against veterans with disabilities are both employment equality discriminations and both have fought long and hard for equal rights they are very different. The 1964 Civil Rights Act offered women the opportunity to equal employment...