ADA Compliance

ADA Attorney in Fort Lauderdale

Litigation-Focused Representation for Florida Employees With Disability Rights Claims

Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act covers every aspect of employment: hiring, pay, promotions, job assignments, and termination. When an employer refuses a reasonable accommodation, makes unlawful medical inquiries, or retaliates against an employee for asserting ADA rights, the violation deserves a serious legal response. The Amlong Firm has represented Fort Lauderdale employees in employment rights matters since 1982, and our practice is devoted entirely to litigation.

We handle ADA matters including denial of reasonable accommodations, disability-based adverse employment actions, prohibited employer medical inquiries, and retaliation for asserting ADA rights. Our team carries 132 years of combined experience, and clients in Broward County receive the same trial-ready preparation we bring to every case we take.

If you believe your ADA rights have been violated, contact our Fort Lauderdale ADA attorneys for a confidential consultation. Call (954) 953-5490 or reach us through our online contact form.

Why Fort Lauderdale Employees Choose The Amlong Firm

Many Fort Lauderdale law firms that handle ADA claims do so within a personal injury or general civil practice. Our firm is different: employment law is all we do, and we prepare every case as if it will go to trial. That commitment isn’t a slogan. It shapes how we build each file, and it produces leverage in settlement negotiations.

Founding attorney Karen Coolman Amlong has practiced employment law since 1979, holds an AVVO rating of 10 (Superb), and is AV Peer Review Rated through Martindale-Hubbell. Her civil rights career began before the firm opened: she was the first woman elected to the Florida House of Representatives from Broward County, in 1974. That record of advocacy runs through everything we do.

Our firm secured Florida’s first significant sexual harassment judgment in Stockett v. Tolin, 791 F. Supp. 1536 (S.D. Fla. 1992), and has earned U.S. Supreme Court victories. We have been recognized by Super Lawyers and named to Best Lawyers lists from 2017 through 2021. On the ADA specifically, Karen Coolman Amlong has lectured at employment law conferences on ADA mixed-motive termination exposure, a reflection of how deeply our team understands the technical contours of these claims.

Employer Obligations Under ADA Title I

Title I of the ADA applies to employers with 15 or more employees. Covered employers must provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with known physical or mental limitations unless doing so would cause undue hardship, meaning significant difficulty or expense given the employer’s size, financial resources, and the nature of its operations.

What Reasonable Accommodations Include

Reasonable accommodations aren’t limited to physical modifications. They can include:

Schedule modifications to account for medical appointments or symptom management
Job restructuring that reassigns marginal functions while preserving essential duties
Assistive technology and modified training materials
Physical workspace adjustments such as accessible workstations or relocated work areas

The accommodation process doesn’t begin and end with a request. Employers and employees are expected to engage in what’s called the interactive process, a good-faith dialogue to identify which accommodations are effective and feasible. An employer that refuses to engage, or that denies a request without a genuine undue hardship analysis, may be violating the ADA even if the underlying request could have been lawfully denied.

Medical Inquiry Rules

Before a job offer is made, an employer can’t ask about disabilities or require medical examinations. After a conditional offer is extended, medical questions and examinations are generally permissible, provided the employer applies the same requirements to all entering employees in the same job category. If an applicant is then excluded based on those results, the reason must be job-related and consistent with business necessity. Employers also can’t require employees to disclose a disability unless the employee is requesting an accommodation, and they can’t use selection criteria or qualification standards that screen out individuals with disabilities unless those standards are job-related and necessary.

Filing an ADA Claim in Florida: EEOC & FCHR Deadlines

Before filing a federal ADA lawsuit, an employee must first file a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In Florida, the deadline is 300 days from the date of the discriminatory act. This extended window applies because the Florida Commission on Human Relations (FCHR) enforces parallel disability discrimination protections under the Florida Civil Rights Act (FCRA), making Florida a “deferral state” under federal law.

The FCRA mirrors many ADA protections and provides a separate state-law avenue for disability discrimination claims, including the right to file directly with the FCHR. After the EEOC investigates a charge, it may issue a right-to-sue letter authorizing the employee to file suit in federal court. Missing the 300-day deadline can bar the federal claim entirely. If you’ve experienced a discriminatory act, consult an attorney promptly rather than spending weeks trying to resolve the situation through internal channels.

Hear From Our Happy Clients

“The Amlong Firm not only fought on behalf of myself, but also for my family in regards to the harm they suffered while I was forced to endure the harassment, hostile environment, and retaliation.”
“I decided to take action against the sexual harassment, hostile working environment, and retaliation that I faced while working as a firefighter. They were very transparent on how tough and long this process could take when attempting to go against a City.”

Melissa (Sexual Harassment, Gender Discrimination, Retaliation)
“Definitely would refer anyone to Karen or the firm in general.”
Very knowledgeable and worth your time. My case was on the easier side, but definitely would refer anyone to Karen or the firm in general.

Adryan C.
“I was extremely pleased with Karen's strategy and results”
Ms. Amlong represented me as a 16b officer in a public company in a labor and harassment suit against my former employer. We were up against a giant with a powerful NY law firm across the table. Her experience and expertise allowed her overlook their intimidation and shame tactics and as a result, she was able to keep me calm and focussed on what was important versus reacting emotionally to their nonsense. While the matter was resolved under confidential terms, I was extremely pleased with Karen's strategy and results from same. I would highly recommend her.

Vickie A.
“They always get the job done.”
Bill and Karen Amlong are the best employment lawyers that I know. I have referred them several employment related cases and they always get the job done. If you have an employment law question you should call The Amlong Firm.

Sam C.
“Bill has helped many people in this community in tough times of desperate need and gotten them through crisis and can do the same for you.”
“I endorse this lawyer. I would certainly call him for my own family's issues should they ever arise.”

Attorney David H. (Endorsing Bill Amlong)
“She provided excellent guidance and direction that was tailored to my situation.”
“Ms. Amlong took the time to fully understand all the complexities involved and provide an analysis, from a legal perspective, as to what was happening, provide realistic expectations as to what could be done and an estimate timeline to resolution.”

Former Client (Gender and National Origin Discrimination)
“Bill and Karen Amlong are the best employment lawyers that I know.”
“I have referred them several employment-related cases and they always get the job done. If you have an employment law question you should call The Amlong Firm.”

Attorney Sam C. (Endorsing Bill and Karen Amlong)
“Karen provided me with all of the information needed to enable me to make sound decisions supported by her recommendations each step of the way.”
“Her strategy and control of the process resulted in a fair settlement without having to go through a trial by jury.”

Jane (Age Discrimination)

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ADA Violations Fort Lauderdale Employees Face

The ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) significantly broadened the definition of disability under federal law. Conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy, cancer in remission, severe depression, PTSD, and chronic back conditions may qualify even when the individual continues working. An employer also can’t deny opportunities based on the employee’s association with someone who has a disability.

Covered violations our Fort Lauderdale ADA lawyers see most often include:

Refusal to hire based on a real or perceived disability
Termination, demotion, or reduction in hours tied to a disabling condition
Denial of a reasonable accommodation without a legitimate undue hardship justification
Failure to engage in the interactive process after a request is made
Unlawful pre-offer medical inquiries during the hiring process
Disability-based harassment creating a hostile work environment
Retaliation for requesting an accommodation or filing an ADA complaint

The Amlong Firm has served employees and job applicants throughout Fort Lauderdale and Broward County since 1982. Whether you’re facing an outright refusal or a subtler pattern of adverse treatment, we can evaluate your situation and explain your options.

ADA Retaliation: What It Is & What You Can Do

Employees often hesitate to request accommodations or file complaints because they fear the consequences. That fear is understandable, and it’s also something the law directly addresses. The ADA prohibits employers from retaliating against any employee who requests an accommodation, opposes discriminatory practices, files a charge with the EEOC, or participates in an ADA investigation or proceeding.

Retaliation doesn’t always look like termination. It can take the form of a demotion, pay cut, schedule change, reassignment to a less desirable role, or other adverse employment actions that follow an accommodation request or complaint. A retaliation claim under the ADA is legally separate from the underlying discrimination claim and can proceed even if the original accommodation was ultimately denied or the discrimination claim doesn’t succeed on its own.

If you believe you’ve been retaliated against, document the timeline: when you made the request or filed the complaint, and what changed afterward. We represent Fort Lauderdale employees facing retaliation after asserting their ADA rights, including those who have already filed EEOC charges.

Contact our Fort Lauderdale ADA attorneys at (954) 953-5490 to discuss your situation in a confidential consultation. We treat every client with the respect and care that difficult workplace situations require.

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