Mechanic D
Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
Milbank Q. 1998;76(1):5-23. doi: 10.1111/1468-0009.00077.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation for persons with psychiatric disabilities. Most persons with a history of mental disorder work productively and do not require accommodation. Many persons with serious mental illness need accommodation but are conscientious and productive workers. Difficulties inherent in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidelines are those of differentiating aspects of mental disorder from work-related conduct and the potential for manipulative persons to use the Act to excuse inappropriate behavior and ask for accommodation. A further problem is the potential for discouraging employers from hiring persons with mental illness because of the perceived difficulty of terminating them should their work prove unsatisfactory. If the ADA is to be effective, it must be seen as only one step in a larger process involving public education, effective mediation, meaningful assistance for employers, and wise implementation decisions that account appropriately for the social context.
《美国残疾人法案》（ADA）要求雇主为患有精神疾病的人提供合理的便利。大多数有精神障碍病史的人工作效率高，不需要便利。许多患有严重精神疾病的人需要便利，但他们是认真负责且工作效率高的员工。平等就业机会委员会（EEOC）指南中固有的困难在于区分精神障碍的各个方面与工作相关行为，以及有操纵欲的人利用该法案为不当行为找借口并要求提供便利的可能性。另一个问题是，由于雇主认为如果患有精神疾病的员工工作表现不尽如人意，解雇他们会很困难，这可能会使雇主不愿雇佣这类人。如果要使《美国残疾人法案》发挥作用，就必须将其视为一个更大进程中的一步，这个进程包括公众教育、有效的调解、为雇主提供有意义的帮助，以及做出明智的实施决策，这些决策要适当地考虑到社会背景。
