A comparison of equal employment opportunity commission case resolution patterns of people with HIV/AIDS and other disabilities

This article describes findings from an empirical investigation of the pattern of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title I case resolutions by the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) involving people with HIV/AIDS (n = 2,078) in comparison to the pattern of ADA Title I case resolutions involving all other people with disabilities between 1993 and 2002 (n = 187,684). Chi-square analysis revealed that people with HIV/AIDS are significantly more likely than other complainants to receive settlement benefits from their employers, to have their cases resolved with findings of reasonable cause, and to have their cases closed administratively by the EEOC. People with HIV/AIDS are less likely than other complainants to have charges resolved with a finding of no reasonable cause and to have their complaints resolved via other closures. Implications of these findings for vocational rehabilitation practice are presented.