Nonprofit organizations Opportunities and Resources, Inc. and ORI Anuenue Hale, Inc., got federal contracts to provide janitorial services on military facilities throughout Hawaii. They will pay $325,000 and take other actions to settle a disability lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
They received requests from Deaf employees for reasonable accommodations—such as American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters—for meetings, including safety meetings where chemical hazards and other safety issues were discussed. They failed to provide ASL interpretation, take part in the interactive process, or provide needed accommodations.