Toronto Man’s Lawsuit Against Apple a Reminder That Disability Discrimination in Tech Still Happens, Says Employment Lawyer
February 24, 2020 Greg Thomson
Alex Coop
Alex Coop @ItsJustAlexCoop
Published: February 6th, 2020
Interacting with customers, fixing their devices, and getting a front-row seat to Apple’s latest offerings were a regular occurrence for Robert Shaw, who, until last summer, worked for the tech giant since 2011.
But now the 33-year-old is suing his former employer for lost wages and damages, alleging that Apple repeatedly refused to work on an individual accommodation plan with him and instead provided piecemeal solutions to his disability.
Shaw requires the use of a wheelchair, and as a former member of the technical support “Genius team ” the blue-shirted Apple experts who know the company’s products inside-out ” had made several requests once he was transferred to Apple’s Sherway Gardens store in Toronto late 2017. Before that, he worked in an Apple Store across town in Mississauga.
Shaw requested tables that were 30 inches off the ground, roughly five inches lower than the ones typically found in the store. Reaching up to handle products and addressing customer requests was an awkward motion that consistently put stress on his upper body. He said he was [...]