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The Rehabilitation Act Now Protects TSA Officers From Discrimination Based On A Disability

The Rehabilitation Act protects most federal employees from discrimination because of a disability, just as the Americans With Disabilities Act protects those who work in the private sector.   The Rehabilitation Act requires federal agencies to provide reasonable accommodation to applicants and employees who have a disability but who are otherwise qualified for the position sought or held by them.  As amended, the Act now expressly incorporates the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act.  For all practical purposes the essential requirements of these two statutes are identical.  The U.S. Congress hastily created the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001.  TSA has always contended that the Rehabilitation Act does not apply to its security screeners - the officers who screen passengers and their luggage for weapons and explosives at airports throughout the U.S. The Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA) which Con