FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 12, 2022
Contact: Jess Davidson, jdavidson@aapd.com; Elizabeth Seeger, eseeger@cdt.org
The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) welcome the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Department of Justice‘s announcement today of guidance for preventing algorithms and AI-based systems from discriminating against people with disabilities. Such guidance is the first of its kind from a U.S. government agency, and follows long-standing calls from AAPD, CDT, and other civil society organizations for stronger oversight and robust enforcement against these technologies, which often discriminate against disabled jobseekers and employees.
Algorithm-driven technologies for hiring and employee evaluation are increasingly being used by employers, with the purported aim of removing bias. But, as the EEOC and DOJ pointed out today in new guidance, using these technologies carries a high risk of widespread discriminatory impact for people with disabilities and may violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
AAPD and CDT commend the EEOC and DOJ for prioritizing greater accountability for algorithmic discrimination against workers with disabilities, who already face higher rates of unemployment and often experience discriminatory and unjust working conditions on the job. These disparities are further heightened for disabled people of color, women, members of the LGBTQ community, and other multiply marginalized disabled people.
Importantly, today’s guidance stresses that employers are responsible for preventing discrimination by the algorithmic tools that they use, regardless of whether they create their own tools or hire outside companies to develop them.
“Disability discrimination by algorithmic tools can be difficult to identify and measure, since disabled people’s experiences are diverse,” said Alexandra Givens, CDT’s President and CEO, “but those difficulties do not absolve employers of their responsibility to ensure that their ‘bias-free’ tools do not cause or exacerbate discriminatory patterns.”
“Many assume that AI hiring tools are less biased because the human element is removed, when instead these technologies should come with a warning label. Unchecked ableism is built into AI hiring tools at a time when their use is increasingly ubiquitous with a devastating result on disabled jobseekers and workers,” said Maria Town, AAPD’s President and CEO. “We applaud the EEOC and DOJ for focusing on how these technologies affect people with disabilities, and for offering specific advice to employers to prevent such discrimination.”
Guidance for how employers can faithfully comply with the ADA has not kept up with rapid shifts in technology, and the EEOC and DOJ guidelines provide a long-overdue and much-needed update. AAPD and CDT look forward to working with the EEOC and DOJ to advance and expand upon this new guidance, and to make sure that best practices and oversight and enforcement efforts take an intersectional approach to limit inequities and increase employment opportunities for all disabled workers.
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The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is a convener, connector, and catalyst for change, increasing the political and economic power of people with disabilities. As a national cross-disability rights organization, AAPD advocates for full civil rights for the over 61 million Americans with disabilities by promoting equal opportunity, economic power, independent living, and political participation. To learn more, visit the AAPD Web site: www.aapd.com.
The Center for Democracy & Technology is a 25-year old 501(c)(3) working to promote civil rights and civil liberties in the digital age. Based in Washington, D.C. and Brussels, Belgium, CDT works inclusively across sectors to find tangible solutions to today’s most pressing technology policy challenges. Our team of experts includes lawyers, technologists, academics, and analysts, bringing diverse perspectives to all of our efforts. Learn more: https://cdt.org.