PHILADELPHIA – A deaf Philadelphia man is suing United Parcel Service alleging he was discriminated against on the job because the company would not provide translators.
Michael MacDonald filed a complaint on Nov. 16 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against UPS, citing violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act.
MacDonald, a pre-loader with UPS, claims that during his employment with UPS between September 2014 and October he was repeatedly deprived of appropriate and required accommodations for his disability. Due to his deafness, MacDonald has trouble understanding spoken conversation and requires an American Sign Language translator, although he has never been provided with one, the complaint states.
According to the complaint, in August, while preloading a package, the parcel fell onto the floor, spilling the inner contents on the ground. Though MacDonald tried to explain the incident, his supervisor allegedly did not understand or respond. Because of this and other incidents, MacDonald is suing UPS, claiming violations of the ADA.
MacDonald is seeking monetary compensation for all he suffered, as well as future accommodations for individuals with physical disabilities. He is represented by Julie Foster and Michael Churchill of the Public Interest Law Center in Philadelphia.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Case number 2:15-cv-06132