According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to be free from all forms of discrimination. The right to non-discrimination is a type of right that requires the participation of both the government or state and non-state actors before citizens can enjoy it. This would entail enacting policies and laws to strengthen this right. Disabled and status veterans are among those who require this protection. As a result, numerous laws have been enacted to protect their rights.
Major Laws that Protect Veterans
There are different laws worldwide that protect Veterans, but the most important ones are discussed below:
American Disabilities Act of 1990
Title I of ADA, which is enforced through the United States’ Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), bars employers who work or do business with the government with over 15 employees against discriminating people with disabilities. Disabled veterans who fall into the Act’s definition of disabled people are entitled to such services even if they do not identify as veterans. This means that refusing to hire or provide benefits to a veteran because of a psychological disorder is illegal.
The ADA protects the rights of Veterans in many other ways. The Act restricts employers’ access to medical information and prohibits harassment of them. Also, the ADA ensures that the concept and practices of Reasonable Accommodation are enshrined in the culture of every workplace to achieve equality of opportunities.
Uniformed Services Employment and Redeployment Rights Act
The USERRA was passed in 1994 to prevent military service members and veterans from employment discrimination based on their service and allows them to re-enter civilian life after serving in the military. There are times when citizens of a country will leave their jobs, either voluntarily or compulsorily, to join the army and serve their country. They are entitled to employment rights once they return from their duties. This is, indeed, the USERRA’s goal. To achieve this goal, the USERRA protects veterans’ rights in three broad categories: health insurance protection, reemployment rights, and discrimination and retaliation protection. The Act ensures that Veterans continue to receive health insurance coverage and services from their chosen place of employment under the first category. They will not be denied access to adequate healthcare. The second category establishes and protects disabled and status Veterans’ rights to benefits such as employment, reemployment, promotion, and job retention. Finally, the third category ensures that a person can return to civilian life after serving in the army.
The Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Act
The Act, known as VEVRAA, was established and applied through the by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Program, to ensure the affirmative action obligations of employers who work for the government. Despite its name, VEVRAA covers people other than Vietnam Era Veterans. They include, for example, disabled veterans, those who have recently separated, and so on. VEVRAA also requires employers to follow certain rules regarding discrimination in their recruiting and hiring processes. It also includes a procedure for filing a complaint about victims of discrimination.
Laws contribute to the achievement of equal access to opportunities. Laws will help prevent people, particularly disabled veterans, from losing their jobs due to their military affiliation or a disability resulting from war or military combat. As a result, it is critical that these laws be prioritized and that each country enacts its own to protect its veterans.