Justice Department Secures Settlement to Resolve Disability Discrimination Against People with Opioid Use Disorder

Today the Justice Department reached a settlement agreement with Ready to Work, a not-for-profit residential, work and social services program for individuals who are homeless, with facilities in Aurora and Boulder, Colorado.

The settlement agreement addresses civil rights violations identified during the course of an investigation conducted by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.  It resolves a complaint under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that Ready to Work discriminated against an individual with opioid use disorder (OUD) by denying her admission to its residential, work and social services program because she uses a prescribed medication to treat her OUD.

Under the agreement, Ready to Work will not deny services on the basis of disability, including OUD, or apply standards or criteria that screen out individuals with disabilities. The agreement also requires Ready to Work to adopt non-discrimination policies, train staff on its non-discrimination obligations, and report on compliance. Ready to Work will also pay damages to the Complainant.

“People with opioid use disorder are too often subject to discrimination rooted in myths and stereotypes rather than in science,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This agreement will ensure that people with opioid use disorder do not face discriminatory barriers when seeking access to housing, jobs and social services, which are critical to support recovery and combat the epidemic of opioid addiction.  Ensuring that people with opioid use disorder can obtain essential services without facing discrimination is an important priority for the Civil Rights Division.”

For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt. The settlement agreement can be viewed here.