In a budget-cutting move, the City of New York recently eliminated a job position that was performed by disabled workers, saying that technology can do the same work. The disabled workers are suing, saying the City is violating its own Human Rights Laws.

Thirty-seven disabled workers were laid off recently from their Office Machine Aide job title, a job that historically has been filled by disabled workers. The workers said their job title was targeted, unlike some other clerical titles which entailed the same job duties, and feel they are being laid off because they are disabled.

The City says the work can now be done by other workers holding other job titles while sitting at their desk using computers, and that the binding of books, done by office machine assistants, is now an obsolete task.

Disabled candidates traditionally have a hard time getting hired, and are most at risk of losing their jobs during hard economic times.