Accommodations

 

The law requires an employer to provide reasonable accommodation to an employee or job applicant with a disability, unless doing so would cause significant difficulty or expense for the employer (undue hardship).

The law also protects people from discrimination based on their relationship with a person with a disability (even if they do not themselves have a disability).

Reasonable accommodations fall into three categories:

• Modifications or adjustments to job application process
• Modification or adjustment to the work environment
• Modification or adjustment that enable the employee to enjoy equal benefits and privileges to employment

Reasonable accommodation may include:

• Making existing facilities readily accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities. This could include cubical spaces or artificial hallways.
• Restructuring jobs to allow employees with disabilities to remove non-essential job functions from their job duties.
• Allowing part-time or modified work schedules.
• Providing equipment or devices that help overcome the disability. Screen readers or Jaws.
• Adjusting or modifying examinations, training materials, and policies.
• Reassigning to a vacant position.

An employer is not required to make an accommodation if it would impose an "undue hardship". An Undue hardship refers not only to financial difficulties but to reasonable accommodations that are unduly extensive, substantial or disruptive, or those that would alter fundamentally the nature or operation of the business.