Understanding Reasonable Accommodations for People with Disabilities

Reasonable accommodations are changes to the work environment or the job itself that enable an employee with a disability to perform essential job functions on par with his peers. They are intended to remove or reduce disability-related barriers to employment so that a qualified individual with a disability can enter, or continue participating in, the workforce. The Americans with Disabilities Act does not provide a specific list of accommodations that are considered "acceptable." Instead, it looks to the employee and employer to determine what is needed, and what is reasonable, in a given situation.

Once an employee discloses his or her disability and requests a reasonable accommodation, the employer must engage in an interactive process and respond within a reasonable time.

If the employee can demonstrate that the requested accommodation is disability-related, necessary to perform the job, and "reasonable," the employer must provide the accommodation or one that is equally effective.

What is “Reasonable”?

An accommodation would be considered reasonable unless it would cause undue hardship to the employer. "Undue hardship" means that:

SIGNIFICANT difficulty or expense would be required to implement the accommodation; or
The accommodation would be HIGHLY disruptive; or
It would FUNDAMENTALLY change the nature or operation of the business.

An employer must assess on a case-by-case basis whether a specific accommodation would cause undue hardship.

Some accommodations would not be considered "reasonable" under the ADA for reasons other than undue hardship. For example:

The ADA would not require an employer to change the job’s typical or essential functions. Rather, the employer's efforts to accommodate a qualified individual in performing those identified tasks are the ADA's concern.
Under most circumstances, employers are not required to provide or pay for "personal use" items. This term refers to things such as hearing aids, eyeglasses, wheelchairs, and prosthetic limbs that are needed both inside and outside the workplace.
Employers are not obliged to set lower production and performance standards for employees with disabilities (although in some cases they may choose to do so).

Reasonable Accommodations in the Hiring Process

While the notion of accommodating "essential functions" pertains specifically to employees, the ADA also requires reasonable accommodations when interviewing and testing job applicants with disabilities. The purpose is to ensure their ability to fully participate in the recruitment process, and have their qualifications fairly considered. Examples include providing a sign language interpreter for people with hearing impairments, conducting interviews in locations that are wheelchair-accessible, and providing written materials in formats that can be understood by applicants with low or no vision.

Additionally, if the method in which a test is typically administered does not reflect actual job requirements, an employer must allow individuals with disabilities to be assessed using a different format if necessary.