Reasonable Accommodations: Understanding Your Workplace Rights

When you have a disability and need a workplace adjustment to perform your job, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) gives you the right to request a reasonable accommodation from your employer. The ADA is a federal law that prohibits disability discrimination and requires covered employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees and applicants with disabilities unless doing so would create an undue hardship. A reasonable accommodation may include a modified schedule, additional leave, specialized equipment, remote work, or another adjustment that helps you perform the essential functions of your job and participate fully in the workplace.

The good news is that you do not have to use any special legal language or even say the words “reasonable accommodation” to start the process. Under the ADA, simply letting your employer know that you need a workplace adjustment because of a medical condition or disability may be enough to trigger the accommodation process.

Once you make the request, your employer generally cannot ignore it or dismiss it without consideration. Under the ADA, employers are expected to engage in a good-faith interactive process with employees with disabilities to understand their workplace needs, discuss potential accommodations, and identify an effective solution. If a reasonable accommodation would enable you to perform the essential functions of your job and would not impose an undue hardship on the employer, the employer is generally required to provide one.

Understanding your rights under the ADA can make all the difference when advocating for the support and workplace adjustments you need to succeed.