Are employers required to provide accommodations?
Q. Is there a law that guarantees accommodations in the workplace?
A. Yes. In fact, there’s more than one law that guarantees workplace for people with disabilities. But each of these laws comes with three important requirements:
The applicant or employee’s disability is verified.
The applicant or employee meets all the requirements of the position. This includes as education level, experience, and skills.
The accommodations are reasonable and do not create a significant financial hardship for the employer.
Download this one-page fact sheet to learn more about workplace accommodations.
Workplace accommodations fact sheetPDF - 32.2 KB
Laws to look at are Title I, Title II Subtitle A, and Title III of the (ADA); Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and Section 188 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998.
The Job Accommodations Network (JAN) is a good resource. Try its Searchable Online Accommodation Resource (SOAR). JAN is a federal service that provides free one-on-one consultations to people with disabilities. Its consultants can suggest job accommodation ideas. They can also help you request and negotiate those accommodations.
SOAR includes accommodation suggestions for a variety of learning disabilities. You can find specific examples of workplace accommodations. This could include a supervisor providing written instructions for an employee who has difficulty remembering what tasks to do and in which order.
JAN also has a list of federal, state, and local resources. The list includes state (VR) agencies that help people with disabilities pursue meaningful careers.
VR agencies may be able to connect you with a free job coach who can provide on-site support. They have many resources to help people succeed in the workplace.
Ready to ask for accommodations? Use this fact sheet on how to request workplace accommodations.
