The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities and requires reasonable accommodations.
Who's covered: Employers with 15+ employees. The definition of disability is broad: any physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity.
Reasonable accommodation: Changes to the job or workplace that enable you to perform essential functions. Examples:
• Modified work schedule
• Remote work
• Ergonomic equipment
• Leave for medical treatment
• Reassignment to a vacant position
• Modified job duties (non-essential functions)
The interactive process: When you request an accommodation, your employer must engage in a good-faith interactive process to identify effective accommodations. Simply denying requests without discussion violates the ADA.
Undue hardship: Employers can deny accommodations only if they pose significant difficulty or expense. This is a high bar, especially for larger employers.
Key tip: Request accommodations in writing and document the employer's response. A paper trail is critical.
Sources: Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 12111–12117; ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-325); EEOC guidance on reasonable accommodation at eeoc.gov.