The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers to provide a reasonable accommodation to the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified individual with a disability. It prohibits employers from denying employment opportunities to applicants or employees on the basis of the need to provide such an accommodation, unless the employers can demonstrate that the accommodation would impose an undue hardship. An employer's obligation to provide a reasonable accommodation starts when the employer has notice that the employee might have a disability for which an accommodation is needed. It is generally the responsibility of the individual with a disability to inform the employer that an accommodation is needed. An individual with a disability can request a reasonable accommodation at any time during the application process or during the period of employment. There are a lot of possible reasonable accommodations that an employer may have to provide in connection with modifications to the work environment or adjustments in how and when a job is performed. These include making existing facilities accessible, job restructuring, part-time or modified work schedules, acquiring or modifying equipment, changing tests, training materials, or policies, providing qualified readers or interpreters, and reassignment to a vacant position. An employer does not have to provide a reasonable accommodation that would cause an “undue hardship” to the employer. Undue hardship must be based on an individualized assessment of current circumstances that show that a specific reasonable accommodation would cause significant difficulty or expense. If an employer determines that one particular reasonable accommodation will cause undue hardship, but a second type of reasonable accommodation will be effective and will not cause an undue hardship, then the employer must provide the second accommodation.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers to provide a reasonable accommodation to the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified individual with a disability. It prohibits employers from denying employment opportunities to applicants or employees on the basis of the need to provide such an accommodation, unless the employers can demonstrate that the accommodation would impose an undue hardship. An employer's obligation to provide a reasonable accommodation starts when the employer has notice that the employee might have a disability for which an accommodation is needed. It is generally the responsibility of the individual with a disability to inform the employer that an accommodation is needed. An individual with a disability can request a reasonable accommodation at any time during the application process or during the period of employment. There are a lot of possible reasonable accommodations that an employer may have to provide in connection with modifications to the work environment or adjustments in how and when a job is performed. These include making existing facilities accessible, job restructuring, part-time or modified work schedules, acquiring or modifying equipment, changing tests, training materials, or policies, providing qualified readers or interpreters, and reassignment to a vacant position. An employer does not have to provide a reasonable accommodation that would cause an “undue hardship” to the employer. Undue hardship must be based on an individualized assessment of current circumstances that show that a specific reasonable accommodation would cause significant difficulty or expense. If an employer determines that one particular reasonable accommodation will cause undue hardship, but a second type of reasonable accommodation will be effective and will not cause an undue hardship, then the employer must provide the second accommodation.

discrimination against individuals with disabilities, employment discrimination, reasonable accommodation, undue hardship