Alabama Americans with Disabilities Act Attorney

Disability and Reasonable Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a very important federal law that provides legal protections for individuals with physical or mental disabilities. These protections extend into the workplace. Arguably the most important of these protections is the right of disabled individuals to be free from employment discrimination and harassment. Another critical ADA protection is the right for individuals with disabilities to receive reasonable accommodations for their disabilities at work.

Often employment disputes arise over the request for and subsequent denial of reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals. These cases involve complex laws and nuanced standards. Therefore, it is important for anyone facing a dispute of this nature to contact an attorney with experience handling this specific type of case.

Requesting Reasonable Accommodations

Many individuals with disabilities are able to perform the duties and functions of their jobs. However, a typical workplace setting may not be conducive to their immediate nor long-term success. Instead, they may need their workplace environment modified or accomodations made so that they can perform their job duties as well as anyone without a disability. The law gives employees with disabilities the right to request that their employer make certain accommodations for them.

Often employment disputes arise over the request for and subsequent denial of reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals. These cases involve complex laws and nuanced standards. Therefore, it is important for anyone facing a dispute of this nature to contact an attorney with experience handling this specific type of case.

A few examples of reasonable accommodations include but are not limited to:

• Improving accessibility in a work area for the employee;
• Providing or adjusting a product, equipment, or software;
• Allowing a flexible work schedule to allow for medical treatments;
• Providing reserved parking.

You have the right to request such accommodations if the following are true:



• You have a qualified disability as defined by the ADA;
• You have the skill, experience, education, and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job;
• The accommodation does not cause undue hardship for your employer.

The “undue hardship” principle is most often the common basis for disputes regarding reasonable accommodations. Many employers will claim that making an accommodation request places an undue burden on the employer because the request is too costly, difficult, or disruptive and will wrongfully deny the request.