Start with the barrier at work
An accommodation request is about a change that may help you perform the job or access a benefit of employment because of a medical condition. Begin by identifying the work barrier: the schedule, location, task, equipment, rule, or physical setting that is causing the problem.
You generally do not need to use the words 'ADA' or 'reasonable accommodation.' Plain language can be enough if it connects the needed change to a medical condition. A written request is often useful because it creates a clear record of what you asked for and when.
- Name the change you are requesting, if you know it
- Explain how it would address the work-related limitation
- Ask who will manage the request and when you should expect a response
Give useful medical support without sharing your entire history
When the disability or the need for accommodation is not obvious, an employer may request reasonable documentation. The most useful documentation usually describes the functional limitation, how it affects the job, and the expected duration of the restriction.
A diagnosis alone may not explain the workplace need. Work with the medical provider to address the limitation and the requested change. Keep copies of what you submit and note the date and recipient.
Participate in the interactive process
The interactive process is a discussion about the limitation, the essential functions of the job, and possible effective accommodations. An employer may ask follow-up questions or propose a different accommodation. The alternative should still address the barrier at issue.
Respond to reasonable questions, correct inaccurate assumptions, and consider workable alternatives. If a proposal will not be effective, explain why in concrete terms and suggest another option.
Keep a clean record of delay or denial
Save the request, medical support, acknowledgments, meeting notes, and the final decision. If there is no response, send a short follow-up that identifies the original request and asks for a status date.
Also record what happens after the request. A sudden write-up, schedule change, loss of duties, or termination may require separate review, especially if it follows closely after the employer learns of the request.
When to get legal advice
Consider speaking with an employment lawyer when the request is ignored, the employer demands unusually broad medical information, an ineffective option is imposed, or discipline begins while the request is pending. Deadlines can apply to agency charges and lawsuits, so do not assume an internal process pauses them.
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