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Employers' Practical Guide to Reasonable Accommodation
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Male and femal co-workers shaking hands in front of female supervisor

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a free service of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy. JAN consultants have been providing job accommodation information to employers since 1983 when JAN was founded. In addition, JAN consultants have been providing information to employers about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) since 1992 when the ADA went into effect. Over the years, JAN consultants have developed practical ideas to help employers provide job accommodations and comply with the ADA. The Employers' Practical Guide to Reasonable Accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act is a summary of some of the most frequent issues that employers have regarding accommodations and ADA compliance and JAN's practical ideas for resolving them. As new information is available or new issues develop, the Guide will be updated to reflect the changes. If you have an issue that is not addressed in the Guide or if you want to discuss an issue in more detail, please contact JAN.

I. ADA BASICS

This section provides answers to basic questions about the ADA. Most of the answers come from formal and informal guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency that enforces the ADA. When available, links to the EEOC guidance are provided.

II. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR APPLICATIONS AND JOB INTERVIEWS

The ADA applies to all aspects of employment, including job advertisements, job applications, job interviews, and post-offer medical examinations. Although many of the ADA rules that apply to applicants and new-hires are the same as the rules for employees, there are some differences. This section discusses the differences.

III. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR EMPLOYEES

One of the key non-discrimination requirements of Title I of the ADA is the obligation to provide reasonable accommodation for employees with disabilities. This section provides information about what policies and procedures might be useful, how to recognize and handle accommodation requests, how to determine effective accommodations, and what types of accommodations might be reasonable.

IV. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR EMPLOYEES ON LEAVE AND FORMER EMPLOYEES

The ADA requires employers to provide accommodations to ensure that employees with disabilities receive equal benefits of employment. For employees on leave and former employees, benefits of employment may include health and disability insurance, job protection, and bonuses and promotions.

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ODEP: JAN is a service of the Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor