Employees who need an accommodation should begin by notifying their supervisor or the Office of Accessibility Services (OAS). Requests can be made verbally or in writing, and no formal language is required. It is helpful to provide details about the specific challenges faced and potential accommodations that may be beneficial.

Once a request is made, the employer and employee engage in an interactive dialogue to assess the situation. This may involve discussing job duties, limitations, and possible reasonable accommodations. Both parties should work collaboratively to identify effective solutions.

In some cases, employees may need to provide medical documentation that verifies the disability and explains the need for accommodations. The documentation should come from a qualified healthcare professional and should be relevant to the requested accommodation.

The employer will review the request and supporting information to determine appropriate accommodations. This may involve consulting additional resources, such as occupational specialists or accessibility experts, to identify feasible options.

Once an accommodation is approved, the employer will put it into effect as soon as possible. This may involve modifying workspaces, adjusting schedules, providing assistive technology, or other reasonable measures to support the employee.

After implementation, both the employee and employer should assess the accommodation’s effectiveness. Adjustments can be made if the accommodation is not meeting the employee’s needs or if job responsibilities change over time.

All accommodation requests and related information are kept confidential. Employers are prohibited from retaliating against employees who request or use accommodations.

If you have questions or need assistance with the accommodation process, please contact the Office of Accessibility Services for guidance and support.