Last Updated on September 23, 2026 by Nasir Hanif
A reasonable accommodation is a workplace change that helps a qualified person with a disability apply for a job, perform essential duties, or receive equal workplace benefits. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, covered employers generally must consider these changes unless providing them would create an undue hardship. Also worth reading: What is a life estate.
The details matter because an adjustment that works for one employee may not work for another. Federal law calls for an individualized assessment rather than a fixed list of approved solutions.
| Key point | What it means |
|---|---|
| Main federal law | Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA |
| General employer coverage | Employers with 15 or more employees |
| Who may qualify | Qualified applicants and employees with covered disabilities |
| Common changes | Schedule changes, accessible equipment, job restructuring, leave, telework, or reassignment |
| Employee request | No special legal phrase is required |
| Employer response | Discuss the need and consider effective options |
| Main limitation | An employer can show that an adjustment would cause undue hardship |
| Other federal protections | Separate rules also address pregnancy and religious practices |
Direct answer: Workplace accommodations can include modified schedules, accessible equipment, policy changes, extra leave, telework, interpreters, or reassignment to a vacant position. The right is not automatic in every situation. Eligibility, essential job duties, effectiveness, documentation, and the burden on the employer can all affect the outcome.
Key takeaways
- Employees don’t need to use legal terminology when requesting a work adjustment related to a medical condition.
- Employers should consider each request individually and discuss possible effective solutions.
- A company may seek limited medical documentation when the disability or need isn’t obvious.
- Employers generally don’t have to remove essential job functions.
- Leave or telework may qualify in some situations.
- Federal protections can also apply to pregnancy-related limitations and sincerely held religious practices.
- State and local laws may provide broader rights than federal law.
What Is a Reasonable Accommodation Under the ADA?
Federal disability law describes workplace adjustments in three broad groups. They can help a person participate in hiring, perform essential job functions, or gain equal access to workplace benefits and privileges.
The ADA generally covers employers with at least 15 employees. A worker must also meet the legal definition of a qualified individual. In broad terms, that means the person can perform the position’s essential functions with or without an appropriate workplace adjustment.
The law does not require every employer to approve every requested change. The goal is an effective solution that addresses a disability-related barrier while preserving the essential duties of the position.
NewsJoury’s article on employment-law issues for employers provides related background on workplace policies, disputes, and employment compliance.
Common Examples of Workplace Accommodations
An adjustment can be physical, technological, procedural, or scheduling-related. Federal guidance lists many possible examples.
Common options include the following.
- making a work area accessible.
- modifying equipment or computer tools.
- changing start or end times.
- providing part-time or modified schedules.
- changing how a nonessential task is performed.
- adjusting tests or training materials.
- providing qualified readers or interpreters.
- allowing disability-related leave.
- permitting telework when the job can be performed remotely.
- reassigning a qualified employee to a vacant position in appropriate circumstances.
These examples aren’t guarantees. The right solution depends on the person’s limitations, the job’s essential duties, and the employer’s operations.
For example, an employee receiving recurring treatment may need a modified schedule. A worker with a vision impairment may need accessible software. Someone whose condition limits concentration could need a quieter workspace.
How Do You Ask for an Accommodation?
The request can be simpler than many employees expect. EEOC guidance says a worker generally needs to tell the employer that a change at work is needed because of a medical condition. The employee doesn’t need to mention the ADA or use a particular legal phrase. A request also does not have to be written in accordance with federal ADA rules.
Still, putting the request in writing can create a useful record. A short message can identify:
- the work-related difficulty;
- that the difficulty is connected to a medical condition;
- the change that may help; and
- a willingness to discuss other effective options.
Employees don’t always need to disclose every detail of a diagnosis. The useful focus is usually the functional limitation and how it affects work.
What Is the Interactive Process?
After an employer learns that a disability-related change may be needed, the employee and employer often discuss possible solutions. EEOC guidance describes this as an informal, interactive process.
That discussion may cover the barrier the employee faces, the essential functions of the position, the requested change, and other options that could work.
An employer does not always have to provide the employee’s preferred option. An alternative may be lawful if it effectively addresses the work-related limitation.
Both sides benefit from being specific. A statement such as “I need flexibility” gives less useful information than explaining that a medical condition requires two additional short breaks during a shift.
Can an Employer Ask for Medical Documentation?
Sometimes. If the disability and the need for a workplace change are not obvious, an employer may request reasonable documentation about the disability and related functional limitations.
The request should be limited to information needed to establish the disability and explain why the adjustment is necessary. EEOC guidance says employers generally should not demand complete medical records because they are likely to contain unrelated information.
Medical information collected under the ADA is also subject to confidentiality rules. EEOC guidance states that covered medical records and information generally must be kept confidential and maintained separately from ordinary personnel files.
Readers trying to understand the separate rules that apply to health information may also find NewsJoury’s plain-English HIPAA overview useful. HIPAA and employment-disability confidentiality are different legal frameworks, so one should not be treated as a substitute for the other.
When Can an Employer Say No?
The ADA does not require a change that would impose an undue hardship. The EEOC enforcement guidance on reasonable accommodation defines the concept of significant difficulty or expense based on factors such as cost, employer resources, business structure, and operational impact.
This is a case-specific test. A cost that creates a serious burden for a small employer may be manageable for a much larger organization.
An employer also generally does not have to do any of the following.
- eliminate an essential job function;
- accept lower quality or reduced performance standards;
- provide personal items used both on and off the job, such as ordinary eyeglasses;
- create a promotion as a reassignment;
- approve an option that is ineffective.
A rejected request does not always end the discussion. Another effective option may be available.
Can Leave or Remote Work Be an Accommodation?
Yes, in some circumstances. EEOC guidance recognizes disability-related leave as a possible workplace adjustment, including unpaid leave when appropriate and not creating undue hardship. An employer does not have to provide more paid leave than its policies otherwise provide.
Telework can also be considered when working from home would address a disability-related limitation and the employee can perform the essential job functions remotely. The decision should be based on the position and the individual circumstances, not a blanket assumption about remote work.
Pregnancy and Religious Requests Use Different Federal Rules
The phrase “workplace accommodation” is not limited to disability law. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, or PWFA, generally requires covered employers to provide reasonable accommodations for known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless doing so would cause undue hardship. Examples include more frequent breaks, schedule changes, telework, temporary reassignment, help with lifting, or leave.
Religious practices can also require changes under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Examples may include scheduling changes, leave for observance, or exceptions to some dress and grooming policies.
The legal tests are not identical. In 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court clarified the Title VII religious undue-hardship standard in Groff v. DeJoy. The burden must be substantial in the context of the employer’s business.
For more plain-English coverage of legal topics, NewsJoury maintains a broader Law section.
What Should You Do If a Request Is Denied?
Start by finding out why the employer rejected it. The reason may involve missing information, disagreement about essential job duties, questions about effectiveness, or a claimed hardship.
An employee can then consider whether another workable option exists. Keeping copies of requests, responses, medical documentation, and relevant workplace policies can also help preserve a clear record.
If you believe federal employment-discrimination law was violated, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is the federal agency responsible for enforcing several of these workplace protections. Filing deadlines can apply, and state law may create separate remedies or deadlines.
For a dispute with meaningful employment or financial consequences, consider speaking with a qualified employment attorney in your state. This article provides general U.S. information and is not legal advice.
A Practical Next Step
If you’re an employee, write down the workplace barrier you face and the change that would help you perform the job. Then raise the issue with the person or department that handles workplace requests.
If you’re an employer, respond promptly, identify the essential job functions, and discuss effective options rather than relying on assumptions. When the legal answer is uncertain, get advice based on the facts and the laws that apply in your state.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a change to a job, hiring process, workplace, schedule, equipment, or policy that helps a qualified person overcome a disability-related barrier. Under the ADA, covered employers generally must consider effective changes unless they can establish undue hardship.
No. EEOC guidance says workers can use plain language. They need to communicate that they require a workplace change because of a medical condition.
Not generally under the ADA. An oral request can be enough. A written record may still help both sides understand what was requested and when.
Yes, in some cases. If the disability or need is not obvious, the employer may request limited documentation to establish the relevant condition and explain the need for the work adjustment.
Cost alone does not automatically settle the issue. The ADA’s undue hardship analysis considers the expense and difficulty in relation to the employer’s resources and operations.
No. Remote work may be effective for some positions and disabilities, but the employer can consider whether essential duties can be performed from home and whether another effective option exists.
Potentially. EEOC guidance states that unpaid disability-related leave may need to be considered even when an employee has exhausted ordinary leave, unless the additional leave would create undue hardship.
