Many people live fulfilling and productive lives despite having severe or chronic medical challenges. Individuals with disabling medical conditions are often able to pursue meaningful careers that allow them to live independently. However, they may require certain forms of support from their employers.
Thankfully, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) establish a legal basis for employees to request accommodations. Provided that the employee is capable of performing the job and that the company meets the minimum number of employees, which is five under California law, an employee can request reasonable accommodations when entering a new position or making adjustments after acquiring a medical condition.
What types of accommodations can often help workers with medical limitations safely perform their jobs?
1. Accessible spaces and assistive technology
Workers with mobility limitations may need accessibility accommodations in the workplace. Those accommodations may include a first-floor workspace, accessible bathrooms and ramps to enter the building. Other times, employees may require assistive technology that can help them overcome their functional limitations to perform physical tasks or operate equipment.
2. Remote work arrangements
Many employees, including customer service workers, salespeople and white-collar professionals, can potentially perform their job functions from a remote location. Allowing a worker with medical challenges, such as a pregnant woman ordered to remain on bed rest, to work from home is a reasonable way for an employer to accommodate a medical disability.
3. Job function adjustments
Particularly in scenarios where a worker already has a position with the company but then they develop disabling medical conditions, asking for an adjustment of job responsibilities might be reasonable.
By altering the functions that a worker performs, companies can prevent job tasks from endangering the worker or exacerbating a new medical condition. So long as the accommodations that a worker requests do not cause undue hardship by disrupting operations or imposing unreasonable expenses, employers should do their best to accommodate the employee’s functional limitations.
Refusing to provide disability accommodations is a common form of disability discrimination. Documenting communications with employers about a refusal to provide accommodations could be the first step toward holding a business accountable for violating the rights of an employee.