Employers must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and similar state laws sometimes wonder how far they have to go to accommodate a disabled applicant or employee.
The ADA defines accommodation as any change in the work or work environment which enables a disabled employee to perform the essential functions of a job. Accommodations can range from improving physical or structural obstacles to easing rigid work schedules.
The federal law (and similar state laws protecting qualified disabled applicants and employees) requires private employers with 15 or more employees to make reasonable accommodations for the qualified disabled applicants and employees. (Similar state laws often apply the same or similar requirements to all, or nearly all, employers.)
The key questions for employers often are: What makes an accommodation reasonable? And what kinds of accommodations are reasonable?