Commission seeks to clarify ADA requirements

On March 1, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued guidelines to clarify the responsibilities of employers to provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with qualified disabilities under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).

"Reasonable Accommodation and Undue Hardship under the Americans with Disabilities Act" is a comprehensive, interpretive publication that addresses the types of accommodations, who is entitled to receive the accommodations, the employer's ability to ask questions about the disability, the effect of an accommodation with the Family and Medical Leave Act, and when an accommodation is an undue hardship on the employer.

The ADA requires an employer to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities when to do otherwise would constitute an unlawful form of employment discrimination. The requirement extends to employees and job applicants.

An accommodation involves any change in the work environment or in the way things are customarily done that enables an individual with a disability to enjoy equal employment opportunities.

Of particular interest are the accommodations that may be required at the workplace. The EEOC states such changes include: making existing facilities accessible