Federal agencies are required by law to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified employees with disabilities. The Federal Government may provide you with a reasonable accommodation based on appropriate requests (unless so doing will result in undue hardship to the agencies). For more information, see the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's "Enforcement Guidance: Reasonable Accommodation and Undue Hardship under the Americans with Disabilities Act."
Reasonable accommodations can apply to the duties of the job and/or where and how job tasks are performed. The accommodation should make it easier for the employee to successfully perform the duties of the position. Examples of reasonable accommodations include providing interpreters, readers, or other personal assistance; modifying job duties; restructuring work sites; providing flexible work schedules or work sites (i.e. telework) and providing accessible technology or other workplace adaptive equipment. Telework provides employees additional flexibility by allowing them to work at a geographically convenient alternative worksite, such as home or a telecenter, on an average of at least one day per week.
Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis. To request reasonable accommodations:
- Look at the vacancy announcement
- Work directly with person arranging the interviews
- Contact the agency Selective Placement Program Coordinator
- Contact the hiring manager and engage in an interactive process to clarify what the person needs and identify reasonable accommodations
- Make an oral or written request; no special language is needed
Additional Resources Relating to Reasonable Accommodations, Assistive Technology and Accessibility
- ABLEDATA: Assistive technology - Provides information on assistive technology and rehabilitation equipment available from domestic and international sources for use within the United States.
- Executive Order 13164 - Requires Federal agencies to establish procedures to facilitate the provision of reasonable accommodations.
- Easter Seals: Project ACTION - Promotes improved access to transportation for people with disabilities and assists transportation operates to implement the ADA.
- Federal Communications Commission, Disability Rights Office: What You Need to Know about the Telecommunications Relay Service
- Institute for Human Centered Design - Advocates for accessibility and universal designs for people with disabilities to participate fully in all aspects of society.
- Job Accommodation Network (JAN) - Provides information about job accommodations, the ADA and employment of people with disabilities.
- University of Wisconsin-Madison: Trace Research and Development Center - Provides information on technology and disabilities.
- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's "Enforcement Guidance: Reasonable Accommodation and Undue Hardship under the ADA"
- U. S. Department of Education: Assistive Technology - Uses assistive technology to assist Department of Education employees and customers with disabilities.
- U.S. Department of Defense/Office of Secretary of Defense: Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP) - Provides assistive technology to employees with disabilities at the Department of Defense and other Federal agencies.
- U.S. General Services Administration: Federal Relay Service - Describes the Federal relay service.
