The Americans with Disabilities Act gives you powerful workplace rights that many people don’t fully understand or exercise. If you have a disability that affects your job performance, you’re not asking for special favors when you request accommodations—you’re demanding legal protections that Congress specifically created to level the playing field.

What Qualifies as a Reasonable Accommodation

A reasonable accommodation is any change to your job, work environment, or workplace policies that allows you to perform essential job functions or enjoy equal employment opportunities. The ADA requires employers with 15 or more employees to provide these accommodations unless they create “undue hardship,” meaning significant difficulty or expense relative to the employer’s resources.

Common accommodations include:

• Schedule modifications: Flexible hours, part-time schedules, or additional breaks for medical needs
• Remote work options: Working from home full-time or hybrid arrangements when job duties can be performed remotely
• Workplace modifications: Reserved parking, accessible workstations, ergonomic equipment, or improved lighting
• Policy changes: Modified dress codes, adjusted attendance policies, or exemptions from certain workplace rules
• Assistive technology: Screen readers, voice recognition software, amplified telephones, or specialized keyboards
• Job restructuring: Reassigning non-essential tasks or swapping duties with coworkers

The Remote Work Revolution

The EEOC explicitly recognizes telework as a reasonable accommodation, even if your employer doesn’t offer remote work to other employees. You can demand location changes when your disability makes commuting difficult, when you need a controlled environment, or when workplace distractions affect your performance.

Employers must consider telework even without existing remote work policies. Companies cannot deny requests solely because your job involves collaboration with others. Video conferencing, phone calls, and digital tools can often substitute for in-person interaction.

How to Request Accommodations

You don’t need to use magic words like “ADA” or “reasonable accommodation.” Simply inform your employer that you need workplace changes due to a medical condition. Requests can be verbal or written, though written requests create better documentation.

Effective request language:

• “I’m having difficulty performing [specific task] because of my medical condition and need [specific change]”
• “My disability makes it challenging to [work situation], so I need accommodation”

Start the interactive process immediately. Your employer must engage in good-faith discussions to identify effective accommodations. They can ask for medical documentation when your disability isn’t obvious, but they cannot demand your complete medical history.

Understanding “Undue Hardship”

Employers often claim accommodations create “undue hardship,” but this is a high legal standard that considers the accommodation’s cost, the employer’s overall financial resources, business size, and operational impact. Most accommodations cost employers nothing or very little. When costs exist, employers must consider tax credits, outside funding sources, and whether you’re willing to pay portions of the expense.

Specific Accommodations by Disability Type

Physical disabilities: Wheelchair-accessible workspaces, adjustable desks, parking modifications, rest areas, remote work for mobility limitations, or job restructuring to eliminate physical requirements.

Mental health conditions: Flexible schedules for therapy appointments, quiet workspaces, written instructions instead of verbal directions, permission to use noise-canceling headphones, or remote work to reduce workplace stress.

Chronic illnesses: Unpaid medical leave beyond company policy, permission to keep medication at workstations, flexible start times for morning stiffness, remote work during flare-ups, or air filtration systems.

Sensory impairments: Sign language interpreters, assistive listening devices, large-print materials, screen reading software, remote work with accessible technology, or alternative communication methods.

Your Rights During the Process

You have the right to effective accommodations, not perfect ones. Employers can choose among equally effective options, but they cannot select ineffective alternatives to avoid costs. The accommodation process should be prompt because unnecessary delays violate the ADA.

Protection from retaliation: Requesting accommodations cannot trigger disciplinary action, poor performance reviews, or termination. Such retaliation violates federal law and creates additional legal claims.

Privacy rights: Your medical information must remain confidential and stored separately from personnel files. Employers can only share accommodation details with supervisors who need the information for implementation.

When Employers Violate Your Rights

If your employer denies reasonable accommodations, delays the interactive process, or retaliates against you for requesting changes, you can file complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. EEOC complaints must be filed within 180 to 300 days of the discriminatory action, depending on your state.

Document everything: Save emails, meeting notes, medical documentation, and records of accommodation requests and employer responses. This evidence supports EEOC complaints and potential lawsuits.

Legal remedies: Successful ADA claims can result in job reinstatement, back pay, accommodation implementation, policy changes, and attorney fees.

Taking Action

Don’t let misconceptions about “special treatment” prevent you from asserting your legal rights. Reasonable accommodations aren’t favors—they’re civil rights protections designed to ensure equal employment opportunities. Most accommodations benefit everyone in the workplace and often cost employers little or nothing to implement.

Start by identifying specific barriers that your disability creates in your current job, then research potential solutions that would eliminate those barriers. Present concrete accommodation requests rather than general appeals for help. The more specific and practical your suggestions, the more likely your employer will implement effective solutions that allow you to succeed in your career.