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California residents with disabilities should be aware that qualified employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations within the workplace. The Americans with Disabilities Act was designed in order to provide disabled citizens with more opportunities to work and earn an income, while ensuring protections against discrimination in the workplace.
What is Considered a Reasonable Accommodation?
Reasonable accommodations are considered to be adjustments that are made for disabled employees, which allows them to perform their duties and fulfill the responsibilities of the position they have been hired for within the organization.
It is important to recognize that defining an accommodation as reasonable will be based on the individual circumstances. In many cases, an employer must evaluate their ability to make the adjustments and the costs associated with the modifications. Considering employers that employ more than 15 employees are required to abide by the ADA, it’s understandable that some smaller employers may not be able to make the same modifications and adjustments as larger corporations that employ a significant amount of people.
Examples of Reasonable Accommodations
There are many different types of accommodations and adjustments that can be made in order to allow an individual with a disability to fulfill the responsibilities of a job position. These are a few examples of reasonable accommodations that may be made by employers in California:
- Creating telecommuting opportunities for employers who may not be able to physically drive into work, but may be able to fulfill all the essential responsibilities from home or from a remote worksite.
- Allowing disabled employees the flexibility they need for appointments that are necessary for their health and wellbeing.
- Providing employee training opportunities in order to educate all employers on a particular disability to help change perceptions and stigmas surrounding the disability.
- Creating an accessible workspace that accommodates wheelchairs and other equipment that employees with disabilities might need.
What To Do if Your Employer Denies You Reasonable Accommodations
Employers are not required by law to make every accommodation requested by disabled employers. They are only required to make these modifications and adjustments if they have the resources available to do so, and the modifications do not create undue hardship. With this in mind, each situation must be considered as an individual circumstance. If you feel your employer is not making reasonable accommodations when they have the ability to do so, you will want to contact a legal team that will advocate for you and provide you with the assistance that you need.
Our California law firm will work with you to analyze your case and provide you with the resources you need in order to advocate for your rights within the workforce. Find out more by contacting us today and setting up a consultation appointment with one of our experienced attorneys.