Reasonable Accommodations

To start a request for a Reasonable Accommodation, employees have several options:

• Complete the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form
• Send an email to adainfo@psu.edu
• Talk directly to the Access and Disability Specialist (814-863-0471)
• Note: If an employee contacts their supervisor or HR staff first, that person must refer the employee to the Access and Disability Specialist

In most cases, the employee must request the reasonable accommodation.

Generally, employees must complete two forms as part of the process:

• Reasonable Accommodation Request Form
• Verification of Disability (completed by provider)

Once those forms are complete and submitted to the Access and Disability Specialist, the interactive process will proceed. This may include:

• Asking the employee for additional information about both limitations and job duties
• Requesting additional information or clarification on limitations from the employee’s provider
• Discussing essential job duties, potential accommodations, and work unit needs with the employee’s supervisor and unit HR staff

Following the interactive process, the Access and Disability Specialist will notify the employee of the recommended reasonable accommodations.

For your convenience, the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form is available as a download from this web site. If you are unable to download a copy of the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form, please contact The Office of Equal Opportunity and Access, Penn State, 328 Boucke Building, University Park, PA 16802; Tel. (814) 863-0471

• PSU RA Request Form Employment
• PSU RA Request Form Employment (PDF)
• PSU RA Request Form Employment (Digital)

Recognizing that some duties are specifically unique to many jobs, information related to an employee’s essential job duties may be obtained in a variety of ways; for example: the employee’s written job description, verbal feedback from the employee performing the job (to be verified by the supervisor), from the Functional Questionnaire the employee completed on their Competencies for Job Classification form and/or the Job Responsibilities Worksheet (if applicable), the Essential and Marginal Job Functional Analysis form, or other methods as might be necessary.

In the context of assessing an accommodation request, medical documentation maybe needed.  The Office of Equal Opportunity and Access has two primary uses for the documentation they obtain from an employee who requests reasonable accommodations: The first is simply to determine whether an actual disability exists to qualify the employee for protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended (ADA); the second use is to rely on the documentation as the primary guide to develop appropriate reasonable accommodations related to the employee’s request. The analysis involved in recommending appropriate reasonable accommodations almost always involves a greater reliance on the submitted documentation than what is necessary for simply making a disability determination.

Generally, in the context of an accommodation, medical inquiries related to an employee’s disability and functional limitations are permissible and may include consultations with knowledgeable professional sources, such as doctors, occupational and physical therapists, rehabilitation specialists, and organizations with expertise in adaptations for specific disabilities.  The Office of Equal Opportunity and Access is the University unit charged with collecting medical documentation. In the event that medical documentation is required, the employee will be provided with the appropriate forms to submit to their medical provider.  The employee has the responsibility to ensure that the medical provider follows through on requests for medical information.

All medical-related information shall be kept confidential and maintained separately from other personnel records.  However, supervisors and managers may be advised of information necessary to make the determinations they are required to make in connection with a request for an accommodation.  First aid and safety personnel may be informed, when appropriate, if the disability might require emergency treatment or if any specific procedures are needed in the case of fire or other evacuations.  Government officials investigating compliance with the ADA may also be provided relevant information as requested.