Disability & Accommodation
ADA & Reasonable Accommodation Tools
Free tools for running the ADA interactive process and documenting reasonable accommodations.
Reviewed by theComplianceToolsLibrary Editorial Team · Last updated
Disability compliance under Title I of the ADA requires employers with 15 or more employees to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified workers, unless doing so causes an undue hardship. The heart of the law is the interactive process — a good-faith dialogue triggered by any request for a workplace change for a medical reason.
Most ADA mistakes aren't outright refusals; they're process failures: ignoring an informal request, demanding too much medical information, or never documenting the conversation. Many state laws cover smaller employers and define disability more broadly than federal law.
Key concepts
- Interactive process
- The required good-faith back-and-forth to identify limitations and effective accommodations.
- Essential functions
- The core duties an accommodation must enable the employee to perform.
- Undue hardship
- Significant difficulty or expense — the case-by-case standard for lawfully declining an accommodation.
- Reasonable accommodation
- A change such as a modified schedule, equipment, leave, or reassignment that enables the employee to work.
Frequently asked questions
Which employers must provide ADA accommodations?
Employers with 15 or more employees under Title I; many states cover smaller employers.
What starts the accommodation process?
Any request for a change at work for a medical reason — no specific words or forms are required.
Can an employer deny an accommodation?
Only if it would cause undue hardship or the person isn't qualified — and only after engaging in the interactive process.