Employee Accommodations Request

Requesting Accommodations in the Workplace Under the ADA

Make a Request

All employees or prospective employees can request reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. It was amended in 2008. The process is straightforward and streamlined to make it tailored for each person. If you believe you would benefit from accommodations at work or in applying for a job with Clark College, you can initiate a request through the Human Resources Department. Contact the ADA Coordinator through the HR Front Desk, hr@clark.edu or 360-992-2105.

What Happens Then?

The ADA Coordinator will email or call you back within 1-2 business days to set up an appointment to discuss your questions and needs. This begins what is called the interactive process under the ADA, an ongoing dialog between the College and you about how the College might be able to help you better access your work through reasonable accommodations. Accommodations can be informal or formal, temporary or permanent. For example, an informal accommodation could be the ability to stand up and stretch for 2-3 minutes per hour for a short break. A formal accommodation could be having a text-to-speech software installed on your computer. A temporary accommodation could be use of an elevator and having a different schedule or route if someone has a severely broken leg. A permanent accommodation could be using assistive technology to help with a disability in the workplace.

Before you meet, the ADA Coordinator will email you a copy of an ADA rights document. When you meet, the ADA Coordinator will discuss the various optional forms that can help provide evidence to support your request. The forms include a Request Form, a Medical Questionnaire form for your healthcare provider, and a release form if additional information is needed from your healthcare provider. While all forms are optional under the ADA, they are helpful for making evidence-based decisions, especially for less visible conditions. You will be emailed the forms after your meeting.

Once the ADA Coordinator receives your request form and medical questionnaire, they will review it with your supervisor and discuss if the requested accommodations are reasonable. Continuing discussion as part of the interactive process will occur with you, as well. If the accommodations can be approved, then they will be documented in an ADA Accommodation Plan for the current fiscal year. At the minimum, an accommodation plan should be reviewed at least annually. If you wish to discuss questions or concerns sooner, you can request a re-review of your plan at any time. If an accommodation cannot be provided or must be denied, the College will provide an explanation.

Note: It is often the most helpful and quickest to take the Medical Questionnaire directly to your healthcare provider at an appointment rather than to mail, fax, or drop it off to them. Sometimes, a health clinic may require such a process, but if you can get a doctor to review and sign it at an appointment, it may be faster. Please take a copy of your position description with you when you go to the appointment with the medical questionnaire. Again, this form will be shared with you by the ADA Coordinator after you have your initial meeting.

Resources

To learn more about the Americans with Disabilities Act and your rights, there are several excellent federal resources available online: