ADA Accommodation Procedures for employees

 

In accordance with the American with Disabilitites Act and Florida Atlantic University Policy 1.13, Florida Atlantic University ("FAU") is committed to providing reasonable accommodations. As part of this committment, FAU affords equal access and opportunity to University students, employees, and job applicants with disabilities. As part of this commitment, the University seeks to ensure that no qualified individual with a disability is excluded from participation or denied the benefits of services, programs, or activities of the University, or subjected to discrimination or lack of access by the University. Qualified individual with disabilitities may be entitled to reasonable accommodations and/or equal access to programs and services that can include a change or exception to a rule or policy.

FAU accepts reasonable accommodation requests from persons with disabilities. The Office of Civil Rights and Title IX (OCR9) serves as the resource for an employee who has a qualified disability to make requests for reasonable accommodations to perform the essential functions of their job. OCR9 will need information from the employee and their healthcare/medical provider so that OCR9 can review and determine if the accommodation request is reasonable.

 

Student Accommodation Requests 

Students seeking accommodations for qualified disabilities must contact the Office of Student Accessibility Services (SAS). SAS provides the University community with resources, education and direct services to aid students with disabilities having a greater opportunity to achieve excellence in their education goals. Students needing accommodations on campus must contact SAS for assistance. Students can visit SAS on the Boca Raton Campus in SU 133 or visit their webpage at  www.fau.edu/sas/ for more information about student disability services.

SAS has offices on the Boca Raton Campus, Davie Campus, and Jupiter Campus. Students may contact SAS by phone at 561-297-3880 | TTY 711 or visit www.fau.edu/sas/about/contact-us to email the office.  

 

Employee Accommodation Requests

To initiate the accommodation request process, the employee should log  into their "Workday" using their FAU net ID and password. The employee should follow the instructions below to access the OCR9 ADA Accommodation Request Form.

  1. Once logged in, the employee must type "Create Request" in the Workday search bar.
  2. Once selected, use the drop down option to select "All."
  3. Next the employee must scroll down to select the "OCR9 ADA Accommodation Request Form" then click"Okay.
  4. Next the employee must complete the online form. The employee must make sure to check "Yes" before clicking "Submit." The employee should not attach any "Medical Forms" to the request form in Workday. 

 

Required Forms

The reasonable accommodation process will require submission of medical document(s) from the treating healthcare/medical provider. The employee will need to provide their healthcare/medical provider (i.e., Primary Care Physician, Specialist, Therapist, etc.) with an "ADA Medical Documentation Request Form" and desciption of their job duties. OCR9 will email the ADA Medical Documentation Request Form once the OCR9 ADA Accommodation Request Form has been submitted. All medical information OCR9 receives will be maintained in accordance with applicable confidentiality requirements . 

OCR9 will need the supporting medical information from the Employee's healthcare/medical provider to begin the interactive process and review the request for reasonable accommodations. The healthcare/medical provider must explain on the ADA Medical Inquiry Form how the disability interferes with and/or prevents the employee from performing their job's essential duties/functions. Employees should follow the instructions below when returning their healthcare/medical document(s). 

  1. The employee must return the completed ADA Medical Inquiry Form to OCR9 to ensure timely review and processing of their accommodation request.
  2. The employ must email the ADA Medical Inquiry Form to the accommodate@fau.edu email address.  

Once OCR9 receives all the completed forms and medical documents they will be reviewed and the interactive process will begin.

 

Interactive Process Framework

The Interactive Process is an information inquiry through questions and information gathering so that OCR9 through the ADA Coordinator can evaluate the need and feasibilty of the accommodation request. The evaluation can involve accessing the limitations and capabilities of the employee, the needs and constraints of the employer, and the range of possibilities to make it all work.  

  • OCR9 will gather information about the employee's job description and analyze to determine the purpose and essential functions of the employee's job duties.
  • OCR9 will meet with the employee to consult about the request, the employee's job duties, limitations and ability to complete job duties, and potential accommodations to ascertain the precise job-related limitations imposed by the individual's disability and how the limitations could be overcome with a reasonable accommodation. 
  • OCR9 will meet with the employee's supervisor, department chair, or unit director to assess the effectiveness an accommodation would have in aiding the employee to perform the essential functions of their job duties. This may involve gathering additional information about the employee's job duties and identify any potential burdenson and undue hardships an accommodation may create. 
  • OCR9 will review all the information and make a decision about the appropriateness of an accommodation. The recommended accommodation may be approved, modified, or denied by OCR9. 
  • When an accommodation is approved, OCR9 will continue to monitor the appropriateness of the accommodation to ensure it is satisfactory for both the employer and employee. If the accommodation becomes no longer effective, OCR9 will promptly reengage in the interactive process. 

 

For inquiries concerning employees, job applicants or other available accommodations, please email accommodate@fau.edu or call the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX at (561) 297-3004.