Managing a Healthcare Worker’s ADA Request for Accommodation: 5 Steps

As in any field, healthcare workers can experience a range of medical disabilities or impairments. It’s important that facility leaders strive toward workplace inclusivity by accommodating employees who are living with underlying conditions. Granting an ADA request for accommodation is one way to remove barriers and enable staff to deliver quality care.

But what exactly are requests for ADA accommodations and how should you go about granting them? If you’re new to this process, we’ll cover the fundamentals of ADA accommodations and what steps you can take to manage requests efficiently and effectively.

Frequently Asked Questions

The ADA is a detailed piece of legislation. As a facility leader, you may be looking for more general information on ADA requests and how they apply to your workers. Below, we’ll answer some of the most frequently asked questions about ADA accommodations.

What is an ADA request for accommodation?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal law protecting individuals with disabilities against discrimination. Under Title I of the ADA, employees with certain medical conditions can make accommodation requests to their employers if they’re struggling to carry out their job due to their medical conditions. Unless doing so would create an undue hardship, facilities are generally required to grant reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities as long as they fall under all relevant ADA rules and policies.

Who qualifies for ADA accommodations in healthcare?

The ADA requirements for healthcare facilities are the same as what’s expected of any other type of employer. Any private healthcare facility that employs 15 or more people should follow federal ADA requirements. Workers at these facilities are entitled to receive accommodations if they:

• Are employees and not independent contractors (e.g., 1099 contract nurses from staffing agencies).
• Have a physical or mental health condition.
• Require accommodations to carry out essential functions of their job.
• Request accommodations that are considered “reasonable” under the ADA.

What are some examples of ADA accommodations in healthcare?

There are a variety of ways that healthcare leaders can provide reasonable accommodations for their staff. Examples of accommodations may include:

• Switching a night-shift nurse to day shift because they have a condition requiring them to maintain a regular sleep schedule.
• Providing accessible telephone equipment for a doctor who has a hearing impairment.
• Installing an air vent for a radiology technician with asthma after they report breathing difficulties in the dark room.

What illnesses are covered under the ADA?

The ADA doesn’t list specific conditions that qualify a worker to receive a reasonable accommodation. Some conditions are visible and others are not. Fundamentally, if a worker is struggling to carry out their job due to their condition and work environment, they are eligible to receive modifications. Below are some common examples of ADA medical conditions:

• Diabetes
• Deafness or hearing loss
• Blindness or low vision
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Major depressive disorder
• Cerebral palsy
• Intellectual disabilities

ADA Reasonable Accommodation Checklist: 5 Steps To Manage Requests

Now that you’ve learned what accommodation requests are, we’ll walk you through five steps you can take to manage them.

1. Establish a System for Receiving Requests

There’s no standard way for healthcare workers to submit accommodation requests, and it’s also not legally required to use the term “reasonable accommodation” or mention the ADA. Nursing, medical, and administrative staff who ask (in writing or verbally) for modifications linked to a medical condition are expected to receive an appropriate response from their employer.

Because of this, facility leaders should implement a clear system for staff to prevent an ADA request for accommodation from being overlooked. This could entail:

• Creating a facility-specific ADA accommodation request form.
• Asking workers to send an “ADA request for accommodation” letter via email.
• Holding office hours for requests to be made and discussed in-person.

2. Review the Request

After receiving a request, it’s important to review all necessary information that can help you understand how an employee’s medical condition might impact their work. During the review process, it can help to double check the following:

• Supporting medical documentation: Under the ADA, you are allowed to ask for medical documentation needed to support an employee’s reason for requesting an accommodation.

• Essential job duties: Verifying job duties can help you reassign tasks that are not essential for an employee. This is often a simple yet effective way to provide reasonable accommodation.

• Types of accommodations: Depending on your system for receiving requests, some employees may not mention a specific type of accommodation. It can be helpful to ask them for examples of modifications that could help them carry out their duties.

3. Discuss Reasonable Accommodations

Accommodations are considered “reasonable” if they don’t pose an “undue hardship” to a facility under the ADA. Healthcare facilities can differ widely in size, budget, and structural capacities, so what’s considered reasonable for one facility may not be reasonable for another.

If you determine that your facility’s capacities can’t support specific accommodations requested by a worker, it’s important to open up dialogue with the worker and explore alternative ways to remove workplace barriers.

4. Implement Accommodations

Once you and your employee have discussed their ADA request for accommodation and identified a feasible modification, you should work to implement changes in a timely manner. Keep your employee in the loop throughout this process and have a clear plan for how accommodations will be made. Additionally, notify any other members of the healthcare team that may also be affected by these changes, but be cautious about not disclosing any confidential medical information in the process.

5. Follow Up After Implementation

Sometimes, finding the most suitable way to provide an accommodation may take ongoing evaluation and tweaking. Once an accommodation has been made, you should follow up with the employee who submitted the request and ensure any barriers have been successfully removed. If not, it’s important to reevaluate what further steps can be taken. Remember, this is an interactive process, so ongoing communication is the key to mutually-beneficial outcomes.

Discover More Ways to Build an Inclusive Work Environment

Responding to an ADA request for accommodation is one of many ways to build a culture of inclusivity at your facility. Sign up for IntelyCare’s free newsletter today to receive even more helpful tips and insights that can help you support your healthcare staff.

Legal Disclaimer: This article contains general legal information, but it is not intended to constitute professional legal advice for any particular situation and should not be relied on as professional legal advice. Any references to the law may not be current as laws regularly change through updates in legislation, regulation, and case law at the federal and state level. Nothing in this article should be interpreted as creating an attorney-client relationship. If you have legal questions, you should seek the advice of an attorney licensed to practice in your jurisdiction.