Section 3.30
Date:     August 1990
Rev. July 2004

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES

I.        PURPOSE:

            To establish a procedure for soliciting voluntary indications of disability status and requests for accommodation 
           under the American With Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 
           1973 as amended.

II.       APPLICABLE TO:

            All employees.

III.      RESPONSIBILITY:            

Employee for providing appropriate documentation certifying his/her disability status and initiating any request for workplace accommodation.  Office of Human Resource Administration (Director of Personnel Services) for approving and monitoring qualified disability status and requests
for accommodation, and determining reasonable action upon consultation with the Director of Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity and Diversity, Assistant Director for Disability Services (Student Affairs), and the appropriate vice president/provost and/or department head.

IV.    POLICY:            

The University of Rhode Island will provide reasonable accommodation in a timely and cost-effective manner for qualified employees with disabilities upon certification of need.  Reasonable accommodation is an adaptation of the workplace, the equipment, or the job itself which enables an employee with disabilities to do a particular job for which she or he is qualified in training and abilities.  Such accommodation may include making facilities accessible, adjusting work schedules and assignments, providing assistive devices or equipment, readers or interpreters.  Reasonable accommodation will be made to qualified employees with disabilities unless it presents an undue hardship on the University, pursuant to section 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, and the ADA of 1990.

Once an accommodation is made for an employee, its effectiveness will be periodically monitored by both the employee and the Office of Human Resource Administration.  

If, at some point, the accommodation ceases to be effective in enabling the person to perform the job, or is no longer deemed to be necessary (upon medical documentation), alternative accommodation will be sought if appropriate.

V.        PROCEDURE:

               An employee may voluntarily declare his or her disability status by providing documentation from the Division 
               of Vocational Rehabilitation,
               Veterans’ Administration or other appropriate medical certification.  The Office of Human Resource 
               Administration will enter this information in the employee’s personnel file using a Personnel Action Form (CS-3).

Requests for work accommodation must be made in writing to the Director of Personnel Services in Human Resource Administration, who will consult with appropriate officials to consider the request.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION REQUEST FORM - CS388A