Received an accommodations request? Think twice before turning it down.

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This is Part 2 of a two-part article. Read Part 1, The Manager’s Practical Guide to Handling an Employee Newly Diagnosed With a Disability here.

What are accommodations?

An “accommodations request” is as simple as an individual communicating the following type of request through ANY channel. The request doesn’t have to be written, though in writing is easier to prove the request was made if there is a dispute later.

“I need X to do Y because Z”

Where X is the requested accommodation;

Y is the task being accommodated

and Z is the reason related to a health condition or disability.

The word “accommodation” does not need to be included in the request. In fact, “accommodation” is a very US-centric term. Other countries use different terms, including modifications and adjustments.

Accommodations that individuals with disabilities can request usually fall into one of the four following categories:

• Software (Includes but is not limited to things like screen readers, Dragon, automatic captioning)
• Hardware (Includes but is not limited to things like special keyboards, Braille notetakers, reading pens, and pretty much anything related to ergonomics)
• Processes, work environment, or schedule modifications
• Services (such as CART, sign language interpretation, note takers, etc.)

Who gets accommodations requests?

Accommodation requests frequently occur in the following environments:

• Employers — accommodations requests usually (but not always) start with an individual’s manager. Larger companies sometimes have a…