Living with a chronic illness or disability creates a special kind of challenge in the workplace. Fortunately, the ADA provides a safety net—one that assures protection for persons with disabilities, enabling them to request reasonable accommodations so they may perform their job duties with safety and ease. Accommodations are changes or modifications in the work environment that enable the employee with a medical condition to continue comfortably and safely.
Knowing your rights under the ADA and learning to ask for reasonable accommodations can go a long way toward supporting your health and your productivity if you're working with a chronic illness or disability. To that end, here are 10 common medical accommodations that are available to request in the balancing of work and personal well-being:
The Americans with Disabilities Act is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs. Under the ADA, employers must make reasonable accommodations for qualified employees with disabilities unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the employer. This would include things from chronic illnesses to physical and mental disabilities.
If at any point in time you have any doubts whether you would qualify for an accommodation, and/or if you have any questions about how to ask for an accommodation, refer to a description of your rights and how to navigate through the process on the ADA website.
If you are having any difficulties in terms of walking or getting tired easily, a question of having accessible parking closer to the office will make one's day so much easier. Accessible parking allows someone to park near an entrance to the building and minimizes the need to put oneself through unnecessarily long walks and excessive physical demands. Perhaps the accommodation is most vital to employees with arthritis, fibromyalgia, or chronic fatigue syndrome.
This would be helpful during flare-ups, problems with fatigue, or even when one needs to go to doctors' appointments. Flexibility in the time schedule could make it easier for a person to turn in or leave from work at times suitable for their condition, to work from home when their condition demands so, or to put in extra hours on days when well. Indeed, these have been very accommodating work schedules, especially in those instances where diagnosis of anything from multiple sclerosis to autoimmune diseases has so been given to the staff.
In the remainder of other cases, it would involve workers who are burdened with chronic pain, back problems, and repetitive stress injuries where employers can usually accommodate very effectively. The adjustment of chair, desk, keyboard, and mouse will allow the individual to maintain good posture to reduce strain on their body. For instance, a person who suffers from carpal tunnel syndrome would require using a special keyboard that would not strain their wrists quite as much.
This accommodation would be helpful for someone whose symptoms include chronic fatigue, chronic pain, or mobility issues; in this case, the employee can work from home part-time or full-time. It enables taking better care of one's health with no loss to productivity. Recently, this has become a much more standard option for people who suffer from illnesses like chronic fatigue syndrome, or POTS, the acronym for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome.
Besides that, some cases aggravate symptoms of long sitting and standing. Shorter but more frequent breaks may decrease discomfort and improve those symptoms that could be contributed to pain, stiffness, or even dizziness. Some kind of accommodation usually is needed in arthritis, migraine, or heart conditions.
Accommodations for your workplace location can be requested closer to the bathroom in case your medical condition includes digestive problems or going to the restroom frequently, as with the case of Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or for that matter, diabetes. This way, it would reduce anxiety and unease of discomfort while paying attention to your work without having that urge to rush to the restroom in time.
This would include making reasonable adjustments to the working environment and associated duties of the job. For instance, a staff member with poor eyesight may need a larger-than-usual monitor or screen reading software. An employee with partial loss of hearing might request access to video conferencing software where they can utilize captioning. These adjustments enable one to perform work unhindered in any respect, whatever limitations there might be.
This again would mean that you can request a reduced workload or merely modification of your tasks, if your job requires much physical labor. For example, in the case of one suffering from heart problems or respiratory ailments, modification to avoid lifting much heavy weights or standing for long can be requested. The modifications you have requested in the job tasks would offer the ability to keep working and yet take care of one's condition.
Accommodations for cognitive or mental conditions can include devices to handle tasks, supplemental training, or even a job coach to help in keeping tasks organized and staying on track. A portion of this can alleviate some of the stress that negatively impacts general job performance.
In the case of many chronic conditions, this is especially necessary to include ongoing treatments involving physical therapy, infusions, or regular visits to the doctor. The ADA entitles you to time off or schedule flexibility to visit a doctor and/or undergo treatment for your ailment. As a matter of fact, the very principle of this accommodation encompasses the continuance of enjoying medical attention one needs or requires without compromising on the job.
Accommodations should be communicated clearly, and as early as possible, with your employer. Start by writing to your human resource department or supervisor describing what accommodation you are requesting and how the accommodation will enable you to perform the job. You may be asked to provide documentation from a health care provider in support of your request.
Accordingly, keep in mind that under the ADA, employers are obligated to participate in an interactive process with you—a process designed to try to arrive at an effective accommodation. All that means is that if your first request won't work, between you and your employer, you should be able to work out something that suits everyone.
The workplace is one area where contributions are made by everyone irrespective of the state of their health. You can always request reasonable accommodation in the case of a chronic illness or a disability, so you are able to work out in comfort and safety. This is where the ADA becomes one good source, for protection gets extended with employers extend whatever accommodation is necessary.
That is all self-advocacy. You are well able to continue in your career and take care of your health with the right accommodations.
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