General FAQs and Definitions
Disability Access Services (DAS) has the responsibility for providing services to students with disabilities, and administers the procedures by which students disclose a disability and request accommodations. Student employees working in their employment capacity should request employment accommodations from EOA.
A reasonable accommodation is a modification to a job, the work environment, or how things are usually done that allows a qualified individual an equal opportunity throughout their hiring and employment.The goal is to enable equal completion of essential functions by removing any barriers in the workplace that would impede a qualified individual from completing their duties.
An individual meets the Americans with Disabilities with Act definition of “disability” that would qualify them for reasonable accommodations if they:
- have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity, or
- have a record (history) of such an impairment
Individual who are treated as if they have a disability are protected from discrimination but are not entitled to accommodations. Determination as to whether a person has a disability is always an individualized assessment.
Accommodation determinations are made on a case by case basis. The purpose of an accommodation is to provide an employee with a disability the opportunity to perform the essential functions of their roles. The accommodation cannot fundamentally alter an essential function or requirement or create an undue hardship as determined by EOA.
In addition to the defined accommodation practices on this site, Oregon State University is committed to ensuring that our programs and activities, normally provided in English, are accessible to Limited English Proficiency (LEP) persons. Upon request, the university will provide appropriate alternative non-English formats for persons with limited proficiency in English. Extension and Engagement's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) unit maintains a robust language access program.
A qualified individual is a person who meets the requirements of an employment position, and who can perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation. We must consider reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals who are requesting workplace accommodation on the basis of disability, sincerely held religious belief, pregnancy, or safety accommodations for victims of specific interpersonal crimes (domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault, or stalking).
Disabled individuals wanting to engage in university programs, services, and activities, such as through event attendance or through seeking accessible information, should contact the office or individual listed for that program. Typically this contact information is provided at the bottom of event advertisements/flyers and the end of brochures and other print materials. This information can usually be found in the footer of most OSU websites as well.
Programs that are not sure what to do with an accommodation request, or that don't feel they can provide an accommodation, should contact EOA to consult on how to respond.
Individual units/departments/programs are responsible for ensuring that their programs, services, and activities are accessible, and have a responsibility to work directly with the program participants requesting accommodations. EOA can provide consultation as needed in determining how to provide accommodations.
A program must consult with EOA before rejecting an accommodation request, as only EOA can assess whether to deny a request.
Learn more about accessible event planning and advertising, including what contact information to provide so program participants know where to request accommodations.
There are a lot of answers here. Accommodations can be physical things that can be put in place to assist a person in completing the essential functions of their job, like a sit-stand desk, a ramp, an automatic door opener, or other kinds of equipment or assistive technology. A lot depends on the person and their job. Accommodations can also provide process or policy modifications like extra breaks, leave, flexible work schedules, remote work, or any other change to the job that may be different than what is generally expected. Accommodations are about removing barriers so the employee can perform their job. The Job Accommodation Network is an invaluable resource for all kinds of accommodation possibilities.
EOA is the final decider on accommodations, but the process is about interactive information gathering that includes the employee, their medical provider when necessary, and their supervisor. All pieces of information are analyzed to make a final determination on how best to accommodate an individual in a particular position, as no two accommodation requests are the same.
Employee and Student FAQs
If the accommodation request is for leave and you are eligible for FMLA/OFLA, then yes, those processes will have to be used first. Leave as an accommodation may be granted when FMLA/OFLA is exhausted and/or when an employee is not eligible.
No! Part of the accommodations process, however, is that a supervisor is contacted. Nothing that is disclosed to EOA regarding medical/disability is told to the supervisor, only that their employee is seeking an accommodation. You can have an intake meeting with EOA and discuss your needs before anything is disclosed to the supervisor. EOA will seek out your permission before contacting a supervisor.
Relevant medical information, if you have any, is useful. EOA will have you sign a medical release form so we can communicate directly with your medical provider, if needed.
It depends on the accommodation, the disability, and the specifics of your job. Some accommodations are short-term and some are long-term. Sometimes accommodations are put in place that are different every term depending on the nature of the work. The business needs of units are also allowed to change, which can impact the long-term nature of some accommodations.
You can always consult with EOA, but generally EOA defers to the individual seeking accommodation as they know themselves, their job, and the impacts of their impairment best. Medical information is obtained during the accommodations process which can help generate ideas for accommodations as well. One great external source of accommodation information is the Job Accommodation Network.
Yes, you can learn more about how to request an assessment at Environmental Health & Safety.
None. EOA will only share that you are seeking an accommodation and has determined that you are eligible.
Very little. In most cases a generic form is sent from EOA to the medical provider after an employee has signed a permission agreement. The form asks providers to only provide information relevant to the specific request and how it impacts your work environment. We do not seek or want more medical history.
EOA keeps all medical information in a database that only EOA has access to, nothing is ever passed to HR or your supervisor. All of that medical information is confidential.
Leave accruals should be used for this first, or FMLA/protected leave. EOA can potentially help with conversations around flexible time if you can still work your full schedule and that meets the needs of the unit. All cases are handled case-by-case.
Supervisor FAQs
Supervisors should never ask for or collect medical documentation.
There is nuance that is hard to define in an FAQ here on how supervisors proceed. If the supervisor cannot support their employee's needs, the supervisor should tell the employee that if they feel they need a workplace accommodation to contact EOA. Supervisors can always contact EOA seeking consultation on how to proceed.
Supervisors are key to the accommodation process. Once an employee has shared they need something like an accommodation the supervisor should either:
- Provide the employee with what they need if is it something you would do for similarly situated employees in your unit (like purchasing new office furniture or computer equipment), or
- Refer and encourage the employee to reach out to EOA to request an accommodation.
Once an employee has engaged EOA in the accommodation process, EOA will reach out to the supervisor to let them know the employees rights, and to inquire about the nature of the employees job and the business needs of the unit. EOA is the final decider on accommodations, but the process should be interactive and communicative with all parties involved. When there is conflicting information from supervisors and employees, EOA will use all pieces of information to analyze the case and make a final determination.
Accommodations are voluntary and an employee does not have to go through the accommodations process if they choose. Employees are also in control of what they want to disclose or not disclose. EOA will only communicate with a supervisor once the employee has given EOA permission. In most cases, without permission to speak to a supervisor, an accommodation cannot be provided.
EOA will share only the information that is necessary for a supervisor to engage in the accommodation process. This never involves disclosing an employees condition or medical diagnosis. Usually we will be intentionally vague to protect the employee's information, but supervisors do have the right to know that EOA has determined an employee is entitled to an accommodation and will share how the employee is impacted in the workplace so supervisors can engage and share their perspective on the impacts in the workplace of an accommodation request.
Almost all of the time EOA will fully fund the accommodation when we're involved in the process. We generally ask you or your unit to purchase the items and bill back for the costs. There are several other scenarios here.
- If an employee would like to keep something after their employment at OSU, they should purchase the needed item as a personal device, otherwise OSU owns the item.
- You can always decide as a supervisor to purchase something for someone as a business need, without needing to engage an accommodation process.