Rights and Daily Life

Workplace Accommodations Under the ADA

How Do You Get ADA Accommodations at Work?

ADA accommodations are changes to a job, workspace or work rules that let a qualified person with a disability apply, do the job or get equal benefits. You ask your employer in plain words, out loud or in writing; you don't have to say "ADA" or "reasonable accommodation." The employer then talks with you to find something that works and can refuse only if it would cause undue hardship. The rules apply to employers with 15 or more employees. Your broader rights are in your rights under the ADA.

Reviewed by Michael Rupe ·October 1, 2026

A woman in a wheelchair works on a laptop at a long wooden table beside a brick wall, with a coffee pot and mug nearby — Photo: Marcus Aurelius / Pexels

What ADA Accommodations Are

ADA accommodations, which the law calls reasonable accommodations, are changes that let a qualified person with a disability work on equal terms. The EEOC groups them into three kinds:

changes to the job application process, so you can apply and interview;
changes to the work environment or the way the job is usually done;
changes that give you equal benefits and privileges of employment, such as access to training, the break room or company events.

You’re “qualified” if you can do the job’s essential functions, meaning its fundamental duties, with or without an accommodation. The rules apply to employers with 15 or more employees, including state and local governments, employment agencies and labor unions. The same law covers government services and businesses, explained in your rights under the ADA.

An accommodation isn’t a favor. Once you ask, your employer has a legal duty to respond and work with you. It can say no only if every effective option would cause undue hardship, which is covered below.

Examples of Workplace Accommodations

The EEOC’s examples include making facilities accessible, restructuring a job, part-time or modified schedules, buying or adapting equipment, changing tests, training materials or policies, providing readers or interpreters, and reassignment to a vacant position.

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) keeps accommodation ideas by condition. A sample from its pages:

Limitation or condition	Accommodation ideas from JAN
ADHD: focus and distraction	Noise canceling headsets, white noise machines, cubicle shields, task separation
ADHD: organization and time	Written instructions, checklists, color coded systems, timers, apps for time management, reminders
Anxiety: panic attacks	Flexible schedule, modified break schedule, a rest area or private space, a support person, service animal
Anxiety: stress	Identifying and reducing triggers, employee assistance program, telework, job restructuring
Concentration (many conditions)	Written instructions, fidget devices, noise canceling headsets, job coaches

JAN stresses that not everyone with a given condition needs accommodations, and the right one depends on your actual limits. Search askjan.org for your condition before you ask, so you walk in with specific ideas.

Many accommodations cost little. In JAN’s survey of employers from 2019 to 2024, 61% of accommodations cost nothing. Another 33% had a one-time cost, with a median of $300. Only 6% had an ongoing cost, with a median of $2,400 a year. That’s useful to mention if your employer worries about expense.

How to Ask for an Accommodation

You can ask at any point: when you apply, when you start, or years in, when a condition changes. There’s no special form required by law.

The EEOC says you can ask:

in plain words. You don’t have to say “ADA” or “reasonable accommodation.” “I’m having trouble getting to work by 8 because of my medical treatment; can I start at 9?” is a request.
out loud or in writing. A conversation counts.
through someone else. A family member, friend, health professional or other representative can ask for you.

Even so, putting it in writing protects you. It creates a dated record if there’s a dispute later. A short email to your supervisor or HR is enough. Include:

that you have a medical condition;
the specific problem it causes at work, such as “standing for a full shift” or “concentrating in an open office”;
what you’re asking for, with one or two options if you have them;
a request to meet and talk it over.

A sample: “I have a medical condition that makes it hard to concentrate with constant background noise. I’m asking for a reasonable accommodation, such as noise canceling headphones or a quieter desk. Can I meet with you this week to discuss options?”

JAN also publishes a sample accommodation request form on askjan.org that employers use to clarify and document requests, which shows the details an employer will want.

Accommodations When You Apply for a Job

The ADA protects you before you’re hired, too. The EEOC says employers must provide reasonable accommodations during the hiring process. That can mean a sign language interpreter for an interview, a change to a pre-employment test, or a change to how you complete the application.

Tell the person scheduling the interview or test what you need, ideally in an email a few days ahead so there’s time to arrange it.

Medical questions are limited at this stage:

An employer can’t require a medical exam before offering you a job.
After an offer, it can require an exam only if everyone entering that job category has to take it.

If your disability doesn’t affect the application, you can wait to raise it until you need a change on the job. The rules on this page apply from the moment you ask.

The Interactive Process: What Happens After You Ask

Once you ask, the EEOC expects your employer to start an informal back-and-forth with you, known as the interactive process. The goal is to understand your limits and find something that works. JAN breaks it into six stages:

Recognize the request. The employer realizes you’ve asked, even if you didn’t use legal words.
Begin the process. Someone, often HR or your manager, takes ownership and contacts you.
Request information. If your disability or need isn’t obvious, the employer may ask for reasonable documentation of the disability and your functional limits, usually from your health care provider.
Explore and choose accommodations. You and the employer discuss options; JAN can help either side.
Implement the accommodation.
Monitor it. Check back to make sure it’s working, and adjust if your needs change.

Medical Documentation Rules

An employer may ask for documentation only when the disability or the need isn’t obvious. It can ask for enough to show you have a disability and need the change. It can’t demand your complete medical records. A letter from your provider that describes your limits and how the accommodation helps answers the questions an employer is allowed to ask.

How Long It Should Take

The EEOC says employers must respond expeditiously and that unnecessary delays can themselves violate the ADA. If weeks go by without an answer, follow up in writing and keep a copy.

Undue Hardship and Other Limits

An employer can turn down an accommodation that would cause undue hardship, which the EEOC defines as significant difficulty or expense. That’s judged against the particular employer’s resources and circumstances, so what’s a hardship for a 20-person shop may not be for a national company. It also covers changes that would be unduly disruptive or fundamentally alter how the business runs.

Under the EEOC’s guidance, employers also don’t have to:

remove an essential function of the job;
lower production or quality standards that apply to everyone;
provide personal-use items you need off the job as well as on it;
excuse breaking conduct rules applied to everyone.

The employer gets to choose among effective options. It doesn’t have to give you your first choice, but what it chooses must actually work. If one option is too costly, it should look for another rather than end the conversation.

Reassignment to a vacant job you’re qualified for is also on the EEOC’s list of accommodations, which matters if no change would let you stay in your current role.

If Your Request Is Denied

Ask for the reason in writing. A denial is often about a specific option, not the idea of accommodating you, so propose another option and point to JAN’s ideas or cost figures.

If you believe the denial is unlawful, or you’re punished for asking, you can file a charge with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC):

Deadline: within 180 calendar days of the denial or other action, or 300 calendar days if your state or local agency enforces a similar law, which applies in many states. Weekends and holidays count.
How: through the EEOC Public Portal, at an EEOC office, by mail, or by calling 1-800-669-4000 to get started.
Retaliation: it’s unlawful for an employer to retaliate against you for asking for an accommodation or filing a charge.

The full filing steps are in your rights under the ADA. For help deciding what to do in your case, call the EEOC or your state’s Protection and Advocacy agency, listed in the state guides. JAN answers accommodation questions free and confidentially at (800) 526-7234.

When Work Isn’t Possible Even With Accommodations

Sometimes no accommodation lets you keep doing your job. Then other programs come in:

Vocational rehabilitation helps with training and finding work that fits your limits.
SSDI pays monthly benefits if your condition stops you from working at a substantial level. The disability eligibility screener runs through SSA’s test.
Working on disability explains how part-time work affects benefits.

If you’re a parent dealing with school supports instead of work, see what a 504 plan is and what an IEP is.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Ask for an Accommodation During a Job Interview?

Yes. The EEOC says employers must provide reasonable accommodations to applicants during the hiring process, such as a sign language interpreter for an interview. Ask the person scheduling the interview.

Can My Employer Pick a Different Accommodation Than the One I Asked For?

Yes. The EEOC says an employer doesn't have to give you your preferred option as long as the one it chooses is effective. If its choice doesn't work, tell the employer in writing and explain why.

Does My Employer Have to Lower My Production Goals?

No. The EEOC's guidance says employers don't have to eliminate essential job functions or lower production standards.

Are ADHD and Anxiety Covered for Accommodations?

They can be, if the condition substantially limits a major life activity such as concentrating, thinking or working. JAN lists ideas for both, including noise canceling headsets, written instructions, a flexible schedule, modified breaks and telework.

Who Can Ask for an Accommodation on My Behalf?

The EEOC says a family member, friend, health professional or other representative may request an accommodation for you.

What if My Employer Has Fewer Than 15 Employees?

Title I of the ADA doesn't apply, but a state or local law may. Ask your state's fair employment agency. The state guides are a starting point.

More on Rights and Daily Life

This guide explains official rules in plain language. It isn't legal advice, and only the agency that runs a program can decide your case.