Blog Posts

It is well settled that when requesting reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employees are not required to use the words “ADA,” “reasonable accommodation,” “disability,” or any other special words—nor are they required to make the request in any specific manner (e.g., oral or written). Employees are required only to communicate that they need an adjustment, modification, or change at work because of a medical condition or disability. Thus, employers may not always recognize when an employee is making a request for reasonable accommodation, triggering their obligations under the ADA’s interactive process.