Stacy: Hi, I'm Stacy I'm an information specialist at the New England ADA Center

Kathy: And I'm Kathy, the director of training. I'll ask Stacy questions on the ADA and employment. Listeners, do you know the right answers?
Stacy, which of the following are considered to be disabilities: cancer, diabetes, clinical depression, or epilepsy?

Stacy: All of those are disabilities

Kathy: Right the ADA has a key term that ensures the rights of people with disabilities in the workplace. Is it: prevention, reasonable accommodation, or remediation?

Stacy: The key term is reasonable accommodation.

Kathy: And what does reasonable accommodation mean? Is it anything an employee with a disability wants the employee gets, like arriving at work when the person wants to?

Stacy: No, not at all, a reasonable accommodation is a change to the work environment or the way things are usually done. For example, an employer has a policy that employees may not drink at their work station while an employee with a disability has to drink frequently. The employer must consider permitting liquids at the work station as a reasonable accommodation, but maybe the liquid will be kept out of sight in a drawer. The employer and the employee should have a discussion about it.

Kathy: Does the employee have to use the phrase reasonable accommodation when he makes the request?

Stacy: No, the employee starts by telling the employer that he has a disability and needs to keep liquids at his work station.

Kathy: Thanks Stacy. Listeners remember reasonable accommodation is a key aspect of the ADA. It's intended to support people with disabilities to do their job.