ADA Coordinator’s Office

Employees

Employee Accommodations

Accommodations During the Hiring Process  

If you are an applicant for employment at the university in need of an accommodation or a department with questions about accommodating an applicant, please contact the ADA Coordinator’s office. 

Phone: 614-292-6207 
Fax: 614-688-3665 
E-mail: ada-osu@osu.edu 

Requesting a Workplace Accommodation  

If you are an employee in need of an adjustment or change to your job for a reason related to your disability: 

  1. Inform an Integrated Absence Management and Vocational Services (IAMVS) Disability Program Manager (DPM) by submitting a Workplace Accommodation Request via HRConnection. 
  2. Complete the Employee Accommodation Request Form. 
  3. Have your health care provider complete the Accommodation Request Medical Certification. 
  4. Return completed forms to IAMVS by: Faxing: (614) 292-0271 or emailing: hr-integrateddisability@osu.edu 

Employing Unit: If an employee makes an accommodation request to a supervisor, manager, and/or human resources partner, the request should be forwarded to your unit’s assigned DPM immediately. A request may be in plain language such as “I have been getting migraines often and am having trouble doing my job” or “I hurt my ankle over the weekend and can’t lift things for a while.”

 

Accommodation Process Overview 

Once documentation is received that supports the need for a workplace accommodation, the assigned DPM will collaborate with the employee and the unit to determine if reasonable accommodations can be implemented. If an accommodation is approved, the DPM will provide a workplace accommodation plan to the employee and unit for review and signatures.  

Reasons for Denial of an Accommodation Request 

  1. The employee is not an individual with a qualifying disability. 
  2. The employee fails to participate in the interactive process. 
  3. The employee is unable to provide requested documentation from a medical professional that demonstrates that the employee has a qualifying disability and/or confirms the need for work-related restrictions.  
  4. The requested accommodation will not allow the employee to perform the essential functions of the job. 
  5. The requested accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operations of the unit and there is no alternative reasonable accommodation. An undue hardship is an action that requires significant difficulty or expense.  
  6. The requested accommodation would pose a direct threat to health and safety. A direct threat is defined as a significant risk of substantial harm to the health and safety of the employee or others, which cannot be eliminated or reduced by a reasonable accommodation.  
     

Accommodation Equipment

Unit Provided Items

As of July 1, 2024 units are expected to provide certain types of equipment to their employees when it is recommended and approved as a workplace accommodation. Specifically, computer or phone peripherals such as but not limited to: 

  • Keyboards
  • Computer mice
  • Headsets
  • Monitors
  • Monitor filters
  • Mouse pads and wrist rests

If the costs for items exceeds $200 per employee, the ADA Coordinator's Office can be contacted to provided the additional funding needed for the equipment. It is the unit's responsibility to provide receipts for previously purchased items. 

ADA Coordinator's Office Provided Items

Accommodation equipment beyond the unit's responsibility will be provided by the ADA Coordinator's Office. Employees should be aware of the policies and procedures related to these items. Upon accepting the equipment, the employee must agree to the following terms:  

  • All accommodation equipment/furniture purchased from the Workplace Accommodation Fund is university-owned and remains the property of the ADA Coordinator’s Office.  
  • All employees and departments are expected to adhere to Asset Management Policy 4.21 regarding the treatment of university-owned equipment. The employee and their supervisor should take reasonable precautions to protect the equipment, which should not be used for non-work related tasks or by other employees.
  • Equipment/furniture has an estimated life expectancy. If the equipment is damaged in a manner unrelated to normal wear and tear or does not last through its estimated life expectancy, it may become the department’s responsibility to repair or replace the item. Cases will be reviewed on an individual basis. 
  • The employee is responsible for notifying the ADA Coordinator’s Office if the primary location of the equipment changes. Please allow us at least two weeks’ notice to make arrangements for larger equipment to be moved by a vendor. 
  • The employee is responsible for notifying the ADA Coordinator’s Office if the equipment is no longer required as an accommodation, their work responsibilities change, or their employment with the University ends. In these circumstances, the ADA Coordinator’s Office reserves the right to assess the equipment’s value and condition to review for redistribution. Equipment ownership will be transferred to the department if the ADA Coordinator’s Office confirms that redistribution is not viable. 
     

What if I need medical leave, but am not eligible for Family Medical Leave? 

If you requested FMLA protected leave, and it was denied or you were ineligible, your request will be forwarded to a DPM for review of medical leave as an accommodation. If you have not already submitted medical documentation supporting your request, you must have your health care provider complete the Leave as an Accommodation Medical Certification (or similar supporting documentation) and fax it to IAMVS at (614) 614-292-0271.  
 

Encountered a Barrier? 

Any person who has encountered a barrier to access or believes they have been improperly denied the benefit of, or access to a program, service or activity may submit a grievance to the ADA Coordinator’s office at 614-292-6207 or ada-osu@osu.edu.

 

Additional Resources