Accommodations
Accommodations, or worksite adjustments, are often needed to do a job.
But did you know you can also get accommodations when applying for jobs, including during the interview process? Check out this page to learn more about accommodations and how to get them before and after you get a job.
Note: While the accommodations are often similar, asking for accommodations for college or other training after high schol school is different from asking for them to do your job. For more information on post-secondary (which is another way of saying “after high school”) accommodations, please see the Employment for ME: Accommodations for College or Training.
Types of Accommodations
You can ask for accommodations for limitations relating to a disability or a medical need. Requests are not the same for everyone. Accommodations are made to meet the needs of each person. For a list of accommodations based on the disability type, please visit the Job Accommodation Network's (JAN) Searchable Online Accommodation Resource (SOAR).
Here are some examples of common work-adjustment requests:
- A standing work station, adjustable chair or footrest
- A headset or speaker phone
- A timer, verbal reminder or checklist
- Pictures of job tasks next to copy machines or printers with instructions on how to use them
- Reduced noise levels
- Perfume-free or clutter-free spaces
How to ask for an accommodation
It is usually an easy process to ask an employer for an accommodation for a medical condition or disability. However, it can sometimes be stressful to figure out when or how to ask.
Click on any of the links below to learn more about when and how to ask an employer for an accommodation or work adjustment:
- Decisions About Disclosing Your Disability at Work (Employment for ME)
- Ideas for Writing an Accommodation Request Letter (JAN)
- Employees' Practical Guide to Requesting and Negotiating Reasonable Accommodations Under the ADA (JAN)
- Disability Disclosure and Interviewing Techniques for Persons with Disabilities (JAN)
How to show proof of your disability
An employer may ask you to show proof of your medical condition or disability. This is a standard step in the process, especially if an accommodation will cost the employer money.
Ask your doctor (or other medical professional) for a letter that explains your disability. You do not need to give your employer your entire medical history.
More information is available from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: Enforcement Guidance: Reasonable Accommodation and Undue Hardship Under the Americans with Disabilities Act
Technical Assistance
Technical assistance is available to help you learn what kind of accommodation you need.
The Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
The Job Accommodation Network provides a wealth of information for employers and individuals on its website. They also provide training and free consulting services for employers of any size.
- Searchable Accommodation Resource (SOAR)
- Employer's Practical Guide to Reasonable Accommodation under the ADA
Maine CITE Coordinating Center
The Maine CITE Coordinating Center helps people get assistive technology as needed to perform their jobs. Maine CITE staff can also teach you how to use it!
Assistive technology is equipment or devices that make it easier for people to live and work more independently - often can provide the solution for a particular job or worksite accommodation need.