🧡 Why Disability Accommodations Are Simpler (and More Human) Than You Think

Hello and Happy Thursday!

Welcome to the first Want to Work There newsletter of 2025! 🪩 🥳 🎉

And hello to the 50+ new readers who joined us over the holidays. 👋  Your inbox is sacred territory and believe me when I say, I'm truly honored to be invited in. I promise we'll continue packing each issue with only the most practical, actionable advice on building better workplaces!

This week we’re diving into a wildly important part of this work: disability accommodations & inclusion. Discussions about workplace inclusion are more widespread when related to other groups like people of color and women, but we really don’t see much about how to be inclusive or provide accommodations to those with disabilities.

It’s a topic that's very personal to me, having been diagnosed with ADHD about three years ago. I'm still trying to understand what accommodations are both necessary and extremely helpful in my own work environment. And that's just one of the MANY reasons I was so excited to have Lia Seth join me for an episode of the Want To Work There podcast.

Currently the Director of People at Cylinder, Lia is a self-proclaimed accessibility queen and an all around joy of a human. After being diagnosed with a disability and observing both sides of the employee experience, she made it her mission to advocate for better internal corporate processes.

Through our conversation, Lia challenged me and our listeners to think about approaching this topic with a more “human” (but still very practical) lens. We all know that's something I can get behind and I have a strong feeling you might feel the same. If so, this issue's for you.

Yours in refusing to accept there's one right way to work,

Jill

I don’t think it’s a secret that many folks working People Ops or as organization leaders are nervous about handling disability accommodations. It’s unfamiliar legal territory and not many people know enough about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to understand how they can and need to support an employee with a disability. But the good news is that you don’t need to read the ADA cover to cover in order to support someone with a disability. You mostly just need empathy.

What Accommodations Are and Aren’t

Before we get into the logistics of disability accommodations, let’s clarify what they are, and what they aren’t.

It really is that simple. Providing someone with an accommodation does not mean removing essential job functions that someone is responsible for. And more often than not, it doesn't include making expensive and time-consuming changes to the workplace. It's a common misbelief that the disabled person is getting special treatment, when really the goal is to provide them with the opportunity to do their job like everyone else. This could be as simple as widening a doorway or adding a ramp, allowing someone to use a Mac instead of a Windows computer, or having a modified work schedule when working from home.

It’s also important for employers to be intentional about what they consider essential job functions. We’ve all seen job descriptions that include the ability to lift up to 20 pounds. Many companies add this by default to all of their job descriptions “just in case”. But unless lifting up to 25 pounds on a regular basis is something an employee would actually be required in order to perform their job to do on a regular basis, it should be removed. By adding in those “just in case” responsibilities, we’re automatically cutting off a significant portion of the candidate pool that could be a great match for that role. 

The Employee Perspective

In order to understand how to handle disability accommodation requests as a manager or People Ops professional, it’s important to understand where the employee is coming from. Here are some questions that someone with a disability may think through when job seeking.

1) "Should I disclose my disability in the interview process? Do I have to?"

No, you don’t have to disclose it. The decision to disclose a disability during the hiring process depends on various factors, including the company culture and the individual's comfort level. It’s a personal decision that also depends on how much you know about the job, the company, the interviewers, how badly you need a job, etc. If you don’t disclose you are reducing bias - intentional or not. However, if you do disclose - you could weed out potential employers that don’t have inclusive cultures and might not treat you the way you should be treated.

2) "What should I think about before requesting an accommodation?"

Think about what you really need in order to meet the job requirements. Maybe you need to work from home three days per week instead of two as listed in the job description. Maybe you need all assignments to be given in writing, or to have a notetaker in meetings. Maybe it’s something physical that needs to be installed in your office like a desk that is adjustable to fit a wheelchair or walker. Maybe all you need is to ask for empathy and understanding on the days that you are in a lot of pain.

3) "How do I discuss with my employer my need for an accommodation?"

First, you don’t have to go disclose your disability in order to request an accommodation. All you need to say is something along the lines of, “I am requesting a formal accommodation under the ADA. I have a protected disability that allows me to make this request.” Some employers may ask what the disability is, but you are not legally required to tell them.*

Secondly, the first meeting is not to convince but to inform. Give your manager/leader a chance to respond. They could say, “Sure, tell me what you need.” Or they could say, “I have to take this to our leadership and I’ll get back to you.”

4) "What if I don’t know what I need or I'm not comfortable sharing that I have a disability?"

Informal accommodations happen all the time because we all work differently. For example, a person’s preference for Slack vs. email or a phone call vs. a long chat conversation. But it’s not a good idea to rely on the employer to figure out how to help you. You may start by asking for advice: “I’m having trouble keeping track of my tasks, do you have any suggestions for how I can better keep track of things?” This is not a formal accommodation request but a way to find a way to work through issues you are experiencing.

5) "What if the employer has a negative/inappropriate response to my accommodation request?"

Contact your HR rep and explain the facts: This is what was said, this is how it made me feel, etc. It’s their job to handle the situation. If you aren’t comfortable talking to your HR person (maybe they are friends with your manager), find someone else you feel comfortable talking to so you can find the right people to provide the support you need. It can be very isolating to feel like you don’t have any allies - so you are encouraged to find someone you can open up to. You shouldn't feel like it’s your responsibility to prevent it from becoming “a big deal”. There are lots of communities you can find outside of work to help support you, see you, say “that’s not right, here’s what you should do”. It’s important to find these communities if for no other reason than to have people understand and validate your feelings.

*We are not lawyers and this is not legal advice. Please seek support from legal counsel when needed.

 The Manager Perspective 

Now let’s move to the other side and look at how this might play out from the manager’s perspective.

How Managers Should Respond

If someone you supervise comes to you with a disability accommodation request, it’s important to first respond with warmth and support. Say “Thank you for telling me this.” Their feedback is a gift, so we should say thanks for it. It’s not your job to have all the answers, but to be a bridge of empathy to work towards find a solution.

If you feel out of your comport zone and want to bring in a leader or HR for support, that’s fine! Just remember to be supportive and empathetic first. As uncomfortable as it may be for you, it’s more uncomfortable and scary for the employee to have that conversation.

How Managers Should Not Respond

Managers should not shame the employee for disclosing their disability or asking for an accommodation. Don’t ask someone to hide their disability or say “I wish you hadn’t told me”.

Lia shares a personal example from her life: She has a condition that makes it difficult to stand for long period of time, so at one point in her life she began using a wheelchair. To her this was exciting! The wheelchair meant freedom and the ability to do things she previously was not able to do. She told her manager casually she’d begun using a wheelchair as an exciting life update - she wasn’t even asking for anything. Her manager said “Okay, maybe just don’t use it around clients.” Not only was this illegal, it was very hurtful to Lia. Her manager was so worried about how it might look to clients that she didn’t think about what Lia might be feeling or needing as an employee or even as a person.

Best Practices for Managers & People Ops Professionals

Aim for a balance of the human element and the legal requirement of your response to an employee’s accommodation request.

Don’t make assumptions. Don’t assume what someone wants or needs when they disclose a disability or make a request. They might just want you to know and don’t expect a response. Offer to help and ask what you can do to support them.

Balance business needs with employee needs. You have an obligation to support the employee, and you also have an obligation to support the business. When someone makes a request, ask yourself, “Can the business accommodate this?” If the answer is no, maybe the employee needs to take time away form work to focus on their health (by going on medical leave, for example). This means the employee works zero days. It’s always worth considering a compromise on an accommodation so they can keep working at a different level. It’s okay to have this conversation and discuss what reasonable accommodations might look like.

Prepare for these conversations in advance. Some companies have team member “user guides” or a “ReadMe” document that everyone fills out when they are hired. It contains preferences like work style, communication preferences, pet peeves, best way to reach me, schedule, etc. This can help prepare employees to work better with one another and work through some common informal accommodations.

Demonstrate the inclusivity of your company culture. Lia once applied for a job that asked her to fill out a form before the interview. It asked if she needed captions, an interpreter, and other accommodations someone might need right in the interview. The company showed up front what they had experience with, what they’d thought through, and offered it from the start. She felt safe that her experience would not be new to them. They also offered a $15 Door Dash gift card since the interviews she was going through were taking up a good chunk of her time. It showed that they were seeing her as a person and not just a “candidate”.

 What Does a Reasonable Accommodation Look Like? 

Every situation is different because the people, the company, the situation, and a million other factors can vary. But here are a few examples of how accommodations can be made.

1. Joe is color blind and he gets hired at a paint store where job duties include mixing paint samples, running the register, and stocking shelves. He finds that he is not able to accurately mix the paint samples, and asks if he can be relieved of that responsibility. If that portion of the job can be completed by someone else, Joe can still complete all of the other job duties and be a valuable member of the team.

2. Sarah has anxiety that is worsened by constant Slack notifications throughout the day. She asks that her work schedule be reduced from five days to two days per week. This isn’t feasible, since she would not be able to perform the essential job duties in just two days. But there are a couple of ways the company can accommodate Sarah’s request. They can adjust how people communicate with her, perhaps by calling instead of chatting. They could also provide support in the technology used, by consolidating notifications or adjusting their frequency, to reduce her stress.

3. Jasmine uses a rollator walker and the desks in the office of her new employer are difficult for her to access and make the transition from standing to sitting difficult. The office manager purchases an adjustable desk designed for those using walking aids to make the physical workplace accessible to her.

This is New Territory For Everyone and We’re All Nervous!

Sometimes a situation arises where the employee has never disclosed their disability or asked for an accommodation, and the manager has never received this information from an employee. First, know that it’s okay if no one knows the right thing you do - you can be empathetic and work through it together.

When you are the first to do something - the first person at a startup to go on maternity leave, for example - you have to put yourself out there and advocate for yourself. Someone always has to be the first, and it’s okay to be in that position if you know the team will support you.

Lia shares an example from her life: A company she worked for was in a high rise building and had a rule that anything with wheels had to go in the service elevator. This was aimed at reducing space taken up by people biking or scootering to work and delivery people with big carts of packages. However, since Lia used a wheelchair this did not sit well with her. She did not feel that it was fair to ask her to use the service elevator. She asked building management to modify the policy for people in wheelchairs. It hadn’t even occurred to them that the rule could be exclusive to people for unfair reasons, so they modified the policy to include an exception for people in wheelchairs.

Just remember to listen, be empathetic, and openly discuss how the employee can be supported.

Here’s the big takeaway: Stop thinking about disability accommodations as a purely legal process, but something that has a human element. It’s not black and white - there’s a lot of gray. There’s no one solution and one size doesn’t fit all. There might not always be a clear answer and finding one can be hard for everyone, so be gentle with each other!

Things We're Loving Right Now

This conversation on empathy - Jill originally recorded this episode following the supreme court decision on Roe v. Wade. It’s a deep dive on how to approach empathy in the workplace when difficult topics arise. It’s a great listen and reminder for the upcoming weeks.

NPR’s Books We Love - To say our team looks forward to this list at the end of every year is an understatement. With filters we just can’t get enough of (Funny Stuff, Science!, and Seriously Great Writing, for example) it’s a fun way to add a bunch of great books to your “Want To Read” list for 2025.

Tiny Desk Concerts - Specifically Brittany Spencer, Fujii Kaze, Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter. Please hit respond and let us know your favorite!