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Requesting Employee, Applicant and Visitor Accommodations

Questions

To answer any questions you have about the ADA Reasonable Accommodations for Employees, Applicants and Visitors Policy, please contact:
Tiffany Bailey
Director of Equal Opportunity/ADA Coordinator
tmbailey@email.unc.edu
(919) 966-7545

Accommodations for Employees and Applicants

On average, it takes 30 days to complete a request. Here is a series of steps to guide an individual with a disability through the process of requesting an accommodation for the employment process.

  1. It is the responsibility of the employee or the applicant for employment to request the accommodation.
    1. Applicant requests may be made to the hiring supervisor, human resources personnel or EOC.
    2. Employee requests may be made to EOC.
  2. For employee requests, employees should submit the following forms to EOC:
    1. a downloadable Accommodation Request Form (PDF format) or a web-based Accommodation Request Form
    2. a Voluntary Self Identification of Disability (Employee)
    3. a ADA Documentation of Disability Form (Provider)
      • This form is for employees requesting ADA Accommodations through EOC. Employees with an obvious, chronic disability are not required to submit this form.
    4. a Health Care Provider Release Form (Employee) (may be optional depending on the accommodation request).
  3. EOC staff meet with the individual to understand the nature of the disability and the effect on the job.
  4. EOC begins assessing the request to determine whether it is reasonable.
  5. EOC staff meet with the employee’s supervisor to let the supervisor know about the employee’s request and to discuss the ability to implement the requested accommodation. EOC will not share specific information about the disability itself – only necessary information about the accommodation and any associated functional limitations of the employee.
  6. Following approval, EOC sends a letter to the employee who requested the accommodation and the supervisor outlining the request, the accommodations that have been approved, and when it will take effect.
  7. If the request is not approved, EOC continues to engage in the interactive process with the employee to determine any other reasonable accommodations that may be provided to the employee.

Note: HR representatives who are sending the self-identification form to new hire candidates should use this Cover Form when sending the form.

Accommodations for Visitors

To request visitor accommodations, please click here to email us.

ADA Reasonable Accommodations for Employees, Applicants and Visitors Policy

What you need to know about this Policy

Policy statement

“The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is committed to equal opportunity in all aspects of employment for qualified individuals with disabilities. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other federal and State law, and consistent with the University’s Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment and Related Misconduct, it is the policy of the University to provide reasonable accommodations in employment to any qualified individual with a disability unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of the University’s business or would change the essential functions of the position.Retaliation against an individual with a disability for utilizing this policy is prohibited.”

The Policy applies to:

  • All University employees
  • Applicants for employment during the application process
  • Visitors to campus

A disability is:

  • a physical or mental condition that substantially limits one or more major life activities
  • having a record or history of such a condition
  • being thought of as having such a condition (perceived to have a disability) or
  • an impairment that occurs in episodes or that is in remission if it substantially limits a major life activity when it is active

The above is a summary of information in the Policy. See the Policy for full definitions and descriptions.

Who may be able to receive reasonable accommodations?

Qualified individuals with disabilities will receive reasonable accommodations. A qualified individual with a disability is an employee or applicant for employment who can perform the essential functions of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation provided by the University. The essential functions of the job are the major duties of that job or the primary reason the job exists.

Reasonable accommodations are:

Changes to a task, a way of doing things, or the individual’s workplace that make it possible for a qualified individual with a disability (as described above) to carry out the essential functions of the job. Here is a snapshot of some types of reasonable accommodations that may be available:

    • making the existing workplace accessible
    • restructuring the employee’s job
    • modifying the employee’s work schedule
    • reassigning the employee to a vacant position
    • buying equipment or devices
    • changing training materials, review schedules, or policies
    • providing readers or interpreters
    • making a website or digital information accessible
    • allowing leave as an accommodation

The University will not provide personal use items needed to accomplish daily activities (i.e. eyeglasses, hearing aids, prosthetic limbs, or a wheelchair). The University is also not required to provide accommodations that are unduly expensive, substantial, or disruptive, or that would fundamentally change the nature of the job.

The above is a summary of information in the Policy. Access the links below to read the full policies.

Privacy

The privacy of our employees is important. EOC will provide information about the request and accommodations only to those who have a need to know such information.

Resources, trainings, services, and events

EOC provides accommodation services, programs, trainings, information about helpful resources, and other University policies (i.e., Animals on Campus) that can help employees and others at the University. Learn more about Accommodations at UNC.

Accommodations Request Form Accessible Text (Top of the Form)

Accommodations Request Form Accessible Text (Bottom of the Form)