Vocational Rehabilitation

You may supervise an employee with a disability or you may be contacted by a counselor to consider interviewing/hiring an employee with a disability from another department. Specific areas where you would have a role include:

Reasonable accommodation

Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, one of the University's obligations is to provide reasonable accommodation. If an employee has restrictions due to either a work-related or non-work-related disability, you are responsible for determining whether a reasonable accommodation can be made.

The Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors can explore possible accommodations with you, including using the Job Accommodation Network, a national database to share information about accommodations and adaptive equipment. Accommodations might involve the use of adaptive equipment, a shift of job duties, a reduced schedule, or a device which helps an employee in firm grasping. Studies have shown that 31% of accommodations provided do not cost anything. This could include those situations where an employee uses an available cart to move boxes instead of carrying them.

Search for alternative work

If an employee is medically unable to return to their previously held position, you will be asked by a counselor to review the possibility of transferring them to an open position in the unit for which they are qualified and which they are medically able to perform. If there are restrictions, you are responsible for determining whether reasonable accommodation is possible. If accommodation is not possible you would work with your Employee Relations Specialist to determine whether it is appropriate to request a medical separation. For more information on medical separation, see Chapter 1: Employment, and Chapter 23: Separations.

Job analysis

A counselor would meet with you at the employee's work site to discuss the demands of the position. The analysis is then reviewed by the employee. Comments are discussed again with you so that any disagreements can be clarified.