UC Irvine provides reasonable accommodation to otherwise qualified academic appointees who are disabled or become disabled and need assistance to perform the essential functions of their positions.

Summary
  1. A “reasonable accommodation” is any reasonable adjustment to a job or work environment that permits a qualified employee to perform the essential functions of the job position.
  2. Academic appointees are responsible for informing the University when a reasonable accommodation is needed.
  3. To the extent possible, the University will consider an employee’s preferred form of accommodation.  However, the University needs not agree to the employee’s preferred form of accommodation if another form of accommodation is available that is equally effective.
A. Definitions
  1. An Individual with a Disability is a person who:
    1. Has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities;
    2. Has a record of such an impairment; or
    3. Is regarded as having such impairment.
  2. Reasonable Accommodation: an adjustment to a job, or to physical tools and surroundings, or a provision of assistance, that will enable an employee to perform the essential functions of their position without imposing an undue hardship on the operation of the employer’s business.
  3. Essential Functions of a job or position:  “Essential functions” means the fundamental job duties of the employment position.  A job function may be considered essential for a variety of reasons including:
    1. The reason the position exists is to perform that function.
    2. The function may be essential because of the limited number of employees available among whom the performance of that job function can be distributed.
    3. The function may be highly specialized, so that the incumbent in the position is hired for his or her expertise or ability to perform the particular function.
  4. The Interactive Process:  The interactive process is an ongoing dialogue between the appointee and appropriate representatives of the University about possible options for reasonably accommodating an appointee with a disability.
B. Interactive Process

The University engages in an interactive process to consider academic appointee’s request for reasonable accommodation when such accommodations are necessary for the requestor to perform his/her essential job functions.

  1. Academic appointees should initiate these discussions with their Department Chair or unit head.
  2. When such requests are received, Academic Personnel and Disability Management Services should be consulted, as needed, regarding reasonable accommodations.

Interactive Process documents

  1. How to: Provide a Reasonable Accommodation
  2. The Interactive Process Checklist for Chairs
  3. Sample Accommodation Agreement
  4. Return to Work Certification (FML)