Legal Question in Disability Law in California

'Reasonable accommodations' under the ADA

An employer has provided its disabled employees with a "reasonable accommodation" when it has (1) made existing facilities readily accessible to and usable by disabled individuals; and (2) restructured the job in terms of hours, vacant positions, equipment, policies and procedures. Keep in mind that the employer is not obligated to provide a reasonable accommodation where such accommodation results in "undue hardship" to the employer. Under the "undue hardship" defense, the employer does not need to provide a reasonable accommodation where a particular accommodation is very difficult to attain or is too expensive, or where the changes would be substantial modifications, are disruptive or fundamentally alter the nature of the operation of the business.