Reasonable Accommodations

Harvard Medical School explores requests from employees with disabilities for workplace reasonable accommodations under the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act as amended, and other applicable disability laws.

A reasonable accommodation is any reasonable change or adjustment to a job or work environment that permits a person with a disability to participate in the job application process, to perform the essential functions of a job, or to enjoy benefits and privileges of employment equal to those enjoyed by staff without disabilities. For example, a reasonable accommodation may include, but is not limited to:

  • Acquiring or modifying equipment or devices
  • Job restructuring
  • Modified work schedules
  • Removing physical barriers in a work area

The reasonable accommodation process, following the guidelines established by Title I of the ADA as amended, is a collaborative and interactive process between the employee, Human Resources, the manager/department head, and/or other subject matter experts such as University Disability Resources. While Harvard considers an employee’s self-report and looks to providers and the supporting medical documentation they provide for a number of things (e.g., to determine whether an individual has a disability, the nature of functional limitations that relate to the essential functions of the person’s job, and how long those limitations are expected to persist), ultimately, Harvard is responsible for determining and providing an effective accommodation, which may not be the one requested or preferred by the individual.  For more information regarding this process, please refer to the Reasonable Accommodation Fact Sheet.

Harvard Medical School is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation(s) for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To make a workplace accommodation inquiry or request or to schedule a no-obligation meeting to learn more about the reasonable accommodation request process, contact the Harvard Longwood Campus Leave of Absence Coordinator at leave_ofabsence@hms.harvard.edu or call 617-432-1024. Requesters should request accommodations as early as possible, since they may take time to implement.

The forms required to apply for accommodations can be found below: