Workplace Accommodations for People With Disabilities

Some countries in the world have legislated protections for persons with disabilities in response to the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including the United States through the Americans With Disabilities Act and Canada with the federal Human Rights Act. Typically, this country-specific legislation incorporates provisions for workplace accommodation for persons with physical and mental disabilities; in these cases, the employer may be required to accommodate disabled workers to the point of undue hardship. The employer’s responsibility for reasonable accommodation extends to fair consideration of the disabled person in the competition for jobs, the removal of barriers that may prevent the disabled person from performing the essential functions of the work, and provision of equitable access to the opportunities and benefits of paid employment. ...