Faculty-staff eligibility process

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as amended (ADAAA) requires employers such as Northern Arizona University to provide reasonable accommodations for qualified employees with disabilities, unless such accommodations pose an undue hardship. In general, a Northern Arizona University employee with a disability is responsible for letting the University know that an accommodation is needed to perform essential job functions or to receive equal benefits and privileges of employment. Northern Arizona University is not required to provide accommodations if we are not aware of the need.

When an employee requests a disability accommodation, the Disability Resources Employee Accommodation Specialist and the employee will engage in an interactive process to clarify what the employee needs and identify the appropriate reasonable accommodation(s). The Disability Resources Specialist may ask the employee relevant questions that will enable them to make an informed decision about the request. This includes asking what type of reasonable accommodation the employee may need.

The exact nature of the discussion will vary. In many instances, both the disability and the type of accommodation required will be obvious, and thus there may be little or no need to engage in any discussion. In other situations, the Disability Resources Specialist may need to ask questions concerning the nature of the disability and the employee’s functional limitations in order to identify an effective accommodation. While the employee does not have to be able to specify the precise accommodation, they do need to describe the problems posed by the workplace barrier. Additionally, suggestions from the employee may assist Northern Arizona University in determining the type of reasonable accommodation to provide.

Request an accommodation

To begin the process, please complete and submit the Faculty and Staff Accommodation Request Form