Which U.S. law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for qualified workers with disabilities?

The Americans with Disabilities Act requires covered U.S. employers to provide reasonable accommodations for qualified workers with disabilities, unless doing so would cause undue hardship.

President George H. W. Bush signed the law in 1990. Title I addresses employment discrimination and applies generally to private employers with 15 or more employees, as well as state and local governments and certain employment agencies.

Reasonable accommodations can include modified schedules, accessible equipment, job restructuring, interpreters, or changes to workplace policies. Employers must consider an effective accommodation, but they do not necessarily have to provide the employee’s preferred option.

The law does not guarantee employment or require employers to eliminate essential job functions. It also differs from the Rehabilitation Act, which applies to federal agencies, federal contractors in specified circumstances, and federally funded programs.