Centralized Accommodation Fund (CAF)
Centralized Accommodation Fund (CAF)
Introduction
The Centralized Accommodation Fund ("DAF") was established to assist with the cost of providing reasonable workplace accommodations for employees, as required under the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA") of 1990, as amended, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and University Policy. Departments have primary responsibility for costs associated with reasonable workplace and program-related disability accommodation requests. The establishment of this fund does not waive any obligation departments have to provide a reasonable accommodation, as required by state and federal law, and/or University policy.
Process
When there is a disability accommodation request, the ADA Coordinator is available to assist in evaluating the presence and impact of a disability, determining reasonable accommodations, and providing reimbursement funding for accommodations expenses incurred by the department. The determination of what accommodation is reasonable is fact specific and involves an interactive process in which the employee’s supervisor, the ADA Coordinator, and the employee identify the impact of the disability on the employee’s ability to perform essential job functions and explore effective reasonable accommodations necessary for the employee to perform essential job functions. Please refer to the Procedures for Employees with Disabilities to Request Workplace Accommodations for more details.
After engaging in the interactive process and upon identification of a reasonable accommodation(s),
the department will follow all university procurement and financial procedures necessary for securing the workplace accommodation(s). If the department requires financial assistance to comply with the accommodation request, a request for financial assistance to cover the cost of the accommodation(s) can be submitted by completing the CAF Request Form. The form must be approved by the Dean and/or Department Head and returned to the ADA Coordinator, along with the appropriate documentation of the purchase and confirmation of receipt.
If the request for funding assistance is denied, the department will be notified in writing by the ADA Coordinator. Denial will not alleviate the department’s responsibility to timely provide reasonable accommodations required by an employee.
As administrator of the fund, the ADA Coordinator will review each request within two business days. Upon approval, the Office Access and Equity (OAE) will work with the department to ensure that the department receives the approved funds for the accommodation. The ADA Coordinator will follow-up with the department to confirm that the accommodation is in place. OAE will maintain an inventory of CAF purchases.