Employment Accommodation Procedure

EMPLOYEE ACCOMMODATION POLICY STATEMENT

Employee Request Form for Reasonable Accommodations

The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) is committed to the full inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of university life including employment. Consistent with the Illinois Human Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and other state and federal law, UIC will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants, candidates, and employees with known disabilities.

UIC will notify all applicants, candidates, and employees of their responsibilities and the procedures the University will follow in processing accommodation requests. It is the responsibility of each applicant, candidate, and employee with a disability to make known the need for an accommodation by submitting a request for an accommodation pursuant to established procedures. UIC has no obligation to accommodate disabilities of which it is unaware or disabilities not covered by federal or state law.

Requests based on medical conditions not qualifying as disabilities under state or federal law may be granted or denied at UIC’s discretion. UIC is not considering or regarding the employee as having a disability as defined by the ADA or by the Illinois Human Rights Act.

APPLICABLE LAWS/DEFINITIONS
A. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal law prohibiting discrimination against individuals with disabilities in employment, public service, public accommodations, transportation, and telecommunications.
B. The Rehabilitation Act is a federal law prohibiting discrimination on the “basis of disability” by federal contractors and recipients of federal grants.
C. The Illinois Human Rights Act is a state law prohibiting discrimination against individuals based on physical or mental disability.
D. Definitions:

1. Disability:
   1. a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities;
   2. a record of such an impairment or;
   3. being regarded as having such an impairment.
2. Major Life Activities- Include but are not limited to walking, talking, seeing, hearing, learning, breathing, caring for oneself, doing manual tasks, and participating in community activities. Major life activities also include the operation of a major bodily function. (Functions of the immune system, special sense organs, and skin, normal cell growth, digestive, genitourinary, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, cardiovascular, endocrine, hemic, lymphatic, musculoskeletal, and reproductive functions)
3. Qualified Individual - an individual who, with or without reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of the employment position that such individual holds or desires.
4. Reasonable Accommodations are change in the work environment or how things are customarily done that enables an individual with a disability to access the application process, perform the job, or enjoy equal employment opportunities. Accommodations may include:
   1. making existing facilities accessible;
   2. job restructuring;
   3. part-time or modified work schedules;
   4. acquiring or modifying equipment;
   5. changing tests, training materials, or policies;
   6. providing qualified readers or interpreters;
   7. reassignment to a vacant position.
5. Essential Function - those functions that the individual holding the position must be able to perform with or without reasonable accommodation.
6. Applicant - a person who applies or takes a civil service exam for employment at UIC.
7. Candidate - an applicant invited by UIC to interview for a particular position.