Interactive Process

The interactive process is the informal dialogue between an employer and an employee with a disability to determine effective, reasonable accommodations that enable the employee to perform essential job functions.

Determining Reasonable Workplace Accommodations

The Disability Equity Office assists employees and units in the four-step interactive process, ensuring each workplace accommodation request is individually assessed and consistent with the ADA and university policies.

Learn more about the individual roles and responsibilities of each person involved in the interactive process.

Step 1

Employee Requests an Accommodation

To begin the interactive process, employees, including faculty, staff, and student (graduate and undergraduate) employees at the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses, and applicants for employment, may submit their requests for workplace accommodations to the Disability Equity Office. Requests for temporary employee accommodations may be directed to Work Connections.

  • Employees should submit the ADA Initial Contact Form. Upon submission of a request, the DEO will respond within 1 business day with next steps.
  • Employees provide medical documentation confirming their diagnosis(es), duration, substantial limitations, and impacts of their disability, and any accommodation recommendations from their provider.
    • The expected duration of the disability is important to determine whether the condition or exacerbation is temporary (six months or less) or long-term, which may require ongoing accommodations.
    • Employees seeking workplace accommodations due to temporary disabilities or who are returning from a medical leave and require short-term accommodations should contact Work Connections for assistance.
  • After meeting with an accessibility specialist, some employees decide to wait to pursue a workplace accommodation or determine that they are not ready to move forward at that time. In these cases, the employee’s request are not shared with their supervisor. If the employee decides to move forward in the future, they will move on to Step 3.

Step 2

Employee Meets with an Accessibility Specialist

Once medical documentation is received and reviewed by the accessibility specialist, the employees will receive an email with instructions on how to schedule a meeting with the accessibility specialist. In this meeting, the employee will have an opportunity to:

  • Discuss their day-to-day job duties and responsibilities.
  • Share information about barriers and difficulties related to their job duties or workplace environment.
  • Discuss and consider potential workplace accommodations.

Learn about the next steps in the interactive process, and discuss any concerns they may have about moving forward in the process.

Step 3

Accessibility Specialist Meets with HR and Supervisor

Once the employee decides to pursue their request for accommodations, the accessibility specialist will meet with the employee’s HR representative and the supervisor. In some cases, the accessibility specialist may meet with the unit HR representative(s) in advance of the meeting with the employee’s supervisor to discuss:

  • Staffing trends, unit needs, and upcoming organizational changes.
  • Relevant policy-related information that may impact the employee’s potential workplace accommodation.
  • Additional relevant information to understand job functions or performance concerns that may be relevant to the barriers being experienced by the employee.
  • Any information about concurrent medical leave requests, etc.

Discussion points for the meeting with employee’s HR representative and supervisor include:

  • The employee’s disability-related limitations and barriers in the workplace, and how they relate to the accommodation request.
  • Essential job functions.
  • Unit operational needs and questions.

Step 4

Finalize the Accommodation

To finalize the accommodation, the accessibility specialist will:

  • Issue the draft Accommodation Document to the unit and employee for review.
    • This is an additional opportunity for the parties to provide feedback and suggested edits to ensure a mutual understanding of the selected accommodation(s).
  • Send the finalized Accommodation Document to the employee, supervisor, and HR representative. A copy will also be saved with the DEO central database.
  • Only individuals who have a need to know about the accommodation should be informed of its implementation.

The interactive process is not always linear, and there may be instances where steps 2 or 3 are repeated. In these circumstances, accessibility specialists will contact the necessary parties and request follow-up meetings.

Reengaging in the Interactive Process

In some instances, individuals with disabilities may need to request additional or different accommodations. Similarly, employers may have evolving needs or organizational changes that require a review of the previously approved accommodations. In these instances, employees and the employer are encouraged to contact the Disability Equity Office to reengage in the interactive process. Employers should not remove a previously approved accommodation prior to engaging with the Disability Equity Office to ensure compliance with the ADA.

FAQ

How is “good faith” defined?

Good faith – Good faith is defined as engaging in a sincere and reasonable effort to find an appropriate accommodation for a qualified individual with a disability. This involves an interactive process where employers and employees collaborate to identify and implement accommodations that enable the employee to perform the essential functions of their job. Examples of good faith include an employer responding promptly to an employee’s request, and an employee exploring and trialing alternative accommodations that may not be their preferred accommodation.

What is a reasonable accommodation and when is an accommodation unreasonable?

A reasonable accommodation is a modification or adjustment to job duties or the work environment that enables an otherwise qualified applicant or employee to perform the essential functions of the job. It is the employee’s responsibility to request the accommodation and to provide medical documentation when requested by the employer.

The request and medical documentation assist the employer in making a disability determination and ensure the employee is eligible for workplace accommodations. This is the first step in the interactive process.

An accommodation is considered unreasonable when it creates an “undue hardship”. Under the ADA, undue hardship means the accommodation is too costly, extensive, substantial, or disruptive, or it would fundamentally change the nature or operation of the business, organization, or unit. Factors used to determine whether an accommodation creates an undue hardship include the size of the employer, the employer’s financial resources, how many individuals perform the job tasks within the unit, the overall operational goals, and the nature and structure of the business or operation.

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