A reasonable accommodation helps a person with a disability access the same services and opportunities as everyone else. And while this sounds (in theory) straightforward, it’s not always clear what “reasonable” actually means. It can feel subjective, and that’s where things get tricky.
To clear up some of the confusion, it’s easier to understand what a reasonable accommodation is by learning what an unreasonable accommodation is. Legally speaking, an accommodation becomes unreasonable when it creates what the law calls an “undue hardship for the provider.” That means the accommodation requested would cause serious difficulty or expense(s) that impact the program’s ability to function. This could be because of the cost, the provider’s resources, or the nature of the service itself.
Another reason why an accommodation might be deemed unreasonable is if your child poses a direct threat to the program. It is the program’s responsibility to determine whether your child poses a direct threat that no accommodation would be able to help. Because there is no specific language definition under the ADA of what a “direct threat” is, it is up to the program to decide.
In short, you can determine whether an accommodation is unreasonable by asking yourself or the provider, “Can this accommodation be done without shutting the program down or negatively impacting everyone else?” If the answer is no, it may fall into being an unreasonable accommodation.
For examples and more information, see our full article The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 101.
Save your favorite resources and access a custom Roadmap.
Get Started
