What kind of workplace accommodations are possible for young adults with disabilities?

Any accommodations within requirements of the ADA, the employer can be made responsible for. A job coach can help put those accommodations in place, and the employment service agency should be advocating for that.

The kind of accommodations are very dependent on the individual and vary. It’s important to know the ADA protects people who need accommodations, but they must be reasonable and not overly hinder the employer’s day-to-day business. The Job Accommodation Network lists a wide range of accommodations that are covered by the ADA. It is always worth looking into those for potentially needed accommodations.

For example, for a person with vision loss, the employer will need to be able to provide all its materials in a format that is accessible to that person. For someone with hearing loss, the employer may need to provide a translator for meetings and communicate via text otherwise. For someone who doesn’t read, an accommodation could be either reading the materials to them or having picture labels on the items they are using. For someone with ADHD, the employer could provide written lists of instructions.

For more information, see our full article Supported Employment.