RAISING AWARENESS: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, marked National Disability Employment Opportunity Month in October 2023 by wearing the various colors representing disabilities. The month raises awareness for those with disabilities having an equal opportunity for employment and advancement, and steps that organizations can take to support those with disabilities. (Photo by Sarah Ridenour, U.S. Army Sustainment Command)
CAREER NAVIGATOR
Reasonable accommodations remove barriers and encourage work-life balance.
by Jacqueline M. Hames
Balancing work, social lives, family lives and other miscellaneous parts of life can be difficult, even for the most well-organized, healthy and economically comfortable individuals. Average employees spend roughly eight hours a day, five days a week, performing their jobs and interacting with their co-workers before returning their attention to their home life. That’s a large amount of time spent at work with co-workers—it’s no wonder that a few rough days on the job can throw off the balance of home life.
Achieving that work-life balance can be even more difficult for some people with disabilities than it is for their counterparts, simply because the world at large does not always cater to the full range of different abilities. Providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities can help reduce stress by working around limitations or barriers that interfere with accessibility and performing job duties.
“As we all encounter various difficulties and barriers in our personal and work lives, stress can result,” said Rosemary Salak, the disability program manager for the Equal Employment Opportunity Policy and Programs directorate under the deputy assistant secretary of the Army for Equity and Inclusion. Her focus is on Army programs and policies that provide for equitable and inclusive employment of people with disabilities and govern accessibility for job applicants and employees.
“Reasonable accommodation is all about removing barriers,” Salak said.
In a January 2023 article, the Partnership for Public Service reported that federal employee engagement and satisfaction scores for people with disabilities were 6.7 points lower than their counterparts. “This group has an overall different experience working in the federal government than their peers,” the article said.
Those results aligned with similar research on the private sector workforce conducted by Global Disability Inclusion and Mercer. More than 12 million employees with disabilities in the United States are “more subject to micromanagement, which deters employee innovation, and receive less recognition than their peers without disabilities,” the report stated.
STRENGTH IN COLORS: A red ribbon represents people with physical disabilities, in the same way a pink ribbon denotes breast cancer awareness. Other ribbon colors include gold, white, blue and green; all various disabilities. The Army aims to provide reasonable accommodations for those with disabilities such as assistive technology, modified work schedules or removal of physical barriers. (Photo by Ryan Campbell, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District)
THE RIGHT TOOLS
Out of the general federal employee population, “one in four government employees report very often or always feeling burned out at work,” a Gallup article from March 2024 said. Gallup identified five work experiences that contribute most to that feeling: Unfair treatment at work; unmanageable workload; unclear communication from managers; lack of managerial support; and unreasonable time pressure. Gallup also notes that how employees experience their workload has a stronger influence on burnout or stress than the actual number of hours worked.
To reduce occurrences of job burnout, Gallup recommends three strategies: Ensure that employees are engaged at work; ensure the organization actively supports employee well-being; and ensure that employees are surrounded by a culture that celebrates each person’s strengths.
Supporting employee well-being includes providing employees the tools they need to do their job. Standard tools include desks, computers, policies and work schedules.
“Some individuals may need different tools, or modifications to policies, the work environment or the manner or circumstances under which a job is usually performed,” Salak said. For example, these accommodations can include assistive technology, sign language interpretation, modified work schedules or removal of physical barriers.
She explained that reasonable accommodation policies are governed by three laws:
- The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which governs accommodations for people with disabilities.
- The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act of 2021, which governs accommodations for pregnancy, childbirth or medical conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth.
- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which governs accommodations for sincerely held religious beliefs or practices.
Effective accommodations mitigate or work around any physical, cognitive or other limitations that individuals may have, enabling them to “apply for a job or enabling an employee to successfully perform the functions of the job held or desired,” she said.
First-level supervisors are usually responsible for authorizing accommodations, but they must consult with the servicing legal advisor and with the disability program manager in their local Equal Employment Opportunity office before denying a request. It is also worth noting that medical information and information associated with reasonable accommodations is confidential and, as such, should only be shared with those who have a need-to-know, Salak explained.
To receive accommodations for limitations imposed by a disability, employees or applicants must have a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008, Salak explained. Employers can only provide accommodations for “known” physical and mental limitations, and medical documentation can be requested when the limitations experienced are not obvious—such as people with a chronic, invisible illness, or neurodivergent individuals with low support needs.
However, supervisors “can and should implement interim, temporary reasonable accommodations while awaiting receipt of necessary medical information—if there is sufficient information to believe it is reasonably likely that an employee will be entitled to accommodation,” Salak said.
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Primary reasonable accommodation resources for managers and employees are:
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CULTURE CHANGE
“More than 25% of U.S. adults have a disability,” Salak said. “Anyone can become a person with a disability, temporary or permanent, at any time.”
Some barriers that people with disabilities encounter include the perception that reasonable accommodations—from accessible parking lots to tailored working environments—are special treatment, but that is not the case. “The premise is equal access, not special treatment,” Salak explained. “The goal is to accommodate the needs of people with disabilities to ‘level the playing field’—not to provide unfair advantage.”
Supervisors and managers can help improve workplace culture by modeling inclusive behaviors, by addressing stereotypes, stigmas and myths and by increasing awareness. “Normalizing disabilities and accommodations and providing a respectful, supportive environment for everyone can help remove stigma associated with disabilities,” Salak explained.
Currently, Salak said the Army supports its employees with disabilities in several ways: The reasonable accommodation program; objectives and tasks outlined in the Civilian Implementation Plan that increase opportunities for people with disabilities; initiating employee resource groups; special hiring authorities for people with disabilities; and the Veteran Appointment Authority for veterans rated at 30% or more disability.
In addition, the Army encourages civilian employees to voluntarily update their disability status using the Defense Civilian Personnel Data System MyBiz+self-service portal. This helps not just employees with disabilities but also the larger Army mission. “Accurate data supports decisions regarding resources and programs to employ and retain talented workers with disabilities,” she explained.
LET’S TALK: Representatives from Peak Performance, a nonprofit that helps job seekers with disabilities find careers, speak with attendees during the annual Technology Fair on September 14, 2023, at the Fort Cavazos Community Center. The Army supports employees with disabilities by providing equitable and inclusive employment. (Photo by Samantha Harms, Fort Cavazos Public Affairs)
CONCLUSION
“The disability community is an often-untapped community of talented individuals who want to work and serve our nation,” Salak said. “The Army welcomes them and supports them with a robust reasonable accommodation program providing the tools individuals need to accomplish the mission.”
Reasonable accommodations can alleviate not only physical stress but also mental stress in those that need them, providing physical ease and inclusivity. If you feel that an accommodation may benefit you, talk to your supervisor—and achieve a better work-life balance.
For more information about reasonable accommodations, go to https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/reasonable-accommodations/.
JACQUELINE M. HAMES is the senior editor at Army AL&T magazine. She holds a B.A. in creative writing from Christopher Newport University. She has more than 15 years of experience writing and editing news and feature articles for publication.
