The American with Disabilities Act

The Texas A&M system adheres to and supports the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). System Offices employees, and candidates for employment at System Offices, may contact Dawn Santo at dsanto@tamus.edu to obtain the necessary forms to request a reasonable accommodation under the ADA.

A disability is defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as a mental or physical impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities. If you have a mental or physical condition, a history of such a condition, or a condition which may be considered by others as substantially limiting, you may have a legally defined disability.

According to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, substantially limiting is defined as being unable to perform a major life activity, or significantly restricted as to the condition, manner, or duration under which a major life activity can be performed, in comparison to the average person or to most people.

According to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a major life activity is defined as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working.

The ADA Amendment Acts of 2008 expanded this list to also include eating, sleeping, standing, lifting, reading, bending, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working. In addition the ADAAA also includes major bodily functions (e.g., “functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions”).

ADA Accommodations process flowchart

START

Employee contacts HR
for the ADA Accommodation forms

HR provides the employee
the ADA forms:

>> ADA Request for Accommodations
>> Medical Questionnaire for Reasonable Accommodations Requests

Employee submits documents to HR

HR reviews documents and may request additional
information if the medical questionnaire is
incomplete or unclear

REQUEST ACCOMMODATION STEP:
Supervisor meets with HR to discuss essential
functions, understand functional limitations, and
brainstorm accommodations*

DECISION

ACCOMMODATION
GRANTED

>> HR provides the Accommodation Summary & Response to the employee

Department arranges for the accommodation and the supervisor monitors the effectiveness of the
accommodations as it relates to the essential functions of the job

ACCOMMODATION
DENIED

HR meets with employee –
Interactive process
continues

DECISION

Request Accommodation Again

*manager is not provided medical documentation