POLICY – ADA AND REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

Overview

Central College prohibits discrimination based on disability and provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals who can perform essential job functions as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Employees request accommodations through Human Resources, and HR works with them in an interactive process to determine appropriate solutions. Retaliation or harassment related to disability or accommodation requests is not allowed.

Definitions

Disability: A documented physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a record of such an impairment or being regarded as having an impairment. 

Major Life Activity: A key function of life, such as seeing, hearing, walking, caring for oneself, working, learning, etc. 

Qualified Person with a Documented Disability: An individual with a known disability who, with or without reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of a particular job without posing a direct threat to health or safety. 

Essential Function: A task or responsibility that is not marginal to the purpose of the job. 

Reasonable Accommodation: The modification of the job design or requirement so that the person with a documented qualifying disability is able to perform the essential functions of the job, without imposing an undue hardship on the company or posing a direct threat to health or safety

Responsibilities

Central College: to comply with the ADA and Iowa Civil Rights Act, ensuring nondiscrimination, providing reasonable accommodations unless they cause undue hardship or safety concerns, preventing retaliation, and selecting among effective accommodation options when more than one is available.

Employees and applicants: responsible to request accommodations through Human Resources, explaining how their restrictions affect essential job functions, proposing potential accommodations, providing medical documentation if requested, and doing so early enough to prevent performance issues.

Human Resources: receives and coordinates accommodation requests, leading the interactive process with the employee and supervisor, gathering necessary information including medical documentation, and advising departments on feasible and effective accommodation solutions.

Departments and supervisors: participates in the interactive process, assessing the feasibility and effectiveness of potential accommodations, and determining which effective accommodation will be implemented when multiple options exist.

Policy Details

Central College is committed to complying with the applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and the Iowa Civil Rights Act. It is the college’s policy not to discriminate on the basis of disability against any qualified employee or applicant with regard to any terms or conditions of employment because of such individual’s disability or perceived disability so long as the employee can perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. Consistent with this policy of nondiscrimination, the college will endeavor to provide reasonable accommodations to a qualified individual with a documented disability, as defined by the ADA, who has made the college aware of his or her disability, provided that such accommodation does not constitute an undue hardship on the college or pose a direct threat to health or safety. This policy is applicable to all employment policies and practices.

In addition, the ADA and Central College prohibit discrimination against individuals who are associated with persons with disabilities. It is a violation of this policy and the ADA to retaliate or harass a person who files charges or participates in proceedings under this policy.

Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation

Any applicant for employment or current employee with a qualifying disability who believes he/she needs a reasonable accommodation to perform the essential functions of the job should contact the Office of Human Resources.

All requests for accommodation should include the following:

• A description of the impairment and which major life activity the impairment limits.
• A description of how the impairment limits the ability to perform the essential functions of the job.  
• A description of the proposed accommodations and how the accommodations would enable the employee to perform the essential functions of the job.

An employee should request an accommodation before his/her job performance suffers. In alignment with its nondiscrimination policy, Central College will not assume that poor work performance or unprofessional behavior is related to a physical or mental impairment unless it has received prior notice to the contrary from the employee. 

Review of Requests for Reasonable Accommodation  

Once a request for an accommodation has been made, the Office of Human Resources and the supervisor and/or department leaders will engage in an interactive dialogue with the individual.  This is an individualized process through which the department, the Office of Human Resources, and the individual with a disability discuss the need for, the effectiveness and the feasibility of possible accommodations.

The individual may be asked to provide medical documentation related the need for and/or the effectiveness of possible accommodations. Any decisions related to the provision of accommodations will be made on a case-by-case basis taking into account all available information. If more than one effective accommodation exists, the supervisor, with assistance from the Office of Human Resources, has the ultimate discretion to choose between available, effective accommodations to best support the department business needs. 

Last Revision Date: 06/12/2026

Policy Owner: Talent, Equity and Engagement Office