Disability Services

The commonwealth is required to ensure equal employment opportunities for applicants and employees with disabilities.  Included in this responsibility is the requirement to provide an effective reasonable accommodation for a qualified applicant or employee with a disability.  Additionally, agencies must follow all requirements outlined in the following policies:

• Management Directive 205.25 Disability-Related Employment Policy
• Management Directive 205.26 Nondiscrimination in State and Local Government Services
• Management Directive 205.32 Hiring Sign Language Interpreters/Transliterators 
• Procedure for Processing Request to Use of Personally-Owned Vehicle as an Exception to the Travel Policy and Response to Request to Use Personal Vehicle

Disability services coordinators play a primary role in adherence to these guidelines and administer disability accommodation programs. They also: 

• Analyze and approve or deny requests for disability accommodation
• Complete required disability-related employment accommodation request reports
• Provide assistance to supervisors regarding accommodation requests and other related matters
• Stay up to date on best practices and take part in disability-related training
• Work closely with equal employment opportunity staff on issues related to discrimination on the basis of disability

Accommodation Request Forms and Tools

• Response to Request to Use Personal Vehicle
• Request for Accommodation Form
• Health Care Provider Questionnaire
• Sample Letter to Health Care Provider
• Authorization for Use of Protected Health Information
• Disability Services Coordinator List 

Disability-related Resources

• Disability-Related Training Materials
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Information
• Job Accommodation Network
• Practical Guide to Reasonable Accommodation
• Reasonable Accommodation and the ADA Process
• Assistive Technology Lending Library
• Essential Functions Pamphlet