The Saint Louis Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Support Group Web Pages

In 1990 "the Americans with Disabilities Act" (ADA) was passed. The ADA makes it unlawful to discriminate in employment against a qualified individual with a disability. Under the ADA, you have a disability if you have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. The ADA also protects you if you have a history of such disability. To be protected under the ADA, you must have a record of, or be regarded as having a substantial, as opposed to minor, impairment. A substantial impairment is one that significantly limits or restricts a major life activity.

If you have a disability, you must also be qualified to perform the essential functions or duties of a job, with or without reasonable accommodations, in order to be protected from job discrimination by the ADA. First, you must satisfy the employer’s requirement for the job and second, you must be able to perform on you own or with the help of reasonable accommodation. A reasonable accommodation is any change or adjustment to a job or work environment that permits a qualified applicant or employee with a disability to participate in the job application process, to perform the essential functions of a job, or to enjoy benefits and privileges of employment equal to those enjoyed by employees without disabilities. According to the ADA, it generally the responsibility of the applicant or employee with a disability to inform the employer that an accommodation is needed.

People with OCD may find that they are having difficulty obtaining or maintaining employment. The President’s Committee’s Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a toll-free consulting service that provides information about job accommodation and the employability of people with functional limitations. Anyone may call JAN for information. Consultants who understand the functional limitations associated with disabilities and who have instant access to the most comprehensive and up-to-date information about accommodation methods, devices, and strategies answer calls. JAN preserves the confidentiality of communication between caller and consultant. The mission of JAN is to assist in the hiring retraining, retention or advancement of persons with disabilities by providing accommodation information.

People with OCD may find that they will have to ask for reasonable accommodations in order to perform the duties of their job. Examples of can accommodations can include such things as: flexible scheduling, additional time to learn new responsibilities, self-paced workload, time off for counseling or therapy, working from home, reduce distractions in the work area, etc. It is the employee’s responsibility to ask for accommodations. JAN can assist you in developing suggestions and asking for reasonable accommodations with your employee. If you are looking for employment, JAN will also advise you how best to approach an interview. They can provide you with a wealth of literature about your rights under the ADA as well as how to ask for accommodations. It is with their assistance that this article was written.

For more information contact JAN

E-mail: jan@jan.icdi.wvu.edu

Internet: http://janweb.icdi.wvu.edu

Mail: Job Accommodation Network,

WVU; P.O. Box 6080,

Morgantown, WV 26506-6080

Phone: 202-376-6200 (Voice)

800-526-7234 (Toll Free)

202-376-6205 (TDD)

202-376-6219 (Fax)

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