Bossed Up Disability Accommodations: What All Leaders Need to Know
Nov 25, 2025
Rachel Shaw, a workplace inclusion strategist and author of "The Disabled Workforce," dives into vital aspects of disability accommodations in the professional realm. She highlights the importance of structured processes and genuine care from managers to address accommodation requests effectively. Rachel also sheds light on the often misunderstood costs of accommodations, revealing they typically average under $300. The discussion includes crucial insights on the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and the rights it provides, emphasizing advocacy and privacy in requesting assistance.
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ADA Wasn’t Designed For Today’s Workforce
- The ADA was written with visible disabilities in mind and misses many modern workplace needs like neurodiversity and pregnancy.
- Employers must build processes and confront biases to handle today's accommodation demands fairly.
Follow A Four-Step Interactive Process
- Start the interactive process whenever there's a request, perceived disability, or a medical note and use a simple staged protocol.
- Collect functional data, communicate, hold a documented meeting, then implement the agreed accommodations.
Small Employers: Use Simple Rules And Try Trials
- Small employers often lack HR and should seek external help or use simple rules: if you can say yes, say yes and try adjustments.
- Trial accommodations and document outcomes so you can revisit if they negatively affect productivity.
