Tools / Free guides
Free guide · BELONG: Options
Reasonable accommodation: a simple process and a request form
Two parts in one guide. A six-step process HR can set up this month, and a form any employee or student can use to ask for what they need.
The problem is rarely the cost
A reasonable accommodation is any change that lets a person with disability do their job or course on equal terms. It might be a later start time, screen reader software, a desk near the lift or instructions in writing. Most of these cost little or nothing.
What usually goes wrong is the asking. People don't know who to ask, they worry about being seen as difficult, or they're asked for medical proof before anyone has even talked to them. So they don't ask, they struggle quietly, and sometimes they leave. A clear, simple process fixes that.
Part 1 · For HR and leaders
Six steps to set up the process
- 1
Name one contact
One person, plus a backup, handles every request. Put their name and email in the employee or student handbook, on the intranet and in every offer letter.
- 2
Make asking easy
One short form, any time, in any format: email, WhatsApp or a conversation. Nobody should need a diagnosis or medical records just to start the conversation.
- 3
Set a response time
We suggest acknowledging within 2 working days and deciding within 10. Simple requests, like a chair, software or a schedule change, can happen the same week.
- 4
Decide together
The person usually knows what works for them. If their first ask isn't possible, offer an alternative and explain why in writing. A plain "no" is where most processes break.
- 5
Keep it confidential
Only the people who need to act are told. The manager hears what's been agreed, not the condition behind it. Store the paperwork away from performance records.
- 6
Check back, and let it travel
Check in after 30 days. Review once a year or when the role changes. When the person moves teams, the accommodation moves with them. No starting from zero.
What accommodations look like
- A flexible start time, or some work-from-home days
- Screen reader or magnifier software, captions on calls
- A desk near the lift, a parking spot near the door
- Instructions in writing as well as spoken
- A quieter workspace, or noise-cancelling headphones
- Extra time in exams, a scribe or a reader
- Adjusted targets or leave during medical treatment
Where it usually goes wrong
- Asking for medical proof before even talking
- The request sits with a manager who doesn't know what to do with it
- Saying no without offering anything else
- Treating it as a favour that can be taken back
- The whole team finds out why
- Starting from zero every time someone changes teams
For colleges, universities and training institutes
On campus, set it up once and let it follow the student
Most students with disabilities don't struggle because support costs too much. They struggle because every term, every subject and every exam they have to ask again. The same six steps apply, with a campus twist.
- Set up a support cell, or name one person, and put their details on the website, in the prospectus and in the orientation pack.
- Ask once, at admission, what support the student needs for tests and classes. They can ask any time after that too.
- Plan exam accommodations at the start of the year and carry them into every exam, instead of arranging a scribe the night before.
- Have material ready before term: accessible textbooks, captioned videos, and slides or notes shared ahead of class.
- Keep it confidential. Faculty hear what's agreed, not the diagnosis. Everyday support shouldn't wait for a certificate.
- Check in every term, and carry it forward into the next year, internships and placements.
Part 2 · For employees and students
How to ask for what you need
You don't need to explain your diagnosis, and you don't need to be sure your idea is possible. Describe what gets in the way, and what would help. That's enough to start.
If your organisation doesn't have a form yet, use ours. Fill it in, send it to HR or your manager, and keep a copy for yourself.
Download the request form (opens in a new tab)What the form asks
- What part of your work or study is harder than it needs to be? For example, "following fast discussions on calls".
- What would help? List anything, even if you're not sure it's possible.
- Has anything like this worked before? Optional.
- How soon do you need it?
- Who can know about this request? Only the person handling it, your manager too, or your team if it helps.
Why it isn't optional
Under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, reasonable accommodation is a right, and denying it without good reason counts as discrimination. A clear process protects your people and your organisation.
A pointer, not legal advice. Check the Act and the rules that apply to you.
Part of the BELONG framework
Where does your organisation stand on disability inclusion?
Accommodations sit under O for Options: the support, assistive technology and flexibility that let people do their best work. The free self-assessment shows you where you stand across all six BELONG areas.