213 Acting Upon a Reasonable Accommodation Request

When an accommodation request is received, whether orally or in writing, it must be processed promptly, using the guidance contained in this handbook (see 24, Time Frames for Processing Requests for Reasonable Accommodation). An informal dialogue should be conducted with the requestor to determine exactly:

The accommodation requested.
The reason for the request.
The nature of the impairment.
The major life activity affected.
The essential functions of the position.
Whether the need for accommodation is time sensitive.

Alternatively, you may refer the request to your district or area RAC for processing, as appropriate (see Chapter 6, Role of the Reasonable Accommodation Committee).

A request for accommodation must be referred to the RAC when an employee has requested an accommodation or modification of his or her work assignment or job duties based on a medical reason, and when one or more of the following is true:

You are not certain if the impairment qualifies as a disability under the Rehabilitation Act.
You do not believe the employee is a qualified person with a disability.
You have questions concerning the reasonableness of the accommodation requested and whether it poses an undue hardship.
You believe that the accommodation may not reduce or eliminate a direct threat of harm to the employee or others.
You observe that an employee with a known disability is having difficulty performing the essential functions of his or her job due to that disability.
You need help finding a way to accommodate the individual.
You believe the Postal Service should deny the request for accommodation.
You are considering separating the employee for inability to perform the functions of his or her position.

In addition, referral to the RAC is appropriate when an appointing official questions the medical suitability of an applicant.

Note: You do not need to refer all requests for accommodation to a RAC. For example, if an employee requests specialized equipment, such as an ergonomic chair, and local management can provide the equipment expeditiously, there is no need for RAC involvement.

You must document all requests for reasonable accommodation, oral or in writing, for the following reasons:

Local record keeping.
To ensure that every request receives a timely decision.

Exhibit 213(a), Confirmation of Request for Reasonable Accommodation, and Exhibit 213(b), Reasonable Accommodation Decision Guide, should be used for documentation purposes. Requests for communication accommodation from employees who are deaf or hard of hearing should be documented on PS Form 6710, Communication Accommodation Request Form. This form is available on the Postal Service PolicyNet website.

Go to http://blue.usps.gov.
In the left-hand column under “Essential Links,” click on PolicyNet.
Click Forms.

The direct URL for the Postal Service PolicyNet website is http://blue.usps.gov/cpim.

You must provide a copy of the received Confirmation of Request for Reasonable Accommodation form or PS Form 6710 to the requesting individual to ensure he or she receives a Privacy Act Statement.1

Exception: Once an employee requests and the Postal Service grants a type of reasonable accommodation that the employee is likely to need on a repeated basis, then the Postal Service does not require documentation for record-keeping purposes each time the employee needs the accommodation (see 26).

Whenever you activate the reasonable accommodation process, a six-step process is followed to determine whether to provide an accommodation to the applicant or the employee. The steps are as follows:

Step One: Determine whether an individual has a disability and meets minimum qualification standards.
Step Two: Determine the essential functions of the job.
Step Three: Identify the abilities and limitations of the individual.
Step Four: Identify potential accommodations.
Step Five: Determine the reasonableness of the accommodations and whether implementation would impose an undue hardship.
Step Six: Select and implement an accommodation from identified reasonable alternatives that can be implemented without an undue hardship.