To be protected under the Rehabilitation Act, an individual must also be “qualified” for the job. “Qualified” means that the individual must be able to perform the essential functions of a job safely, with reasonable accommodation if necessary, just like any other employee.
Note: An employee or applicant may not be “qualified” even though he or she can perform the essential functions of a job with or without a reasonable accommodation because he or she may be unable to meet certain “qualification standards” for a job, like having a valid driver’s license, passing a test, or meeting certain educational requirements. An employer may deny a job to an individual with a disability based on the failure to meet “qualification standards” just like anyone else, if those standards are job-related and necessary.