To be protected under the Rehabilitation Act, an individual must also be “qualified” for the position the employee holds or desires to hold. “Qualified” means that the individual must be able to perform the essential functions of a job safely, with reasonable accommodation if necessary.
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, if he or she is unable to meet certain “qualification standards” for a job, such as 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,” as an employer would regarding anyone else lacking the ability to meet those standards, if those standards are job-related and necessary.
