How to Ask for a Workplace Accommodation Without Risking Your Job, Privacy, or Professional Identity
Requesting an accommodation isn’t about getting special treatment — it’s about setting yourself up to succeed at work in a sustainable way. If a medical, mental health, or neurodivergent condition affects how you perform, communicate, focus, or access the workplace, you may have the legal right to request changes that help you do your job. Many employees wait until things are falling apart before speaking up — not because they’re unprepared or incapable, but because no one ever taught them how to self-advocate in a safe and strategic way. This guide fixes that. the foundations of this article were drawn from two articles produced by JAN Accommodation Network and from the Advancing the Human & Civil Rights of People with Disabilities in Illinois.
1. What Counts as an Accommodation?
An accommodation is any change in the way work is done that helps you perform your job or access benefits at the same level as others. It doesn’t have to be dramatic or expensive.
Examples include:
Flexibility in start/end times or work location
Break adjustments to manage symptoms or medication timing
Assistive software or communication tools
Modified workspace, sensory supports, or reduced distractions
Reassignment of non-essential job duties
Leave or intermittent time off for treatment or recovery
Transfer to an open position that’s a better fit
An accommodation should support your ability to meet expectations — not lower the expectations themselves.
2. When Should You Ask?
Ask when access, performance, or energy is being impacted — not only when things are falling apart. You don’t need to wait for a performance review or a crisis.
You can request:
After being hired
During onboarding
After a change in duties
When symptoms flare or roles shift
If remote/hybrid expectations change
Before your performance suffers
Requesting accommodations early protects your standing and gives you more control over the outcome. More importantly, accommodations are not retroactive — get your request in writing and authorized as soon as you become aware that your disability may require reasonable support.
3. You Don’t Have to Overshare to Get Support
You are not required to reveal your diagnosis or health history. What matters most is:
The barrier you’re facing, and
The adjustment you’re requesting
Example of low-disclosure language:
“I’m having difficulty meeting my schedule due to a medical condition and would like to discuss modifying start times as an accommodation.”
If documentation is needed later, you and your provider can keep it brief and specific to the request. You don’t have to give your employer blanket access to your records.
4. How to Ask (Without Making It Awkward)
You can make a request verbally or in writing. Written requests create a record and help keep the process on track.
Here’s a template that balances privacy and clarity:
Subject: Accommodation Request
I’m requesting a reasonable accommodation due to a medical condition that impacts my ability to [state barrier briefly].
An adjustment such as [example or option] would help me continue to perform my job effectively.
If another effective alternative exists, I’m open to discussing options.
Please let me know the next step in this process. Thank you.
You don’t need to mention the ADA by name, but doing so can make it clear you're making a protected request.
5. What Happens After You Ask
Most employers are required to have an interactive process — a back-and-forth conversation to figure out a workable solution.
They might:
Ask questions about your needs
Explore alternatives
Request limited documentation (if your condition isn’t obvious)
Bring in HR or legal for review
They do not get to:
Demand your entire medical file
Delay indefinitely
Decide you don’t “look disabled”
Ignore your request
If they offer an alternative you didn’t suggest, ask yourself: Is it effective? If yes, it still counts.
6. If Your Request Is Ignored, Delayed, or Denied
You still have options without escalating immediately.
You can:
Ask for clarification:
“Can you tell me why it was denied so I can problem-solve with you?”Request to explore modified solutions
Lead with curiosity, and stay solution focused
Offer documentation if they say they need more
Reach out to your local Vocational Rehabilitation office to see if a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor can provide additional advocacy and support
If the answer is still “no” without a valid reason, you have the right to:
File internally (grievance system, HR, union)
Seek outside help (ADA line, JAN, EEOC, state employment rights office, advocates or employment lawyers)
But in many cases, a calm follow-up or alternative suggestion resolves it.
7. Protect Your Career and Peace of Mind
Self-advocacy doesn’t mean putting your job on the line. Here’s how to stay strategic:
✔ Stay future-focused — frame it as job sustainability, not crisis
✔ Offer options — it shows collaboration, not demand
✔ Avoid apologizing for asking
✔ Document everything (short emails count)
✔ Don’t wait until you’re written up or overwhelmed
✔ Remember: needing an accommodation doesn’t make you less capable
Requesting a change is about showing up as someone who intends to succeed — not someone who can’t cope.
8. When You’re Not Sure What to Ask For
You don’t have to have all the answers — you just need to identify the barrier.
You can say:
“I’m running into difficulty with [specific part of the job] due to a medical condition and would like to talk through options that would help me continue performing well.”
You can also explore ideas through:
A job coach
JAN (free, confidential)
A therapist or provider
An HR or disability office (if safe to do so)
9. You’re Not Asking for a Favor — You’re Exercising a Right
Your value to an organization isn’t reduced because you work differently. Accommodations help people stay employed, stay productive, and stay well — and that benefits everyone.
The ADA exists so you don’t have to “power through” at the cost of your health or job security.
You don’t have to justify your worth to deserve support.
Credits & Source Acknowledgments
Advancing the Human & Civil Rights of People with Disabilities in Illinois (2022).Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation with Template Letter. Retrieved 6.21.022 from https://www.equipforequality.org/
JAN Job Accommodation Network (n.d.) Accommodation and Compliance Series “ Employees Practical Guide to Requesting and Negotiating Reasonable Accommodation under the Americans with Disability Act(ADA)”. Retrieved 11.2.2023 from https://askjan.org/
Notice: Language, framing, and recommendations have been updated to reduce bias, support privacy, and integrate principles of workplace fit and career sustainability.
