[blindlaw] "Reasonable Accommodations"

[Steve Jacobson]

Jordan,

As you know, I'm not a lawyer but have been employed for a long time, so my comments here are of a practical nature rather than 
from a strictly legal perspective.  In terms of reasonable accommodations, there are many variables that have to be taken into 
account.  I think it is probably fair to say that your goal should be to figure out how you can do a given job with the least 
requirements placed upon your employer while giving you as much control as possible.  Whether your employer is obligated to 
provide a given accommodation can depend some on whether you are employed by the government or whether you are in the private 
sector.  Also, even though you might be able to make a case that something is required, if your employer is small, it could be 
considered an undo burrden under the law.  Even if it isn't, it is hard to prove that the extra cost of hiring you didn't affect 
how they viewed you as a job candidate, so as much as possible, you want to present approaches that put you in control.

What do you mean when you ask about providing braille?  If you mean do they have to provide documents in paper braille, you need 
to consider that they are not likely going to have the ability to do that in-house unlike your experience at the University of 
Minnesota.  You will probably know more about it than they will.  They will probably have to provide documents using a third party 
and if there are deadlines, this won't always be possible whether it is the law or not.  Commercially produced hardcopy braille is 
also expensive.  You are going to want to become familiar with how to produce your own braille documents when you neeed to, and 
sometimes you'll only want a particular portion in braille.  If you need a braille printer and software to do this, you might be 
able to negotiate with Minnesota State Services for the Blind for some of this if it means getting a job.  It is important to know 
your rights under the law, but at the same time it is good to remember that it is up to you to get a given task done, and 
sometimes this means that you have to be innovative and resourceful.  

Jordan, if you want to talk through some of this, there are certainly a number of us locally who would be willing to try to help.  
Even with the law, handling some of this is different than it is while you are in school.

Best regards,

Steve Jacobson

-----Original Message-----
>From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jordan
>Richardson
>Sent: Wednesday, September 04, 2013 2:30 PM
>To: Blind Law Mailing List
>Subject: [blindlaw] "Reasonable Accommodations"

>Hi everybody!

>When are employers obligated to provide Braille as a reasonable
>accommodation?  Is it only where electronic is not possible?  Does the
>employer make the arrangements or do I?

>Thanks,
>Jordan Richardson 

>Sent from my iPad
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