REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

Adopted by Spokane Public Library Board of Trustees on March 21, 2017.

1. GENERAL

1.1 The Americans with Disabilities Act and the Washington State Law Against Discrimination require that reasonable accommodation be extended to a qualified individual with a disability if the individual can perform the essential functions of the position held or desired with or without reasonable accommodation. In general, an accommodation is any change in the work environment or in the way in which a job or a process is usually performed that enables an individual with a disability to enjoy equal employment opportunities.

1.2 This policy is divided into the following sections:

• SECTION 1 – GENERAL
• SECTION 2 – STATEMENT OF POLICY
• SECTION 3 – DEFINITIONS
• SECTION 4 – RESPONSIBILITIES

2. STATEMENT OF POLICY

2.1 It is the policy of the Spokane Public Library (the Library) to comply with all federal and state laws concerning the employment of persons with disabilities. The Library will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities in regard to application procedures, hiring, advancement, discharge, compensation, training or other terms, conditions and privileges of employment. The Library will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability so that they can perform the essential functions of a job. An individual who can be reasonably accommodated for a job without undue hardship will be given the same consideration for that position as any other applicant.

2.2 All employees are required to comply with safety standards. Applicants who pose a direct threat to the health or safety of other individuals in the workplace, when the threat cannot be eliminated by reasonable accommodation, will not be hired. Current employees who pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others may be placed on administrative leave until a decision has been made in regard to the employee’s situation.

3. DEFINITIONS

3.1 Disability means a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of the individual; a record of such an impairment; or being regarded as having such an impairment. Major life activities include the following:

• In general – Major life activities include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating and working.
• Major bodily functions – A major life activity also includes the operation of a major bodily function including, but not limited to, functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine and reproductive functions.

3.2 Direct threat means a significant risk to the health or safety of others that cannot be eliminated by reasonable accommodation.

3.3 Qualified individual means an individual who, with or without reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of the employment position that such individual holds or desires.

3.4 Reasonable accommodation may include making existing facilities readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities; job restructuring, part-time or modified work schedules; reassignment to a vacant position; acquisition or modification of equipment or devices; appropriate adjustment or modifications of examinations, training materials or policies; the provision of qualified readers or interpreters; and other similar accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

3.5 Undue hardship means an action requiring significant difficulty or expense by the Library. In determining whether an accommodation would impose an undue hardship, factors to be considered include, but are not limited to:

• The nature and cost of the accommodation.
• The overall financial resources of the facility or facilities involved in the provision of the reasonable accommodation; the number of persons employed at such facility; the effect on expenses and resources or the impact of such accommodation upon the operation of the facility.
• The overall financial resources of the Library; the number, type and location of facilities.
• The type of operations of the employer, including the composition, structure and functions of the workforce; relationship of the particular facility to the employer.

3.6 Essential functions of the job refers to those job activities that are determined by the Library to be essential or core to performing the job; these functions cannot be modified.

4. RESPONSIBILITIES

4.1 The Library’s Human Resources Director is responsible for providing guidance and advice to managers and providing overall administration of this policy including resolution of reasonable accommodation, safety and undue hardship issues. Hiring managers are responsible for providing reasonable accommodation, and will immediately consult with the Human Resources Director whenever an accommodation is indicated or requested by an employee or an applicant.