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              Accommodation Request Procedures for Employees
The following procedures should be followed in processing reasonable accommodation requests from employees. The agency
EEO/AA Officer and/or the ADA Coordinator can provide guidance on the accommodation process.
1. The employee shall submit a completed reasonable accommodation request form to his or her immediate supervisor and
give a copy of the form to the agency EEO/AA Officer and/or the ADA Coordinator. The employee should retain a copy of
this information in his or her files.
2. Once received, the supervisor shall review the request form for completeness and, in consultation with the EEO/AA Officer
and/or the ADA Coordinator, determine whether medical documentation is needed to either establish the presence of a
disability or determine an appropriate accommodation. If documentation is needed, the agency should narrowly tailor its
request to the issues of whether the employee has a disability under the law and how he or she can be accommodated.
The employee should be asked to complete a medical release form (also narrowly tailored), if the agency has additional
questions upon review of the medical documentation. When necessary, the employee should be asked to provide
documentation to address these issues.
3. Upon receipt of necessary documentation, the supervisor shall make a recommendation, in writing, to the Division Manager
within five (5) working days.
4. The Division manager shall review the supervisor’s recommendation and make a recommendation to the Reasonable
Accommodation Committee (RAC) within five (5) working days of receipt of the supervisor’s recommendation. The Division
Manager shall forward his/her recommendation along with the original reasonable accommodation request form and all
documentation to the agency’s EEO/AA Officer and/or the ADA Coordinator.
5. The EEO/AA Officer and/or the ADA Coordinator shall convene a meeting of the Reasonable Accommodation Committee
within ten (10) working days of receipt of the Division Manager’s recommendation. The RAC shall review the
accommodation request. Once the Committee’s review is complete, the Committee’s recommendation shall be submitted
to the Director within five (5) working days of the Committee’s review for the Director’s approval or denial.
6. The Director shall review the RAC’s recommendation and shall render a decision of denial or approval within five (5)
working days of receipt from the RAC.
7. Provided that appropriate documentation has been submitted, the EEO/AA Officer and/or the ADA Coordinator shall inform
the employee in writing of the agency’s decision to grant or deny the request within thirty (30) working days of receipt of the
completed request form and any necessary medical documentation. A copy of the response will also be sent to the
supervisor.
8. If the Director approves the accommodation request, the agency shall take appropriate action to comply with the
accommodation request. Approved accommodation requests shall be implemented as soon as possible. Please note that
the agency may offer alternative suggestions providing an equally effective accommodation to remove the workplace
barrier in question.
9. Reconsideration: If an employee wishes to ask the Director to reconsider a decision on a reasonable accommodation
request, a written request shall be addressed to the Director within ten (10) working days of notification of the decision.
The reconsideration request shall include the reasons that a reconsideration is being requested and, if appropriate,
alternative suggestions for reasonable accommodation. After a complete review of the matter, a decision shall be made
and the employee shall be notified. The Director’s decision on this recommendation shall constitute the final internal action
by the Department on the accommodation request.
10. An employee who has been denied accommodation has the right to file a complaint at the state level with the Illinois
Department of Human Rights within 180 days of the denial of the request. An employee may also have the right to file a
complaint with the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) within 300 days.
11. The EEO/AA Officer and/or the ADA Coordinator shall document any action taken on a reasonable accommodation request
where indicated on the request form and shall retain completed accommodation request forms one year following final
action in the matter.
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