Description
If you have a disability and you’re trying to navigate workplace accommodations, you’ve probably noticed: the system expects you to know things nobody taught you. What you’re entitled to under the ADA. What counts as “reasonable.” What documentation you need. How to write the request. Who to send it to. What happens after you send it. What to do if it gets denied or ignored. How to navigate without creating risk for your job. This workbook covers all of it — practical guidance, worksheets, decision frameworks, and five letter templates from your initial request through follow-up to appeal and (if needed) EEOC complaint. Written for you, not for HR, not for your employer’s lawyers. You.
What’s Inside
The Workplace Accommodation Request Workbook is 51 pages organized into 12 sections:
- The ADA at Work: What You’re Entitled To — coverage, definitions, reasonable accommodations, what’s NOT required, the interactive process
- Self-Assessment: What Accommodations Do You Need? — a worksheet mapping barriers to specific accommodations, plus questions to think through
- Common Accommodations by Disability Type — reference guide across 9 categories (mental health, chronic illness, autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, physical/mobility, hearing, vision, chronic pain)
- The Disclosure Decision — disclosure levels, who to disclose to, decision worksheet, common fears addressed honestly
- Documentation: What You Need and How to Get It — what employers can ask for, what your doctor’s letter should include, a template for coaching your doctor
- The Formal Request Process — step-by-step with realistic timing expectations, plus a request tracking log
-  Request Letter Templates — five templates: initial request, follow-up if no response, response to denial, escalation to senior leadership, EEOC reference letter
- The Interactive Process: Working with HR — what good-faith engagement looks like, red flags, how to navigate the conversations
- What to Do If Your Request Is Denied — common reasons for denial and how to respond, options after denial
- Retaliation Protections and Red Flags — what counts as retaliation, what doesn’t, documentation that protects you
- Documentation and Record-Keeping — what to save, where, for how long
- Beyond Formal Accommodations — informal strategies, free resources (JAN, EEOC, P&A agencies), federal employee guidance
This Workplace Accommodation Request Workbook Is For…
- Adults with disabilities already employed who need accommodations
- Adults with disabilities preparing to request accommodations for the first time
- Adults with disabilities whose previous accommodation requests have been denied or ignored
- Adults with disabilities considering disclosing for the first time at work
- Workers with chronic conditions, mental health conditions, learning disabilities, or any other ADA-covered disability
- Workers in private-sector, public-sector, or nonprofit employment
- Newly diagnosed adults figuring out how disability affects their work life
Written For You — Not HR
This workbook is written for the person making the accommodation request — not for HR, not for your employer’s lawyers, not for the system. The strategies, templates, and frameworks are designed to help you advocate effectively, with realistic expectations and honest acknowledgment of the risks. Empowering but realistic. Educational without pretending to be legal advice.
What This Workplace Accommodation Request Workbook Is NOT
- Not legal advice (it’s educational; for legal advice consult an employment attorney)
- Not a guarantee of any specific outcome
- Not a substitute for consulting JAN (Job Accommodation Network — free, federally funded)
- Not coverage of federal employee processes (similar but distinct; pointers in Section 12)
The Bottom Line
You have the right to access. You also have the responsibility to ask for it. Most of the time, asking well gets you what you need. This workbook helps you ask well.
$24 — instant PDF download.
