Sarah is a teacher who has multiple sclerosis. When the temperature is high her disability is aggravated, making it more difficult for her to perform day-to-day activities. In the warmer months her classroom often reaches temperatures over 100 degrees. The school where Sarah works will be getting AC, but the process will take a while. On particularly hot days, students are dismissed from school early due to the temperature inside the school. Sarah, along with her fellow teachers, are expected to stay at school until the usual closing time.

Sarah spoke with the school administration about her health concerns. The administration let Sarah know that she could leave the school early along with the students, but that she would need to use her sick time to do so. Sarah wanted to learn more about her disability rights in the workplace, so she contacted her regional ADA Center. Her regional ADA Center talked her through the reasonable accommodation process. Reasonable accommodations are covered under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA.) A reasonable accommodation is any change to the application or hiring process, the job, or the work environment that allows a person with a disability who is qualified for the job to perform the essential functions of that job and enjoy equal employment opportunities. The regional ADA Center gave her a step-by-step guide on the reasonable accommodation process and suggestions for next steps.

Equipped with this knowledge, Sarah was able to have a productive conversation with her school’s administration and was granted a reasonable accommodation by her employer. Thanks to the ADA and the assistance provided by her regional ADA Center, Sarah is now able to leave school at the same time as students when the temperatures are high, without having to use her sick time!