Leave Administration

An individual with a disability is a person who:

1. has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; or,
2. has a record of such impairment; or,
3. is regarded as having such an impairment.

Three factors are considered to determine whether a person’s impairment substantially limits a major life activity:

1. the nature and the frequency of the impairment;
2. the expected duration of the impairment; and,
3. the permanency or long-term impact of the impairment.

Major Life Activities may include:

Lifting, sleeping, concentrating, breathing, working, eating, walking, standing, reaching, thinking, reading, bending, hearing, seeing, speaking, learning, sitting, caring for self, interacting with others, performing manual tasks, and communicating.

Major life activities may also include:

Major bodily functions including immune, hemic, digestive, bowel, bladder, genitourinary, lymphatic, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, reproductive, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, special sense organs/skin, and normal cell growth.

Temporary, non-chronic impairments of short duration, with little or no long-term or permanent impact, are usually not disabilities. Such impairments may include, but are not limited to, broken limbs, sprained joints, concussions, appendicitis, and influenza.

Qualified Individuals:

A qualified individual is someone who meets the skill, experience, and education requirement of the position held or desired and who can perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodations.

Reasonable Accommodations:

Reasonable accommodations are any modification or accommodation to a job, practice, policy, or the work environment that enables an employee to perform the essential functions of a position without creating undue hardship for the employer and/or posing a direct threat to the health or safety of the individual making the request or others.  

Reasonable accommodations may include, but are not limited to:

• acquiring or modifying equipment or devices;
• providing qualified readers or interpreters;
• modifying work schedules, reassigning to a vacant position; and
• making existing facilities readily accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities.

Interactive Process:

The process for determining if there are reasonable accommodations that can be implemented is called the interactive process. It is an ongoing conversation between an employee and Human Resources (HR) as well as between HR and the employee’s supervisor to determine if there are reasonable accommodations that will enable the employee to complete the essential functions of their job. Documentation of the request and interactive process is required and will be documented by human resources.

Accommodation requests and any supporting documentation related to the determination of the request will be kept separate from the employee personnel file, in the employee's confidential medical file in HR.  Employers informed of an employee's limitations and request for accommodation are prohibited from disclosing such information to other employees and third party individuals with the following limited exceptions:

1. Supervisors may know about necessary restrictions on the work or duties of an employee and any accommodations;
2. First aid and safety personnel may be informed if the disability might require emergency treatment or specific procedures are needed in the case of fire or other evacuation; and,
3. Government officials investigating compliance with the ADA and/or other federal and state laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability may be provided relevant information upon request.

Any applicant or employee who believes he or she had a reasonable accommodation request denied, was discriminated against based on disability, or was retaliated against due to an accommodation request is encouraged to make a complaint with the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance. The Notice of Non-discrimination Policy, including the complaint process, may be found online (refer to University Policy 3.02 / Notice of Nondiscrimination for more information).

Persons with disabilities requesting accommodations in the application or interview process, please notify Human Resources at (316) 978-3065 or email employment@wichita.edu.