Employee FAQs

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a civil rights law enacted in 1990 and amended in 2008 that makes it unlawful to discriminate in employment against qualified individuals with disabilities.  An individual meets the ADA definition of a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities and/or limits a major bodily function.  Major life activities include such things as walking, seeing, hearing, speaking or learning.  In addition to those who may have observable disabilities, the definition includes those with a range of non-observable disabilities.

Humboldt provides reasonable accommodations for employees with qualifying disabilities under the ADA as well as other applicable federal or state laws and regulations.  Employees who are interested may email ada@humboldt.edu to request a meeting with the ADA/504 Coordinator in the Campus Disability Resource Center (CDRC) to discuss their specific needs and requested accommodations.

A reasonable accommodation is any modification or adjustment to a job or the work environment that will enable an employee with a disability the opportunity to perform all essential job functions.  Reasonable accommodation also includes adjustments to assure that an individual with a disability has rights and privileges in employment equal to those of employees without disabilities.  Humboldt is not required to make an accommodation if, after review and consideration, it would impose an undue hardship and/or operational burden on the institution.

The Campus Disability Resource Center at Cal Poly Humboldt, in compliance with the ADA, engages in an interactive process with individuals that helps identify functional limitations specific to the workplace which may impact the employee’s ability to perform the essential functions of their job.  This process involves the ADA/504 Coordinator, the employee, their manager and central Human Resources partner and relies on information from the employee’s qualified profession provider. The process is ongoing and results in a formal determination by Humboldt regarding workplace accommodation(s) that becomes the Accommodation Plan.  Effective interactive processes support open dialogue and seek to proactively resolve accommodation concerns as they might arise.  Interactive process for employee accommodations.

If an employee’s disability is not obvious, an employer can ask for medical documentation from a healthcare provider sufficient to confirm the disability and/or condition as well as the need for an accommodation.  Humboldt strongly recommends that all accommodation requests be formalized to ensure a consistent application and approach to accommodations as well as to foster equitable access and inclusiveness for the campus community.

In fact, there are no “informal” accommodations.  For some needs like an accessible mouse or other common office supplies, a work adjustment may occur as would occur with any other employee. 

Although pregnancy itself is not a considered a disability defined under the ADA, some pregnancy related conditions could constitute a temporary disability.  Individuals should consult with the ADA/504 Coordinator (ada@humboldt.edu) if they have specific pregnancy related conditions. 

The most efficient way to resolve a potential concern related to accommodations or accessibility is to proactively communicate those concerns directly to the ADA/504 Coordinator.  If after discussion with the ADA/504 Coordinator, the employee does not feel the concern is resolved, they may appeal in writing to the AVP of Campus Resilience and Response, Cris Koczera.  The Employee Appeal Processes contains information about the appeal process for employees as well as the employee appeals form.  If a grievance is not resolved to the employee’s satisfaction through the appeals procedures, and/or if an employee is alleging harassment or other forms of discrimination based on a disability, they may report information to the Cal Poly Humboldt Title IX and Discrimination, Harassment & Retaliation Prevention Office using the Sexual Misconduct/Discrimination Referral & Report Form.  More information can be found in the CSU Nondiscrimination Policy.  External reports can be made to the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, as well as the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The Campus Disability Resource Center strives to create an inclusive and accessible environment for individuals with disabilities.  Reports of general accessibility concerns should be made via the Campus Accessibility Concern Form.  Reporting Campus Accessibility Concerns contains information about campus accessibility and resources.