Accommodations Personal To Employee Are Not Reasonable

Although the list of special devices that an employer may need to provide or supply in making a reasonable accommodation is extensive, the employer's obligation extends to only those devices that are job-related. The EEOC in its Interpretive Guidance on the ADA has described ''job related'' as meaning that which ''specifically assists the individual in performing the duties of a particular job.'' An employer's obligation does not encompass providing equipment or devices that are primarily for the personal benefit of an individual with a disability. According to the EEOC, ''if an adjustment or modification assists the individual throughout his or her daily activities, on and off the job, it will be considered a personal item that the employer is not required to provide.'' Examples of such personal items include: - Hearing aides; - Eyeglasses; - Seeing eye dogs; - Wheelchairs; and - Prosthetic limbs.