Navigating Complex Reasonable Accommodation Issues

Presentation Description:

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is the leading source of free, expert,on-one practical guidance and technical assistance on job accommodation solutions, Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and related legislation, and self-employment and entrepreneurship options for people with disabilities.  For more information about JAN, visit askjan.org.

For October’s training, JAN Lead Consultant, Lisa D Mathess, SHRM-CP, CLMS, will lead attendees through some of the most complex reasonable accommodation challenges HR professionals and managers face in the ADA interactive process.

Upon completion of this presentation, participants will understand their employer’s rights and responsibilities related to the following complex reasonable accommodation issues:

•   telework as a reasonable accommodation;

•   intermittent, unpredictable, and extended leave;

•   insufficient or unclear medical documentation;

•   light duty as a reasonable accommodation;

•   work comp injuries, FMLA, and ADA;

•   fitness-for-duty examinations; and

•   analyzing undue hardship and direct threat

About Our Presenter:

Lisa Mathess
Lead Consultant — ADA Specialist

Lisa Mathess is a Lead Consultant and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Specialist for the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), the leading national source of expert guidance on workplace accommodation and disability employment issues. Lisa is a senior member of the JAN team and has served in a consulting role since 2011.

As the lead member of the Motor Team, Lisa provides expert-level consultation to assist employers and individuals with disabilities with understanding their rights and responsibilities under the ADA, and in identifying accommodation solutions for individuals with various medical impairments, with an emphasis on motor impairments. As an ADA specialist, Lisa consults with employers, human resources, and legal professionals nationally on ADA compliance issues and engaging in the interactive accommodation process. She works with employers to create inclusive policies and procedures to onboard and advance career opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

Lisa writes for JAN on ADA and accommodation topics, presents on ADA and accommodation issues at various national conferences, and provides customized training to JAN audiences and advocacy groups.

Lisa earned a Master of Arts degree in Communication Studies and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from West Virginia University. She continues to further her education and maintain credentials by earning CEUs for various certifications, such as the Assistive Technology Applications Certificate Program (ATACP), Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP), and the Disability Management Employer Coalition (DMEC) Certified Leave Management Specialist (CLMS).