Reasonable Accommodation

​Reasonable Accommodation (RA) is any modification or adjustment to a job, the work environment, or in the way things are customarily done, that enables a qualified person with a disability to have equal employment opportunity. RA ensures equal opportunity in the job application, examination, and hiring processes that will enable a qualified applicant or employee with a disability to participate in those processes and perform the essential functions of the job. There are many types of accommodations. Each RA request is unique and must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.​​

Persons with disabilities who need RA for a state civil service examination through the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) can contact CalHR’s Examinations Unit at (866) 844-8671, or via the California Relay Service for the Deaf or Hard of Hearing at (800) 735-2929 from TTY Phones, or at (800) 735-2922 from voice phones.

Persons with disabilities who need RA for an examination conducted by another state department or need RA to perform the essential functions of a state job should contact the RA Coordinator or the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer for the applicable department. Each department is required by federal and state laws to engage in the RA interactive process when a job applicant or employee with a disability identifies a need for an accommodation to participate in a selection process, perform the essential functions of a job, complete required training, or benefit from employer-sponsored events.

• Statewide Model Policy on Reasonable Accommodation (Disability)
• RA Best Practices and FAQ – May 2025
• California Civil Rights Department (CRD) – RA Information
• CRD Sample RA Request Form
• Department of Rehabilitation – Disability Laws and Regulations
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) – RA Enforcement Guidance under Federal Law
• United States Department of Justice – A Guide to Federal Disability Laws
• DGS Procurement Manual – Chapter 2, Topic 2: RA Equipment Acquisition

• CRD COVID-19 Resource and Guidance
• EEOC – What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws EEOC – What You Should Know: Workplace Religious Accommodation

• 2 CCR, Section 11065 (d) (1): Mental Disability Definition
• EEOC: Job Applicants and the ADA
• EEOC: Persons with Intellectual Disabilities in the Workplace and the ADA

• 2 CCR, Section 11069: Interactive Process
• EEOC: Enforcement Guidance on Disability-Related Inquiries and Medical Examinations of Employees under the ADA
• EEOC: Policy Guidance on Executive Order 13164: Establishing Procedures to Facilitate the Provision of Reasonable Accommodation

• CalHR Rule 250
• GC Section 19253: Authority for employee to request voluntary demotion to vacant position
• GC Section 19253.5 (c) and (d): Authority to medically demote or transfer employee
• GC Section 19253.5 (h): Reinstatement Rights

• 2 CCR, Section 11065: Assistive Animal Definition
• 2 CCR, Section 11069: Interactive Process
• U.S. Department of Justice: Service Animals
• U.S. Department of Justice: Service Animals FAQs

• DGS: Management Memo 21-08 – Statewide Telework Policy
• DGS: State Administrative Manual, Section 181: Statewide Telework Policy
• EEOC: Work at Home/Telework as a Reasonable Accommodation

The RA Roundtable provides a forum for California state government RA professionals, e.g., RA Coordinators and EEO Officers. Participants engage in a solution-focused dialogue regarding RA challenges and contribute toward advancing equal employment opportunity for state employees with disabilities.

Please contact Civil.Rights@calhr.ca.gov to be included on the RA Roundtable mailing list.

We are hosting two RA Roundtable sessions in December, which will have the same topic and presentation. You may register for one of the two sessions through the link below:

December 11, 2025, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (Session 1)

December 16, 2025, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (Session 2)

• California Fair Employment and Housing Act
• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• Government Code Section 19790
• Government Code Section 18940
• United States Code Title 42, Sections 12111-12117
• California Code of Regulations Title 2, Section 11065
• Government Code Section 12940 et seq.
• Government Code Section 12926, subd. (p)

Civil.Rights@calhr.ca.gov or ​​916-273-8746​​​​.