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That’s a pretty reasonable accommodation. If you telecommute from a virtual office, an electronic lift with the conveyor belt table in your home might work. Might not. That doesn’t make it unreasonable, just impractical and maybe impossible.

So nobody in Congress, the EEOC, the state compliance offices, an employer lawyers’ office, or a library knows. Except you and me. We’re absolutely certain of what reasonable accommodation means. It means, “I can do it. You can adjust.”

We don’t ask, and we don’t check. We don’t beg, and we don’t apologize. We just “J.D., C.P.C.” (Do 1) through this little boogaloo break-dance and ignore any objections.

Defining a reasonable accommodation is a little out of your line. Doing so is the offeror’s problem, and she’d better be right. If not, she’ll know the definition of a relentless accusation.

What to Do if You’re Not Accommodated

Let’s assume you’ve had your I.I. and you really want to work in that systems analyst gig. It will be as a virtual employee (doable in our scenario). The offeror doesn’t seem to know how to handle this because you’d be the only telecommuter.

Follow me to your keyboard and we write:

Dear Ellen,

It was a pleasure meeting you this afternoon and discussing Dont-getit’s need for a systems analyst.

I am looking forward to starting immediately from home and just need that conveyor belt and lift. If you like, just deduct the cost from my first two weeks’ pay and you can reimburse me in 30 days if everything works out.

This should ensure your compliance with the ADA.

Please give me a call as soon as you receive this letter so we can finalize my compensation and arrange for me to start.

I’m really excited about working with you!

Thanks for your consideration.

Very truly yours,

Larry

You can’t legally be required to pay for a reasonable accommodation unless it’s a hardship on the employer. But there’s no law against offering.

It has such a nice ring to it—like, “Checkmate!”

Use the ADA as the Disabled’s Device for an Interview

Citations to the law and cases are all you need. You can find books with them at your local library. Or look in the Yellow Pages under “Attorneys—Employment Law” and call someone who offers a free phone consultation (Do 44). Mentioning the ADA is just another device we use to get so-called disabled instant interviewers undisabled.

You’re not in this Do because you want to sue anyone. You’re not interested in retribution. You’re interested in contribution. You want to work now and you will interview and get hired like anyone else.

Don’t get in your own way. Don’t disable yourself. Truly you’re the only one who will if you don’t devise with the device.

Why I’m Telling You

An unwritten “You Can’t” sign doesn’t mean what it says any more than a help-wanted ad or an offeror does. Don’t accept self-imposed rules blindly because rules take on a life of their own. They go from artificial ideas to absolute restrictions.

Rules restrict. Life begs to be lived fully.

Interview Insight

We have a wonderful home over a lake in the mountains. We call the area “Beverly’s Hill” (named for its famous resident). I’m writing to you from there as we speak. When we arrived, we thought the nursery had delivered a potted plant at the top of the stairs.

The plant turned out to be an ailanthus “tree of heaven” that had grown from under the carport. It only knew to grow through the planks right in front of the steps that led down to our front door. We left it there because it was so naturally beautiful with its yellow flowers. It also caused passersby on our mountain road to do a double-take—reason enough to leave it.

It just naturally followed the sun. You can too.

The Beatles sang, “For tomorrow may rain, so I’ll follow the sun.”

Think about that song when you’re instanting. Sunlight is everywhere. Yet too many jobseekers think they’re walking (or wheeling) around