The “Art” of Social Work and the ADA's Essential Functions Provision: Challenges and Recommendations

摘要

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 has impacted social work agencies in numerous ways. One important but largely overlooked area of the policy is the essential functions provision, which requires agencies to delineate the principal aspects of the job in question, as well as the characteristics that employees must display to adequately fulfill these job demands. Social work administrators must be aware of the essential components for various positions, as well as the relationship of these job expectations to the policies' reasonable accommodation mandate. Most importantly, employers must understand their hiring and disciplinary decision-making process, and be aware of the extent to which they may make unwarranted presumptions about the negative impact of a disability condition on a particular individual's ability to adequately fulfill the functions of a position.