Employees with 

Learning Disabilities 

Accommodation and Compliance Series
Practical Solutions • Workplace Success 

2 

Preface 

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a service of the Office of Disability 

Employment Policy of the U.S. Department of Labor. JAN makes documents available 

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The information is not intended to be legal or medical advice. If legal or medical advice 

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For further information regarding this or any other document provided by JAN, please 

contact JAN. 

Updated 03/23/10. 
Practical Solutions • Workplace Success 

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JAN’S ACCOMMODATION AND COMPLIANCE SERIES

Introduction

JAN’s Accommodation and Compliance Series is designed to help employers determine 

effective accommodations and comply with Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act 

(ADA). Each publication in the series addresses a specific medical condition and 

provides information about the condition, ADA information, accommodation ideas, and 

resources for additional information. 

The Accommodation and Compliance Series is a starting point in the accommodation 

process and may not address every situation. Accommodations should be made on a 

case by case basis, considering each employee’s individual limitations and 

accommodation needs. Employers are encouraged to contact JAN to discuss specific 

situations in more detail. 

For information on assistive technology and other accommodation ideas, visit JAN's 

Searchable Online Accommodation Resource (SOAR) at http://askjan.org/soar. 

Information about Learning Disabilities 

What are learning disabilities? 

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (2007), learning 

disabilities are disorders that affect the ability to understand or use spoken or written 

language, do mathematical calculations, coordinate movements, or direct attention. 

Although learning disabilities occur in very young children, the disorders are usually not 

recognized until the child reaches school age. Learning disabilities are a lifelong 

condition; they are not outgrown or cured, though many people develop coping 

techniques through special education, tutoring, medication, therapy, personal 

development, or adaptation of learning skills. Approximately 15 million children, 

adolescents, and adults have learning disabilities in the United States (National Center 

for Learning, 2006b). 

What types of learning disabilities are there? 

Learning disabilities can be divided into three broad categories: developmental speech 

and language disorders, academic skills disorders, and other (such as coordination 

disorders). Each category includes more specific disorders, which are described below. 

Specific Learning Disability: A disorder in understanding or in using language, spoken 

or written, which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, write, 

spell or to do mathematical calculations. Included in this category are expressive writing 

disorders and other expressive language disorders. 
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Dyslexia: A person with dyslexia has average to above average intelligence, but has 

deficits in visual, auditory, or motor process, which interfere with reading and reading 

comprehension. The individual may also have difficulties with learning to translate 

printed words into spoken words with ease. 

Dyscalculia: A person with dyscalculia has average to above average intelligence, but 

has difficulty with numbers or remembering facts over a long period of time. Some 

persons have spatial problems and difficulty aligning numbers into proper columns. 

Some persons may reverse numbers, and have difficulty in mathematical operations. 

Dyspraxia: A person with dyspraxia has problems with messages from the brain being 

properly transmitted to the body. Though the muscles are not paralyzed or weak, they 

have problems working well together. Dyspraxia might also cause speech problems, 

poor posture, poor sense of directions, and/or difficulty with actions such as throwing 

and catching. 

Auditory Perceptual Deficit: A person with auditory perceptual deficit has difficulty 

receiving accurate information from the sense of hearing (there is no problem with the 

individual’s hearing, just in how the brain interprets what is heard) and might have 

problems understanding and remembering oral instructions, differentiating between 

similar sounds, or hearing one sound over a background noise.

Visual Perceptual Deficit: The individual has difficulties receiving and/or processing 

accurate information from their sense of sight; might have a problem picking out an 

object from a background of other objects or seeing things in correct order.

What causes learning disabilities? 

Experts have not been able to pinpoint specific medical causes for learning disabilities. 

Learning disabilities are not caused by economic disadvantage, environmental factors 

or cultural differences. In fact, according to the National Center for Learning Disabilities 

(2006a), there is frequently no apparent cause for learning disabilities. However, much 

research points to heredity, problems during the mother’s pregnancy, or incidents after 

birth such as head injuries, nutritional deprivation, and exposure to toxic substances. 

Only qualified professionals who have been trained to identify learning disabilities can 

perform a formal evaluation to diagnose learning disabilities. Such professionals may be 

clinical or educational psychologists, school psychologists, neuro-psychologists, or 

learning disabilities specialists. Adults who suspect they have learning disabilities 

should seek out professionals who have training or direct experience working with and 

evaluating adults with learning disabilities (National Center for Learning, 2006b). To find 

qualified testing and evaluation professionals in any state, visit: 

http://www.ncld.org/resources1/resource-locator. 
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Learning Disabilities and the Americans with Disabilities Act 

Is a learning disability a disability under the ADA? 

The ADA does not contain a list of medical conditions that constitute disabilities. 

Instead, the ADA has a general definition of disability that each person must meet 

(EEOC, 1992). Therefore, some people with learning disabilities will have a disability 

under the ADA and some will not. 

A person has a disability if he/she has a physical or mental impairment that substantially 

limits one or more major life activities, a record of such an impairment, or is regarded as 

having such an impairment (EEOC, 1992). For additional information on the definition of 

disability, go to JAN's Accommodation and Compliance Series: The ADA Amendments 

Act of 2008 of 2008 at http://askjan.org/bulletins/adaaa1.htm. 
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Accommodating Employees with Learning Disabilities 

Note: People with learning disabilities may experience some of the limitations discussed 

below, but seldom experience all of them. Also, the degree of limitation will vary among 

individuals. Be aware that not all people with learning disabilities need accommodations 

to perform their jobs and many others may only need a few accommodations. The 

following is only a sample of the accommodation possibilities available. Numerous other 

accommodation solutions may exist. 

Questions to Consider:

1. What limitations is the employee with the learning disability experiencing? 

2. How do these limitations affect the employee and the employee's job performance? 

3. What specific job tasks are problematic as a result of these limitations? 

4. What accommodations are available to reduce or eliminate these problems? Are all 

possible resources being used to determine possible accommodations? 

5. Has the employee with the learning disability been consulted regarding possible 

accommodations? 

6. Once accommodations are in place, would it be useful to meet with the employee 

with the learning disability to evaluate the effectiveness of the accommodations and 

to determine whether additional accommodations are needed? 

7. Do supervisory personnel and employees need training regarding learning 

disabilities? 

Accommodation Ideas: 

Reading: Employees with learning disabilities may have limitations that make it difficult 

to read text. Because it can be difficult to visually discern letters and numbers, these 

characters may appear jumbled or reversed. Entire words or strings of letters may be 

unrecognizable. 

Reading from a paper copy: 

 Convert text to audio 

 Provide larger print 

 Double space the text of print material 

 Use color overlays (Irlen lenses) to help make the text easier to read 

 Provide materials that are type-written, in a font that is not italicized; if 

handwritten material must be provided, use print, not cursive 

 Have someone read the document aloud to the employee 
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 Scan the documents into a computer and use Optical Character Recognition 

(OCR), which will read the information aloud 

 Use a reading pen, which is a portable device that scans a word and provides 

auditory feedback 

Reading from a computer screen: 

 Use voice output software, also called screen reading software, which highlights 

and reads aloud the information from the computer screen 

 Use form-generating software that computerizes order forms, claim forms, 

applications, equations, and formula fields 

 Use manual or electric line guide to help an employee “keep his/her place” on the 

computer monitor 

 Alter color scheme on computer screen to suit the employee’s visual preferences 

 Adjust the font on computer screen to suit the employee’s visual preferences 

Spelling: Employees with learning disabilities might have difficulty spelling, which can 

manifest itself in letter reversals, letter transposition, omission of letters or words, or 

illegible handwriting.

 Allow use of reference materials such as dictionary or thesaurus 

 Provide electronic and talking dictionaries 

 Use word prediction software that displays a list of words that typically follow the 

word that was entered in a document 

 Use word completion software that displays sample words after someone starts 

typing part of a word 

 Allow buddy, coworker, or supervisor to proofread written material 

Writing: Employees with learning disabilities might have difficulty with the cognitive or 

the physical process of writing. 

Cognitive process of writing: Employees with learning disabilities might have difficulty 

organizing a written project, identifying themes or ideas, structuring sentences or 

paragraphs, or identifying and/or correcting grammar errors. 

 Use Inspiration software, a computerized graphic organizer 

 Use Texthelp Read & Write Gold, a software program assisting with spelling, 

reading, and grammar. 

 Provide electronic/talking dictionaries and spellcheckers 

 Create written forms to prompt the employee for information needed 

 Allow the employee to create a verbal response instead of a written response 

 Permit use of reference books such as a thesaurus or dictionary 
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Physical process of writing: Employees with learning disabilities may have difficulty with 

the physical process of writing. It may be difficult to fill in blanks, bubble in dots, line up 

numbers or words in a column, on a line, or within a margin. Handwriting may be 

illegible. 

 Provide writing aids 

 Use line guides and column guides 

 Supply bold line paper 

 Permit type-written response instead of hand-written response 

 Allow use of personal computers, including Alpha Smart, Palm, tablet PC, and 

Blackberry 

 Use Inspiration software, a computerized graphic organizer 

 Use speech recognition software that recognizes the employee’s voice and 

changes it to text on the computer screen 

Mathematics: An employee with a learning disability could have difficulty recognizing or 

identifying numbers, remembering sequencing of numbers, understanding the 

mathematical sign or function (whether symbol or word) or performing mathematical 

calculations accurately and efficiently. 

 Use scratch paper to work out math problems 

 Permit use of fractional, decimal, statistical, or scientific calculators 

 Provide talking calculator 

 Use calculators or adding machines with large display screens 

 Use construction calculator, such as Jobber 6 

 Provide talking tape measure 

 Use talking scales 

 Use pre-measurement guides or jigs 

 Post mathematical tables at desk or in work area 

Speaking/Communicating: Employees with learning disabilities may have difficulty 

communicating with co-workers or supervisors. For employees with learning disabilities, 

poor communication may be the result of underdeveloped social skills, lack of 

experience/exposure in the workforce, shyness, intimidation, behavior disorders, or low 

self-esteem. 

 To help facilitate communication, provide advance notice of topics to be 

discussed in meeting 

 To reduce or eliminate anxiety, provide advance notice of date of meeting when 

employee is required to speak 

 Allow employee to provide written response in lieu of verbal response 

 To reduce or eliminate the feeling of intimidation, allow employee to have a friend 

or coworker attend meeting 
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Organizational Skills: An employee with a learning disability may have difficulty getting 

organized or staying organized. 

 Help employee reduce clutter in work area 

 Hire a professional organizer or a job coach 

 Use color-code system to label or identify materials 

 Use calendars (paper, electronic, or both) to remind employee of deadlines, 

meetings, and upcoming tasks 

 Build organization skills by attending time management workshops, like those 

offered by Franklin Covey 

 Build organization skills through self-education at sites like mindtools.com 

 Build “catch up” time into work week or work day 

Memory: An employee with a learning disability could have memory deficits that affect 

the ability to recall something that is seen or heard. This may result in an inability to 

recall facts, names, passwords, and telephone numbers, even if such information is 

used regularly. 

 Provide checklists to help employee remember job tasks 

 Use flowchart to describe steps to a complicated task (such as powering up a 

system, closing down the facility, logging into a computer, etc) 

 Safely and securely maintain paper lists of crucial information such as passwords 

 Prompt employee with verbal or written cues 

 Allow employee to use voice activated recorder to record verbal instructions 

 Provide additional training time on new information or tasks 

 Provide refresher training as needed 

Time Management: An employee with a learning disability may have difficulty 

managing time. This can affect the employee’s ability to organize or prioritize tasks, 

adhere to deadlines, maintain productivity standards, or work efficiently. 

 Make to-do lists and check items off as they are completed 

 Use calendars to mark important meetings or deadlines 

 Divide large assignments into smaller tasks and goals 

 Remind employee verbally of important tasks or deadlines 
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Social Skills: Employees with learning disabilities may have difficulty exhibiting 

appropriate social skills on the job. This may be the result of underdeveloped social 

skills, lack of experience/exposure in the workforce, shyness, intimidation, behavior 

disorders, or low self-esteem. This can affect the employee’s ability to adhere to 

conduct standards, work effectively with supervisors, or interact with coworkers or 

customers. 

Behavior on the job: 

 To reduce incidents of inappropriate behavior, thoroughly review conduct policy 

with employee 

 Provide concrete examples to explain inappropriate behavior 

 Provide concrete examples to explain consequences in a disciplinary action 

 To reinforce appropriate behavior, recognize and reward appropriate behavior 

Working effectively with supervisors: 

 Provide detailed day-to-day guidance and feedback 

 Offer positive reinforcement 

 Provide clear expectations and the consequences of not meeting expectations 

 Give assignments verbally, in writing, or both, depending on what would be most 

beneficial to the employee 

 Establish long term and short term goals for employee 

 Adjust supervisory method by modifying the manner in which conversations take 

place, meetings are conducted, or discipline is addressed 

Interacting with co-workers: 

 Provide sensitivity training to promote disability awareness 

 If feasible, allow employee to work from home 

 Help employee “learn the ropes” by provide a mentor 

 Make employee attendance at social functions optional 

 Allow employee to transfer to another workgroup, shift, or department 

Situations and Solutions: 

A new-hire telemarketer had deficits in reading comprehension. He participated in CBT 

(computer-based training), which included watching a customer service tutorial, then 

completing timed quizzes on the computer. To accommodate this employee, the 

employer adjusted the color scheme, resolution, and font size of the computer screen, 

making the appearance of material easier to view. The employee held a ruler to the 

computer screen to “stay on the line” when reading test questions. The employee was 

allowed to watch the tutorial over again, and was given extra time to complete quizzes. 
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A teacher with a learning disability had difficulty spelling words correctly on the 

chalkboard. The employer provided an overhead projector with plenty of blank overhead 

sheets. In advance of class, the teacher wrote words, phrases, or sentences on the 

overhead sheets, which were double-checked by her mentor for accuracy. This helped 

the teacher display correctly-spelled information to her students. 

A researcher in a technology company had expressive writing disorder. The employee’s 

job tasks included gathering information for written reports. To accommodate this 

employee, Inspiration software was provided to help organize, prioritize, and then 

outline the information for reports. The employer also provided a hard copy dictionary 

and thesaurus. 

An employee who works in a manufacturing environment had a learning disability. The 

employee had difficulty remembering task sequences of the job. The supervisor 

provided written instructions, whereby each major task was broken down into smaller, 

sequential sub-parts. Each subpart was color-coded for easy reference (green means 

start, red means stop). 

An employee who had expressive language disorder had difficulty communicating with 

the supervisor. This employee preferred to read communication, then respond in writing. 

The supervisor adjusted the method of supervision, whereby communication with this 

employee occurred through email instead of face to face. 

A building contractor with dyscalculia was inefficient when creating job quotes. To 

ensure the mathematical calculations were accurate, the employee spent extra time 

“figuring” and “double-checking” the numbers. The site supervisor purchased the Jobber 

6 contractor’s calculator to help the employee “figure” fractions, triangles, circles, area 

(and more) efficiently and accurately. 

A clerical worker with auditory processing disorder worked for a large employer where 

different work assignments were handed out daily. To ensure the job assignment was 

accurate, the employee used a voice recorder to capture information about the work 

assignment, such as the job location, the supervisor’s name, and tasks to be completed. 

To refresh his memory, the employee was able to listen to this recorded information 

whenever necessary, sometimes several times each day. 

Products: 

There are numerous products that can be used to accommodate people with limitations. 

JAN's Searchable Online Accommodation Resource (SOAR) at http://askjan.org/soar/ is 

designed to let users explore various accommodation options. Many product vendor 

lists are accessible through this system; however, upon request JAN provides these 

lists and many more that are not available on the Web site. Contact JAN directly if you 

have specific accommodation situations, are looking for products, need vendor 

information, or are seeking a referral. 
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Resources 

Job Accommodation Network 

West Virginia University 

PO Box 6080 

Morgantown, WV 26506-6080 

Toll Free: (800)526-7234 

TTY: (877)781-9403 

Fax: (304)293-5407 

jan@askjan.org 

http://askjan.org 

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a free consulting service that provides 

information about job accommodations, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and 

the employability of people with disabilities. 

Office of Disability Employment Policy 

200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room S-1303 

Washington, DC 20210 

Toll Free: (866)633-7635 

TTY: (877)889-5627 

Fax: (202)693-7888 

http://www.dol.gov/odep/ 

The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) is an agency within the U.S. 

Department of Labor. ODEP provides national leadership to increase employment 

opportunities for adults and youth with disabilities while striving to eliminate barriers to 

employment. 

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association 

2200 Research Blvd 

Rockville, MD 20850 

Toll Free: (800)638-8255 

TTY: (800)498-2071 

actioncenter@asha.org 

http://www.asha.org 

Promotes the interests of, and provide the highest quality services for, professions in 

audiology, speech-language pathology, and speech and hearing science; and an 

advocate for people with communication disabilities. 
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International Dyslexia Association 

40 York Rd., 4th Floor 

Baltimore, MD 21204 

Direct: (410)296-0232 

Fax: (410)321-5069 

http://www.interdys.org 

The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to 

helping individuals with dyslexia, their families, and the communities that support them. 

IDA is the oldest learning disabilities organization in the nation. The mission is to 

provide the most comprehensive forum for parents, educators, and researchers to share 

their experiences, methods, and knowledge. 

Learning Disabilities Association of America 

4156 Library Road 

Pittsburgh, PA 15234-1349 

Toll Free: (888)300-6710 

Direct: (412)341-1515 

Fax: (412)344-0224 

info@Idaamerica.org 

http://www.ldaamerica.org 

LDA is the largest non-profit volunteer organization advocating for individuals with 

learning disabilities. LDA publishes materials on issues of importance to adults with 

learning disabilities on adult literacy, parenting, and special populations. A special 

series of bulletins address civil rights and accommodations in various settings, including 

college, the workplace and the military. 

National Center for Learning Disabilities 

381 Park Ave South 

Suite 1401 

New York, NY 10016 

Toll Free: (888)575-7373 

Direct: (212)545-7510 

Fax: (212)545-9665 

http://www.ncld.org 

The NCLD works to ensure that the nation's 15 million children, adolescents and adults 

with learning disabilities have every opportunity to succeed in school, work, and life. 

NCLD provides essential information to parents, professionals, and individuals with 

learning disabilities, promotes research and programs to foster effective learning and 

advocates for policies to protect and strengthen educational rights and opportunities. 
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National Institute of Child Health and Human Development 

PO Box 3006 

Rockville, MD 20847 

Toll Free: (800)370-2943 

TTY: (888)320-6942 

Fax: (703)738-1473 

NICHDInformationResourceCenter@mail.nih.gov 

http://www.nichd.nih.gov 

The mission of the NICHD is to ensure that every person is born healthy and wanted, 

that women suffer no harmful effects from reproductive processes, and that all children 

have the chance to achieve their full potential for healthy and productive lives, free from 

disease or disability, and to ensure the health, productivity, independence, and wellbeing of all people through optimal rehabilitation. 

National Institute of Mental Health 

Science Writing, Press, and Dissemination Branch 

6001 Executive Blvd, Room 8184, MSC 9663 

Bethesda, MD 20892-9663 

Toll Free: (866)615-6464 

Direct: (301)443-4513 

TTY: (866)415-8051 

Fax: (301)443-4279 

nimhinfo@nih.gov 

http://www.nimh.nih.gov 

NIMH offers a variety of publications and other educational resources to help people 

with mental disorders, the general public, mental health and health care practitioners, 

and researchers gain a better understanding of mental illnesses and the research 

programs of the NIMH. All publications and educational materials are written by science 

writers, in collaboration with NIMH scientists and outside reviewers. 

 
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References 

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (1992). A technical assistance manual on 

the employment provisions (title I) of the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

Retrieved January 13, 2010, from http://askjan.org/links/ADAtam1.html 

National Center for Learning Disabilities. (2006a). Fact sheet: LD at a glance. Retrieved 

January 13, 2010, from http://www.ncld.org/ld-basics/ld-explained/basicfacts/learning-disabilities-at-a-glance 

National Center for Learning Disabilities. (2006b). Fact sheet: Learning Disabilities In 

Adulthood. Retrieved January 13, 2010, from http://www.ncld.org/ld-basics/ldexplained/ld-across-the-lifespan/learning-disabilities-in-adulthood-the-strugglecontinues 

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (2007). NINDS learning 

disabilities information page. Retrieved January 13, 2010, from 

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/learningdisabilities/learningdisabilities.htm 
Practical Solutions • Workplace Success 

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This document was developed by the Job Accommodation Network, funded by a 

contract agreement from the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment 

Policy (DOL079RP20426). The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the 

position or policy of the U.S. Department of Labor. Nor does mention of trade names, 

commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of 

Labor.