DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers

Personal Assistance Services Frequently Asked Questions 

Personal Assistance Services 

Personal Assistance Services (PAS) means “assistance with performing activities of daily living 

that an individual would typically perform if he or she did not have a disability, and that is not 

otherwise required as a reasonable accommodation, including, for example, assistance with 

removing and putting on clothing, eating, and using the restroom.” Someone providing PAS 

might push a wheelchair or assist someone with getting into or out of a vehicle at the worksite. 

Q: Who may request a PAS? 

A: The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) is only required to provide PAS to 

an individual if: 

 

1. The individual is an employee of the agency;

2. The individual has a targeted disability;

3. The individual requires the services because of his or her targeted disability;

4. The individual will be able to perform the essential functions of the job, without posing a

direct threat to safety, once PAS and any required reasonable accommodations have been

provided; and

5. Providing PAS will not impose undue hardship on the agency.

 

Q: What is a Targeted Disability? 

A: Targeted disabilities are a subset of conditions that would be considered disabilities under the 

Rehabilitation Act. The federal government has recognized that qualified individuals with 

certain disabilities face significant barriers to employment, which for some people may include 

lack of access to PAS in the workplace, that are above and beyond the barriers faced by people 

with the broader range of disabilities. The federal government calls these “targeted disabilities.” 

Note, however, that not everyone with a targeted disability will be entitled to PAS under the new 

regulations, because only some individuals with targeted disabilities require assistance with 

basic activities like eating and using the restroom. Medical conditions that are more likely to

result in the need for PAS include, for example, missing limbs or paralysis due to spinal cord 

injury. 

Q: Can I receive a PAS to commute to work? 

A: No. FLETC is only required to provide PAS when the individual is working or on workrelated travel. 

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Q: Does a PAS include medical services? 

A: No. PAS do not include, for example, performing medical procedures (e.g., administering 

shots) or medical monitoring (e.g., monitoring blood pressure). 

 

Q: Does a PAS help an individual perform their job functions? 

A: No. PAS allow individuals to perform activities of daily living that an individual would 

typically perform if he or she did not have a disability. PAS do not help individuals with 

disabilities perform their specific job functions, such as reviewing documents or answering 

questions that come through a call-in center. PAS differ from services that help an individual to 

perform job-related tasks, such as sign language interpreters who enable individuals who are 

deaf to communicate with coworkers, and readers who enable individuals who are blind or have 

learning disabilities to read printed text. Those services are required as reasonable 

accommodations, if the individual needs them because of a disability and providing them does 

not impose undue hardship on the agency. An agency’s obligation to provide reasonable 

accommodations is unaffected by the new regulations. 

Q: How do I request a PAS? 

A: Individuals request a PAS exactly the same way one requests a reasonable accommodation 

and the PAS procedure is exactly the same as the procedure for reasonable accommodations. 

Requests do not need to mention Section 501 or the Equal Employment Opportunity 

Commission’s (EEOC) regulations explicitly, or use terms such as “PAS” or “affirmative 

action” to trigger the agency’s obligation to consider the request. 

 

Q: Can my request for a PAS be denied? 

A: Yes. The FLETC is only required to provide PAS if the requesting employee is entitled to 

them under the regulations. Therefore, FLETC may deny a request for PAS if: 

 

1. The requestor is not an employee of the agency;

2. The requestor does not have a targeted disability;

3. The targeted disability does not create a need for PAS;

4. The requester is not able to perform the essential functions of the job, even with PAS and

any reasonable accommodations;

5. The requester would create a direct threat to safety on the job, even with PAS and any

reasonable accommodations; or

6. Providing PAS would impose undue hardship on the agency.

Q: Is my information confidential? 

A: Yes, as per the FLETC’s reasonable accommodation procedures. 

For any questions regarding PAS procedures, please contact the FLETC EEO Office at 

912-267-3316.

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