Opinion ID: 4104203
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Request for an Accommodation

Text: In addition to notifying the employer of a disability, an employee must inform the employer of limitations arising from the disability and request an accommodation. Gantt, 143 F.3d at 1046–47. An employee must affirmatively request an accommodation because many disabled people do not need an accommodation, and the employee is in the best position to know how the disability impacts their work. Furthermore, the ADA generally prohibits employers from inquiring about a disability’s severity. See 42 U.S.C. § 12112(d). Thus, “[t]he employer is -8- Case No. 16-5035 Robert Cady v. Remington Arms Co. not required to speculate as to the extent of the employee’s disability or the employee’s need or desire for an accommodation.” Gantt, 143 F.3d at 1046–47. But once an employee notifies the employer of any limitations and requests an accommodation, the employer must discuss the limitations and potential accommodations with the employee. See Kleiber, 485 F.3d at 871; 29 C.F.R. § 1630.2(o)(3). Here, a jury could find that Cady informed Remington that his back problems limited his ability to 1) climb into and out of the semi-truck, and 2) stand for long periods on pavement. Parker’s deposition confirmed that Cady told him that “[h]e was concerned about his back, doing this up and down” and that “he didn’t want to stand on concrete for long periods of time because . . . he felt he was hurting his back.” Furthermore, Parker garnered information regarding Cady’s limitations from Mittelstaedt’s post-meeting call. Thus, Remington’s decision-makers did not need to speculate about limitations arising from Cady’s back problems: Cady told them himself. In addition, Cady told Mittelstaedt that he was willing to continue building the stations, but that he would need to “mix it up” and not work exclusively on the benches. In short, Cady identified specific ways that his back problems limited his ability to build Creform stations and asked to mix up his work tasks. Remington argues that asking to “mix it up” is not a sufficiently specific request for an accommodation. But Cady’s request was specific enough under the ADA to require Remington to inquire further about “the precise limitations resulting from the disability and potential reasonable accommodations that could overcome those limitations.” Kleiber, 485 F.3d at 871 (quoting 29 C.F.R. § 1630.2(o)(3)). Accordingly, a reasonable jury could find that Cady adequately informed Remington of the limitations arising from his back problems and requested an accommodation. -9- Case No. 16-5035 Robert Cady v. Remington Arms Co.