Last updated: February 2, 2026
Overview
Whether you supervise faculty, staff or student employees, UW managers play an instrumental role in the accommodation process. You are often the first person an employee notifies that they might be in need of a disability accommodation.
While you don’t need to be an expert in accommodation, it’s essential for you to be familiar with the University’s disability accommodation policy and know how to respond when an employee brings a concern to your attention. Your openness and support can make a big difference, guiding employees to the right resources when they need them.
Key concept
A “reasonable accommodation” is a modification or adjustment made to a work environment, task or procedure that enables an employee with a temporary or ongoing disability to perform the essential functions of their job. Changing “the way things are usually done” in the workplace allows employees with a disability to perform all the essential functions of the job and have an equal opportunity to be successful.
Taking action on employee accommodation requests or questions
When an employee reaches out about accommodations:
- Listen attentively and respond with empathy to their concerns.
- Do not ask questions about their medical condition or disability.
- Share the DSO’s Disability Accommodation for UW Employees webpage with your employee via email and copy the applicable accommodation consultant listed in the table below.
- Familiarize yourself with the UW‘s disability accommodation process by watching the on-demand training, Disability Accommodation: The Manager’s Role.
Determining your designated UW accommodations specialist
| Requesting employee | Assigned UW accommodation specialist | How to reach them |
|---|---|---|
| Faculty | Disability Services Office (DSO) | Email dso@uw.edu or call (206) 543-6450 |
| Medical Centers staff | Your assigned Medical Center's leave and accommodation specialist | Select "UW Medical Human Resources - Leave Management" from contact us or call 206-598-6116 |
| UW Facilities staff | UW Facilities HR managers | UW Facilities Partner Resources |
| All other employees, including student employees | Your unit's UWHR leave and accommodation specialist | Find your campus leave and accommodation specialist |
Roles and responsibilities
A successful accommodation process requires shared responsibility:
Employees
- Initiate the request and participate in good faith
- Provide timely documentation and information about how their condition impacts their work
- Attend scheduled meetings and communicate openly about their needs and how they might be met
- Monitor the effectiveness of accommodations and inform their manager if their needs change
Leave and Accommodation Teams / Disability Services Office (DSO)
- Facilitate the interactive process of needs and possible solutions
- Coordinate communication between the employee and department
- Maintain confidentiality of medical information and advise on reasonable accommodations
Employing Unit (Manager/Department)
- Promptly refer requests to the Leave and Accommodations Team or DSO if an employee discloses a need for accommodation
- Contribute information about the essential job functions, workplace environment and operational needs of the unit
- Participate in good faith working in partnership with Leave & Accommodation/DSO to identify viable options
- Must not deny or alter an accommodation request without first consulting with Leave & Accommodation or DSO
- Maintain easonable accommodation information may only be shared on a need-to-know basis, will never go in a personnel file, and will not be shared with coworkers. Co-workers who may need to do something differently as a result of an accommodation may be told of the change but not the reasons why the change was made.
- Implement approved accommodations in collaboration with the employee and the Leave and Accommodations Team /.
- Monitor implemented accommodation(s) to make sure they remain effective for the employee.
Resources
- Disability accommodation policy and procedure
- Disability accommodation for UW employees
- Manager’s role in disability accommodation one sheet (PDF)