The National Science Foundation (NSF) is dedicated to enhancing its recruitment, promotion, and retention of qualified persons with disabilities by providing the information and resources necessary to support them and to accomplish NSF's mission. To implement the requirements of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, NSF is committed to providing timely and effective reasonable accommodations to known physical or mental limitations of individuals (employees and job applicants) who meet the statutory definition of a qualified individual with a disability, unless to do so would cause undue hardship to the Agency.

Employers are required to make workplace accommodations for qualified individuals with a disability if requested and appropriate. Reasonable accommodations can be provided for job duties and/or where and how job tasks are performed. A reasonable accommodation should make it easier for the employee to successfully perform the essential duties of a position.

The purpose of this manual is to present NSF's policy and procedures on processing reasonable accommodations for employees and applicants. These procedures were developed in compliance with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidance and the NSF policy and procedures on reasonable accommodations.

Reasonable Accommodation Policy and Procedures