Accommodations for People with Certain Medical Conditions

The university is aware that some members of our community face a greater risk from COVID-19 than others and encourages faculty, staff, and students who have concerns about their individual circumstances to consider consulting with the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE), Human Resources (HR),or Student Disability Services (SDS) about the process for seeking a reasonable accommodation.

Workplace Accommodations

The university has implemented a number of preventative measures to facilitate the safe return to in-person operations. The Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) continues working with faculty/staff on a case-by-case basis to explore necessary accommodations. If you have questions about a certain medical condition, talk to your healthcare provider about how best to manage your condition and protect yourself from COVID-19.

Individuals with a documented disability or who are immunocompromised may request a workplace accommodation that will allow them to return safely to their work environment or make other appropriate arrangements.

If you wish to seek a workplace accommodation, you should contact the Office of Institutional Equity. The OIE will facilitate the review and will follow the usual disability accommodations process, with confidential information being held by OIE only. The OIE will work with the department and Central/Divisional HR to ensure equity across the university. Note that additional documentation from the affiliate’s medical record may be required.

If you are providing care for a vulnerable family member (spouse, domestic partner, son, daughter, or parent) who has a serious health condition, you may be eligible to apply for Family Medical Leave (FMLA).

More information for faculty, staff, and postdoctoral fellows on the accommodations process may be found on the OIE website or accessibility.jhu.edu, or by phone (410-516-8075) or email (oie@jhu.edu  or OIEdisability@jhu.edu).

Students should contact the Student Disability Services Coordinator at their respective school to begin the process. In addition, as always, anyone with a documented disability or who needs a religious accommodation, pregnancy or nursing parent adjustment may pursue accommodations as well.

Confidentiality Expectations

Employees who express concerns regarding their own health condition do not need to disclose the details of the health condition to their supervisor or co-workers. They may need to disclose this information to OIE, however, if they are seeking an accommodation. In addition, department chairs/heads or managers should not seek details when an employee indicates the potential need for an accommodation. OIE will follow HIPAA and other confidentiality guidelines related to private health information when reviewing requests for accommodation.