Disability Accommodations.

Plain-English explanation.

Accommodation disputes often begin with medical restrictions, modified work requests, leave, discipline, or pressure to resign. The strongest analysis usually starts before the legal label. It starts with the timeline, the documents, the people involved, and the consequences. GB Law looks for the facts that show what changed, who made the decision, and whether the record supports the stated reason.

For clients, these matters can affect income, references, discipline, certification, professional standing, and future work. The goal is not to overstate a claim. The goal is to understand whether the facts support a serious legal strategy and whether the matter is a fit for direct attorney attention.

Does this sound familiar?

• You disclosed a medical condition and requested a schedule change, telework, modified duties, or extended leave.
• Your employer refused without exploring alternatives or asking for more information.
• You were told there was no light duty or modified work, but other employees received it.
• You were forced to take leave instead of being accommodated to keep working.
• Medical information you disclosed was shared with people who did not need to know.
• Discipline or termination followed your accommodation request.
• You returned from leave to a worse position, schedule, or assignment.

What the law may protect.

The ADA prohibits disability discrimination in employment by employers with 15 or more employees. The Illinois Human Rights Act applies to employers with one or more employees and provides parallel protections. The ADA Amendments Act broadened the definition of disability to include conditions like cancer, diabetes, depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, and chronic pain. Remedies include reinstatement, back pay, compensatory damages, punitive damages, and attorney fees.

Different deadlines and procedures can apply depending on whether the matter involves a private employer, public employer, agency proceeding, wage claim, constitutional claim, or administrative decision. That is why early review matters.

What evidence should you save?

1. Medical records documenting the condition and its impact on major life activities.
2. The written accommodation request and the employer's response.
3. FMLA paperwork or short-term and long-term disability claims.
4. Performance reviews from before and after disclosure.
5. Emails or texts discussing the condition or the accommodation request.
6. Witness names from coworkers who can confirm the disability or the conduct.
7. A dated timeline from disclosure through any adverse action.

Deadlines to know.

EEOC charges must be filed within 300 days in Illinois. IDHR charges have a 300-day deadline. The state-law disability claims under the IHRA can sometimes proceed without an EEOC charge. Disability discrimination claims accrue at the time of the adverse action, not the time of the initial disclosure.

Questions people ask.