REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

A reasonable accommodation is an adjustment made in a system to accommodate or make fair

the same system for an individual based on a proven need. That need can vary.
Accommodations can be religious, physical, mental or emotional, academic, or employment
related and are often mandated by law. Each country has its own system of reasonable
accommodations. The United Nations use this term in the Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities, saying refusal to make accommodation results in discrimination. It defines a
"reasonable accommodation" as:
... necessary and appropriate modification and adjustments not imposing a disproportionate or
undue burden, where needed in a particular case, to ensure to persons with disabilities the
enjoyment or exercise on an equal basis with others of all human rights and fundamental
freedoms.
Reasonable accommodations are adjustments or modifications that enable people with
disabilities to perform the essential functions of a job efficiently and productively. In this way,
they are important retention and advancement tools. Reasonable accommodations may also be
necessary to assist a person with a disability to apply and interview for a job.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION in Education

Article 2 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities defines reasonable
accommodation as “necessary and appropriate modification and adjustments not imposing a
disproportionate or undue burden, where needed in a particular case, to ensure to persons with
disabilities the enjoyment or exercise on an equal basis with others of all human rights and
fundamental freedoms.”With respect to the right to education, reasonable accommodation
means ensuring the specific support needs of learners with disabilities are provided for so that
they are able to equitably participate in learning alongside their peers.

The UN CRPD General Comment 4 states that “Reasonableness” is understood as the result of
an objective test that involves an analysis of the availability of resources, as well as the
relevance of the accommodation, and the expected goal of countering discrimination.” What is
reasonable is determined on a case-by-case basis by weighing up a number of considerations
against the right to equitable education without discrimination. Specific accommodations must
cater to the needs of individual learners. There is no “one size fits all” formula to reasonable
accommodation.

Some examples of accommodations for learners are:

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● changing the location of a class,
● adaptations to the curriculum,
● adjusting LTSM, for example enlarging print, providing handouts in Braille etc.
● providing assistive devices,
● accommodations for assessment.

Why Do We Need Reasonable Accommodation?

Every child has an equal right to quality basic education as guaranteed in the South African
Constitution. This means ALL children should be able to participate on an equal basis with their
peers in order to reach their full learning potential. Some learners may require additional
accommodations to participate equitably. The right to education within an inclusive education
system such as we have in South Africa, means that children with disabilities have the right to
attend their local ordinary school and receive the necessary support to learn. Segregation of
learners with disabilities into special schools should be seen as the exception and not the rule.
Separating children in education promotes exclusion and is not conducive to the respect,
acceptance and tolerance that broader societal inclusion brings.

Accommodations vary depending upon the nature of the job and the needs of the individual
applicant or employee. Not all people with disabilities (or even all people with the same
disability) will require the same accommodation or any accommodation. Furthermore, research
by the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) indicates that more than half of accommodations
cost nothing at all.

A best practice related to accommodations is the establishment of a centralized accommodation

program (CAP), which consolidates in a single office or location subject matter expertise
necessary to assess, evaluate and select effective and meaningful accommodations. A CAP may
also consolidate funding streams for some or all accommodations at a level removed from the
department or unit in which the individual is working.

Reasonable accommodations may include, but are not limited to:

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 Job restructuring such as altering when and/or how an essential function of a job is
performed or reallocating marginal job functions that an employee is unable to perform
because of a disability.

 Modifying work schedules to allow an employee with a disability to attend to matters related
to treating the disability such as medical appointments or medication schedules.

 Acquiring or modifying equipment or devices such as adjusting a desk height to

accommodate an employee who uses a wheelchair or providing an employee with
quadriplegia a mouth stick device to type on their computer.

 Adjusting or modifying tests and training materials (for example, providing materials in
alternate formats, such as braille, CD or large print).

 Providing assistive technology or devices such as computer screen readers for employees
with visual impairments or a specific telephone that is compatible with an employee’s
hearing aid (this does not include personal assistive devices such as hearing aids or
prosthetics).

 Reassigning an employee with a disability to a vacant position for which he or she is

qualified when no longer able to perform the essential functions of the current job with or
without reasonable accommodations. This accommodation is available only for incumbent
workers.