Fact · Accessibility and health
The EEOC says an employer does not have to provide a reasonable accommodation that imposes an undue hardship, defined as significant difficulty or expense judged against factors such as the employer's size, financial resources and the nature of its operation.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“An employer does not have to provide a reasonable accommodation if it imposes an "undue hardship." Undue hardship is defined as an action requiring significant difficulty or expense when considered in light of factors such as an employer's size, financial resources, and the nature and structure of its operation.”
Fact Sheet: Disability Discrimination, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 1997, Fact Sheet: Disability Discrimination, undue hardship paragraph.
Open the original- What it measures
- Undue hardship is the main limit on the duty to accommodate under the ADA. For low-cost items such as dictation software, JAN's employer survey finds most accommodations cost nothing or a one-time median of a few hundred dollars.
- What it does not show
- Undue hardship is decided case by case. This is the EEOC's summary of the standard, not legal advice.