What types of reasonable accommodations may employees with diabetes need?

Some employees may need one or more of the following accommodations:

• a private area to test blood sugar levels or to take insulin

• a place to rest until blood sugar levels become normal breaks to eat or drink, take medication, or test blood sugar levels

• leave for treatment, recuperation, or training on managing diabetes

• modified work schedule or shift change

• allowing a person with diabetic neuropathy (a nerve disorder caused by diabetes) to use a stool.

Although these are some examples of the types of accommodations commonly requested by employees with diabetes, other employees may need different changes or adjustments. Employers should ask the particular employee requesting an accommodation because of his diabetes what he needs that will help him do his job. There also are extensive public and private resources to help employers identify reasonable accommodations. For example, the website for the Job Accommodation Network provides information about many types of accommodations for employees with diabetes.

How does an employer handle safety concerns about applicants and employees with diabetes?

When it comes to safety concerns, an employer should be careful not to act on the basis of myths, fears, or stereotypes about diabetes. Instead, the employer should evaluate each individual on her skills, knowledge, experience and how having diabetes affects her. In other words, an employer should determine whether a specific applicant or employee would pose a "direct threat" or significant risk of substantial harm to himself or others that cannot be reduced or eliminated through reasonable accommodation. This assessment must be based on objective, factual evidence, including the best recent medical evidence and advances to treat and control diabetes.

An employer may ask an employee about his diabetes when it has a reason to believe that the employee may pose a "direct threat" to himself or others. An employer should make sure that its safety concerns are based on objective evidence and not general assumptions.

Not everyone who has diabetes has an ADA-defined disability. Still, it is in an employer's best interest to try to work with employees who have diabetes or are at risk for the disease. The benefits can be increased productivity, decreased absenteeism, and healthier lifestyles. The best advice: Treat each worker as an individual and with respect. And check out the EEOC's new FAQ — you'll find a wealth of information covering a variety of situations.

For information on what you can do to live a healthier life and to help spread diabetes awareness, visit the American Diabetes Association Web site. And become a Diabetes Advocate — get involved in the cause.

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