If you are a job applicant that is applying for a vacant position at the University of Texas at Austin and you believe you need an accommodation because of a disability, please complete and submit the Applicant Reasonable Accommodation Request Form online or call the Human Resource Service Center at 512-471-4772 or 1-800-687-4178.

Modifications to Application Process

Applicants with disabilities may request accommodations in the hiring process or application itself – such as a modification in the manner in which an application is filed. Applicants are responsible for making specific requests so that the University can provide reasonable accommodations. Applicants must make these requests in advance; the University will not make retroactive accommodations. Human Resource personnel reserve the right to consult with the University ADA Coordinators if an applicant has a non-obvious disability for which he or she is requesting an accommodation, or if the request is complex in nature. Applicants may be asked to provide supporting documentation for requests that are complex in nature or pertain to testing accommodations.

Accommodations during the Interview/Hiring Process

Applicants with disabilities can request accommodations for a scheduled interview. Applicants are responsible for making specific requests so that the University can provide reasonable accommodations. Applicants must make these requests in advance either orally or in writing by submitting the Applicant Reasonable Accommodation Request Form online. Someone else can make a request for accommodation on the applicant’s behalf (e.g., a family member, friend, health professional, or another representative, such as a job coach).

Skill-Based Application Tests

In the event an applicant with a disability applies for a position that requires all applicants to complete a test(s) that measures certain skills, he or she can request testing accommodations. If the test is a requirement of the application process, the test-taker with a disability will not be granted a “test exemption.” If an applicant’s disability and need for accommodation are not obvious, the University ADA Coordinators may ask for reasonable documentation explaining the disability and why an accommodation is needed.

The ADA requires that employers give application tests in a format or manner that does not require the use of your impaired skill unless the test is designed to measure that skill. As an example, an employer gives a written test for a proofreading position. The employer does not have to offer this test in a different format (e.g., orally) to an applicant who has dyslexia because the job itself requires an ability to read. Furthermore, if all test-takers must obtain a certain “passing score,” so must the test-taker with a disability.

Examples of testing accommodation include:

• Testing in a private room
• Providing extended time
• Providing instructions/test in large or bold print
• Providing magnification
• Use of a computer with screen readers (voice output)
• Use of scratch paper
• Allowing breaks

The test-taker with a disability may need accommodation to help meet the standard, but the standard does not have to be lowered, changed, or altered. In most cases, the University is unable to approve accommodations such as an alternative format or extended time without documentation from a licensed healthcare provider supporting a diagnosis of disability (e.g., dyslexia) that would warrant such.