NIH Reasonable Accommodation Consultants (RAC) work closely with employees and supervisors to identify which ADL require support. This includes assistance with ADL that an individual would typically perform if not for a disability.

WHAT: Examples of ADL support may include, but are not limited to: eating, drinking, dressing, toileting, transferring, and walking. This support is intended to ensure that an employee has the opportunity to fully contribute to the NIH mission.

WHERE: PAS can be provided in various settings, including the workplace, public spaces, private residences, and during travel. The specific location will depend on the employee’s needs and the context in which PAS is required.

WHEN: PAS can be provided upon request for certain employees with targeted disabilities who require non-medical and non-work task personal assistance unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the NIH. This might include PAS that is used daily or for a single day to support a specific event. See additional scenarios below.

WHO: Employees with targeted disabilities defined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) include:

• Developmental disabilities, for example, cerebral palsy or autism spectrum disorder, or traumatic brain injuries.
• Deafness or serious difficulty hearing, benefiting from, for example, American Sign Language.
• Blindness or serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses.
• Missing extremities (arm, leg, hand, and/or foot).
• Significant mobility impairments, benefitting from the utilization of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s), and/or other supports.
• Partial or complete paralysis (any cause).
• Epilepsy and other seizure disorders.
• Intellectual disabilities (formerly described as mental retardation).

The following situations and solutions are real-life examples of PAS provided to NIH employees. The person providing PAS is a personal assistant (PA). When reading the examples, please note that:

• These examples may not be effective for every workplace; however, they may offer ideas about the types of accommodations that are possible.
• PAS does not help employees with disabilities perform their specific job functions, such as reviewing documents or answering calls.
• PAS differs from services that assist an individual in performing job-related tasks, such as sign language interpreters.
• PAS does not include, performing medical procedures (e.g., administering shots) or medical monitoring (e.g., monitoring blood pressure).

EXAMPLE #1:

An employee with low vision travels as part of their job duties. They must travel by airplane for an upcoming conference. Their disability makes it difficult to see any airport screens showing information about flight status, gate numbers, etc. It also presents challenges for navigating the conference venue or hotel. The employee requests PAS to guide them through the airport, conference venue, and hotel. The agency approved the request and covered associated travel expenses for the PA including flight tickets, rental cars, lodging, and per diems.

EXAMPLE #2:

An employee with a significant mobility limitation was approved to work remotely. However, they needed to renew their agency badge, which required them to commute to campus. The employee’s supervisor contacted the RAC to ask about possible accommodations. The RAC explained that once on campus, arrangements could be made for someone to help the employee walk from their car to the badging office. The agency approved the request. The PA met the employee at their car, escorted them to the badging office, waited with them, and escorted them back to their car. The total time spent was less than an hour.

EXAMPLE #3:

An employee has a medical condition that restricts their mobility. They contacted the RAP to request a manual wheelchair and PAS for assistance during a two-day event on campus. The employee did not have a wheelchair and could not selfpropel using the hand rims of the back wheels. The RAC worked with the Clinical Center to acquire a wheelchair for this event and coordinated PAS. For two full days, the PA met the employee at their vehicle, pushed the wheelchair throughout the day, and returned the employee to their vehicle at the end of each day.

The following set of questions are frequently asked when inquiring about PAS. If you have additional questions, please contact us via email at edi.ra@mail.nih.gov or phone at (301) 496-6301.

1. How does NIH provide PAS?

NIH has several options:

• Coordinate with the HHS’ Office of EEODI to provide PAS through a central contract.
• Use an existing employee who already performs similar services to PAS as part of their regular job to help an employee who needs PAS.
• Hire federal employees, independent contractors, or a combination of employees and contractors to perform the needed services.
• Use a PA the employee is already using in their personal, non-work environment.

2. Will NIH pay for PAS?

Yes, in the following instances:

• If the employee does not already have a PA, the NIH will assume the cost of services during that employee’s tour of duty.
• If traveling for work, the NIH will cover travel-related expenses for the PA including, but not limited to, flight tickets, rental cars, lodging, and per diems.
• If the employee already has a PA, the NIH will cover expenses associated with work-related travel.
• If the employee’s usual PA is unavailable during work hours, the NIH will cover associated costs for a different PA.

3. Can an employee’s spouse or children provide PAS?

Yes. Immediate family members often assume caregiving roles for their loved ones. If needed in the workplace, that individual must have, or likely could get, the appropriate security clearance. If they can not, another PA must be used.

4. How does an employee’s PAS provider access the NIH campus?

The PAS provider and employee must work with the appropriate offices for the proper screening and access. This can be coordinated through the employee’s supervisor.

5. Does PAS help employees commute to and from their worksite?

No. The NIH is only required to provide PAS when the individual is working.

6. Who manages or supervises the PAS provider while onsite?

The PAS provider does not require monitoring or supervision. However, the supervisor and/or employee can clarify the provider’s duties while onsite and identify appropriate areas in which the provider can wait or occupy throughout the day.

7. If the employee needs a wheelchair, walker, or other piece of equipment and PAS, will the agency purchase the equipment?

No. The NIH may only cover costs associated with securing a PA – not any associated equipment. In limited circumstances, the NIH may be able to borrow certain items for a brief timeframe. However, the NIH is not required to provide any equipment when providing PAS.

8. If an employee needs assistance with job-related tasks, what should they do?

Their needs may be met through a reasonable accommodation. The employee should contact the NIH RAP for more information.