Does ADA cover sensory overload?

Post Reply New Topic

I can handle my job pretty well most days, for most of the day. The only problem I really have is at "dismissal time" (I work in a day program for people with disabilities). When everybody's piled in one room waiting for the buses and rides to come in and everyone is being noisy and chaotic, talking and shouting about a hundred different things all at once, my sensory overload kicks in and I am pushed to near-meltdown on a regular basis, ESPECIALLY if I'm already stressed out or frustrated because of other responsibilities I'm trying to manage. I wish I could invoke the ADA and tell my employers I need to be excused from the room during that period because I can't handle the overstimulation. Do I have a leg to stand on, so to speak, here?

Are there other jobs you could do during that time?

Would ear plugs help?

I don't know, about the earplugs. I guess it's a thought.

If it's a medical condition, the ADA should apply. The key is the ADA only protects reasonable accommodations. If being in that room at dismissal is a duty of your job, you might not be able to be excused from it. So that's why I asked about the other duties. If there are people who stand outside or in the hallways to guide students, that could be an compromise.

Adding earbuds would be reasonable as well IMO.

Yes, it's a real issue and an ADA issue. And yes, the whole aspect of reasonable accommodations comes into play.

Here's something you might want to consider. What if you have an advocate present with you when you broach the issue? Or, what if you ask an advocate to send a letter or email on your behalf? An advocate can be a former teacher, former coach, potentially someone with ASAN (although that might be several years down the road), maybe a skills coach, etc.

If you just talk to them one on one, they might just come up with a reason to brush off the issue. That dynamic comes into play all the time. But with an advocate present, or writing on your behalf, they might take the whole thing more seriously, and seriously engage with the issue and try and come up with a solution.

One note, please don't lose a friend or relationship looking for an advocate. If you ask them snd they say no or aren't sure, try not to hold it against them.

I think before he brings out the big guns, he should try to handle this.

Purpose solutions. Explain the situation, ask if he can be reassigned, or if he can use ear plugs.