Human Rights Commission Clarifies Medical Documentation Needed For Disability-Related Accommodation Requests

On February 1, 2017, the Ontario Human Rights Commission released a policy statement that seeks to clarify the type and scope of the medical information that employees need to provide to their employers to support disability-related requests for accommodation.

The policy statement clarifies that employees will generally be expected to produce medical documentation that includes:

• confirmation that the person has a disability;
• the limitations or needs associated with the disability;
• whether the person can perform the essential duties or requirements of the job with or without accommodation;
• the type of accommodation(s) that may be needed to allow the person to fulfill the essential duties or requirements of the job; and