An employee returns from medical leave with a new diagnosis of chronic migraines. They need reduced fluorescent lighting, flexible scheduling on bad days, and a quiet workspace. Their manager wants to help but doesn't know where to start. HR knows the ADA requires an interactive process, but the specific accommodation options for this condition are not obvious. This is exactly the situation JAN was built to handle. A single free call to a JAN consultant often produces a concrete set of accommodation options within a day, along with documentation the employer can use to show good-faith engagement in the interactive process.
What JAN Actually Provides JAN offers free, confidential consultation by phone, email, or chat. Consultants answer specific accommodation questions, suggest options backed by research, and walk employers through the ADA interactive process. Consultations are typically 15 to 30 minutes for a specific question or 60 minutes for a complex case.
The service covers every major category of disability: mobility, sensory, cognitive, mental health, chronic health conditions, and temporary disabilities. Consultants have specific expertise by disability type, so the person helping you with an autism accommodation request is different from the person helping with a back injury accommodation. That specialization matters because accommodation options vary enormously by condition.
Who Can Use JAN Any employer, employee, healthcare provider, or vocational rehabilitation professional can call JAN. There's no cost, no obligation, and consultations are confidential. Employees facing accommodation challenges often don't realize JAN is available to them, not just to their employer.
The service is particularly useful for small and mid-sized employers who don't have dedicated ADA expertise in-house. Large employers with established accommodation programs often use JAN as a reference for edge cases outside the typical accommodation library.
How Does JAN Documentation Fit Into the Interactive Process? A JAN consultation doesn't replace the employer's own interactive process, but it strengthens it. Documentation of the consultation (the options JAN suggested, the research cited, the approach the employer considered) becomes part of the interactive process file. In an EEOC charge or ADA lawsuit, that documentation shows good-faith engagement with accommodation options.
When to Call JAN During the Accommodation Process The ideal time is early, when an accommodation request first arrives and the employer is identifying options to consider. Calling before the request escalates produces better outcomes than calling after a conflict develops.
Specific scenarios where JAN adds the most value: accommodations for conditions the employer hasn't encountered before, complex cases involving multiple conditions, situations where the requested accommodation seems infeasible and alternatives need to be identified, and situations where undue hardship might be argued but needs rigorous analysis first.
Integrating the Job Accommodation Network Into Your ADA Program Build JAN into your accommodation workflow. When a request arrives, the HR team should review the reasonable accommodation request, consult internal accommodation policies, and call JAN if the situation is complex or unfamiliar. Document the consultation in the interactive process file alongside medical documentation and accommodation notes.
Reference the JAN website directly for accommodation solution searches organized by disability type. Pair the process with training for managers on recognizing accommodation requests (which rarely arrive using ADA-specific language) and with policy references in your employee handbook . The DOL Office of Disability Employment Policy publishes additional guidance on accommodation best practices that complements JAN's case-by-case help.
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