I put off asking for a workplace accommodation for almost two years.
I was a VP. I had been at the company for years. I was well-liked, reasonably secure, and genuinely struggling. And I still couldn’t bring myself to do it — because I was convinced that asking meant admitting I couldn’t handle the job.
So let’s clear up the thing most people get wrong before they even start: you don’t have to tell your employer what your diagnosis is to initiate the request for a workplace accommodation. The key phrase there is “to initiate.”
What the law actually says
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), you only need to inform your employer that you need an adjustment or change at work for a reason related to a medical condition. You can use plain language. You don’t have to name your diagnosis to get the conversation started.
That said — the legal minimum and the real-world process are two different things. Here’s how it worked for me.
The informal path
For the more informal accommodations, these ones don’t often go through HR at all. If you have a manager you trust, and what you need is something within their authority to approve, you can request adjustments using functional language — describing what you need, not why medically.
Examples that work:
— “I retain things better in writing. Can you follow up verbal directions with an email?”
— “I focus better in the mornings. Can we move recurring meetings to the afternoon?”
— “Open-plan environments make it hard for me to concentrate. Can I try a quieter space on heavy project days?”
No paperwork. No HR file. No formal diagnosis disclosure. And more situations resolve here than most people realize.
The formal path
Once the request becomes a formal accommodation request, it requires more documentation and it requires HR approval/review. At this stage, employers are legally permitted to request medical documentation. A letter from your diagnosing clinician or treating provider will likely name the condition.
The protection the law gives you here isn’t anonymity — it’s compartmentalization. HR is required to keep your medical documentation confidential and separate from your general personnel file. Your manager should receive only what’s needed to implement the accommodation, meaning what you need, not why medically.
That boundary holds better in some organizations than others. Worth knowing going in.
The decision that matters most: manager first or HR first?
If you go to your manager first without HR involved, you risk them knowing more than they should before the confidentiality frame is established. If you go to HR first, the boundary is set from the start — your manager gets told what to implement, not why.
Neither path is universally right. It depends on your manager, your organization, and what you’re asking for. But if you have any concern about confidentiality, HR first is the safer move.
What actually gets approved
The requests that land are specific, not vague. They name the functional limitation and connect it directly to the accommodation being requested.
Not: “My ADHD makes it hard to focus.”
But rather: “I have difficulty sustaining focus in open-plan environments. A private workspace would allow me to perform the essential functions of my role.”
That framing matters. It’s the difference between a request that’s easy to approve and document, and one that stalls or gets redirected.
What happens after you submit
This is the part most guides skip. The fear underneath all of this isn’t the paperwork (though in my case that hit my executive function very hard), it’s that fear of what happens to how people see you once the request is in. I sat with that fear for a while and it’s what kept me from moving forward sooner, but ultimately I knew this was the right decision for me. Eventually I recognized I was having some ableist thinking and I was able to overcome it and eventually was very public at work about my AuDHD status and it helped many others in the workplace.
Retaliation after a formal accommodation request is illegal under the ADA. But that doesn’t mean the dynamic never shifts. Document your work carefully in the months after a request goes in. Keep a private record of every relevant conversation. If anything changes in how you’re treated, you want a record.
A denied request isn’t the end, either. The employer is legally required to engage in a good-faith interactive process. They can propose alternatives. You can negotiate. If you believe a denial is discriminatory, the Job Accommodation Network has guidance on next steps including EEOC complaints — and their consultation is free.
Where to start
The Job Accommodation Network — askjan.org — is a free federal resource that organizes accommodation options by functional limitation, not diagnosis. Look up what you’re specifically struggling with — executive function, sensory sensitivity, time management, concentration — and find documented solutions before you sit down with anyone.
Go in with your first choice and a backup. Know whether you’re approaching your manager or HR first. Put everything in writing.
And if you want a worksheet to work through all of it before the conversation — I built one.
Download the free AuDHD Accommodations Prep Guide →
It covers the disclosure decision, the request itself, and what to document throughout the process. Grounded in JAN’s documented limitations, built for AuDHD brains specifically.
Brett Whitmarsh is the founder of AuDHD Boss and a late-diagnosed AuDHD professional with 12+ years in corporate leadership including VP level. He’s been on both sides of this conversation.
Do I have to disclose my ADHD or autism diagnosis to get a workplace accommodation? Not necessarily. The ADA only requires you to inform your employer that you need an adjustment for a medical reason. You don’t have to name the diagnosis in an initial informal request. If the process becomes formal and involves HR, medical documentation will typically be required — but that stays in a confidential HR file, separate from your general personnel records.
What is the difference between an informal and formal accommodation request? An informal request is a direct conversation with your manager using functional language, with no paperwork or HR involvement. A formal request goes through HR, requires written documentation and medical support, and follows the ADA’s interactive process. Many accommodations are resolved informally without ever reaching HR.
Can I request remote work as an ADA accommodation? Yes. Remote work is a documented accommodation option under the ADA, particularly for employees with conditions affecting concentration, sensory sensitivity, or executive function. It should be framed as an accommodation that addresses a specific functional limitation, not a general work preference.
What is the Job Accommodation Network? JAN — askjan.org — is a free federal resource operated by the U.S. Department of Labor. It provides guidance on workplace accommodations organized by functional limitation and disability type, and offers free confidential consultation for both employees and employers.
What should I do if my accommodation request is denied? The employer is legally required to engage in a good-faith interactive process and provide a reason for any denial. You can propose alternative accommodations, continue the process, and if you believe the denial is discriminatory, file a complaint with the EEOC. Document all communications throughout.