Essential functions are the basic job duties that an employee must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Reasonable accommodation includes adapting existing facilities to make them accessible to all, and adapting existing or acquiring new specialised equipment, including computer hardware and software.

But if anybody now wished to exercise their freedom of conscience to promote this understanding, let alone act on it, they would be offered no 'reasonable accommodation'.

Besides the cases brought to courts, there are many examples of reasonable accommodation negotiated in a non judiciary context.

Employers often hire outside consultants who are given the responsibility of managing any requests for reasonable accommodation and facilitating the interactive process.