My apprenticeship program involves physically demanding and dangerous work. How can we meet the Equal Employment Opportunity requirements for individuals with disabilities and ensure safety for all workers?

Sponsors do not need to lower their minimum requirements for someone to qualify as an apprentice.  However, some applicants with covered disabilities may be fully capable of doing “physically demanding and dangerous” work.  For example, a returning veteran may be fully capable of performing physically demanding and dangerous work even though he or she is living with post-traumatic stress disorder.  Properly managed, this disability would not be an impediment to safely performing the job.  Depending on the nature of the work, many disabilities can be accommodated within apprenticeship programs. This determination is fact-specific, based on reasonable medical judgments rather than on generalizations about the condition or the workplace. 

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