2026 Americans with Disabilities Act and Return to Work Issue

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September - October 2026

What does it take to support employees when illness, injury, or changing circumstances affect their ability to work? In this issue of @Work magazine, accommodation and leave management professionals examine that question from different points in the employee journey, from staying at work during recovery to navigating accommodations and planning a successful return after leave. Fred Schott, in conversation with Dan Jolivet, Les Kertay, and Mike Lacroix, examines the role work can play during recovery and why stay-at-work programs remain underused. Rachel Shaw looks at temporary modified light duty, while Gage Koeller and Kerri Wizner analyze 10 years of claims data to track changes in return-to-work durations. Jess Dudley considers the role of empathetic leadership during return to work. Tori Weeks and Wendy Coduti examine how employers can prepare for the effects of natural disasters on employee health and work, and Kelly Woodbridge looks at how National Disability Employment Awareness Month can build a culture of disability inclusion that lasts beyond October. The issue also looks at managing accommodations for remote employees, supporting neurodivergent employees, navigating the overlap between the PWFA and ADA, and what happens when an employee can’t return to the same work in the same way.

The CEO's Desk

Work Can Be Part of Recovery

Together, these articles point toward a broader principle: successful return to work is rarely about finding the fastest route back to full duty. It is about creating the conditions for a safe, sustainable path forward.

The Bridge: Where Law Meets Humanity

The ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) is often described as a compliance obligation. We often use it to check risk mitigation. However, at its core, the ADAAA is a bridge between limitation of and contributions from the employee as they return

Celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) Boosts Workplace Morale and Engagement

Most organizations that celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month do so for 31 days. The real question is whether employees with disabilities feel valued during the other 334.

What We Do Matters – Compliance and the ADAAA

In our profession managing the disability cases of our employees and the impact to our organization, we are responsible for a successful outcome that supports our employees and advances the operational needs of our organization.

The Disability Compliance Audit: Why Your Organization’s Program Needs a Health Check

Most organizations assume their disability accommodation processes are legally sound. Policies are in place, managers have been trained, and HR has handled requests before without incident. It feels like the system works—until a lawsuit proves otherwise.

Expanded Perspectives:
@Work To Share

DMEC provides the following @Work magazine articles and podcast episodes to offer additional perspectives on and increase awareness of integrated absence management trends and challenges. The resources — available to members and nonmembers — can be shared with your colleagues and through social media channels.

Expanded Perspectives

How to Support Neurodivergence: An Employer Perspective

There are many actions employers can take to support their neurodivergent employees. Gaining an understanding of both neurodiversity and neurodivergence is the first step toward learning how to support them.

2026 Trends

The best return-to-work strategy may be preventing unnecessary leave in the first place

For years, return-to-work programs have focused on one central question: how do we help employees come back safely after an illness or injury? A growing body of evidence is pushing accommodation and leave management professionals to ask an earlier question: did the employee need to leave work completely in the first place?

Columns

The Disabled Workforce

The Smarter Return: Why Employers Are Rethinking Temporary Modified Light Duty

When an employee is injured on the job, the immediate focus naturally turns to medical care. But what happens in the days, weeks and sometimes months that follow may matter just as much as the treatment itself.

Engaging Today's Workforce

Are Return-to-Work Durations Changing Over Time?

Return-to-work (RTW) durations are a measure of how long employees need to recover from an illness, injury, or medical procedure before returning to their jobs. However, these durations reflect much more than recovery time alone.

Employer Solutions

The Empathetic RTW Leader: Balancing Accommodation and Accountability

I once worked with an employee who was so fearful of losing their job that they wanted to return to work too early. Physically, they weren’t ready, and mentally, they were exhausted.

Views From the Intersection of Work, Life, and Mental Health

Work Is Medicine

Work is more than a paycheck. For people coping with illness or injury, it also provides structure, social connection, identity, and daily purpose, key ingredients that matter enormously to recovery.

DMEC Resources

DMEC News

DMEC News: September-October 2026

DMEC introduces a new master class on costly accommodation and leave mistakes, new microcredential courses on military leave and Iowa leave laws, and applications for the 2027-2029 Employer Advisory Council.

Legislative and Paid Sick Leave Updates

Check out the latest federal, state, and local compliance updates on the DMEC Legislative Updates page, and don’t miss new updates on paid sick leave that have been introduced through a variety of state and local regulations. It is essential for employers to remain informed about ongoing changes in order to effectively adapt. And follow DMEC on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn for additional insight and up-to-date news

DMECommunities

The DMECommunities Americans with Disabilities Act Group offers a forum to pose questions, get guidance from colleagues, find resources, and more! This exclusive online networking group gives DMEC members the opportunity to connect with industry peers, ask/answer questions, share resources, and seek feedback.

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@Work

Editorial Staff

Editor: Kelly Hernandez
Editorial Advisory Group Members: Linda Croushore, Rebecca Fisco, Jenny Haykin, Terri Morris, Fred Schott, Jessica Thornton, and Lori Vickory

Editorial Policy

The goal of @Work is to present industry and Association news, highlight member achievements, and promote the exchange of specialized professional information. The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Association, its staff, board of directors, or its editors. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers does not constitute an endorsement of products or services featured in this, past, or subsequent issues of this publication. DMEC makes no representations, warranties, or assurances as to accuracy of the information contained in the articles, and no content herein is legal or tax advice. Consult appropriate professionals for legal or tax advice.

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2026 Americans with Disabilities Act and Return to Work Issue

September - October 2026

The CEO's Desk

Work Can Be Part of Recovery

Feature Articles

Expanded Perspectives: @Work To Share

Columns

DMEC Resources

Legislative and Paid Sick Leave Updates

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Editorial Policy

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