Under Title I of the ADA, which term denotes a significant difficulty or expense as a barrier to compliance?

• A. Readily achievable
• B. Undue hardship
• C. Direct threat
• D. Auxiliary aids or services

Answer: (B)

Undue hardship is the term used in Title I to describe a barrier to compliance that arises when providing a requested accommodation would cause significant difficulty or expense for the employer. This defense takes into account factors like the nature and cost of the accommodation, the employer’s overall resources, the number of employees, and the impact on operations. If an accommodation would impose substantial hardship, the employer isn’t required to provide it, but they must still explore reasonable alternatives that would not create that heavy burden.

By contrast, other options describe different ideas: readily achievable refers to things that can be done easily and without substantial burden (and isn’t the barrier itself in this context); a direct threat relates to safety risk; and auxiliary aids or services are the accommodations themselves used to enable access or communication.