DIY ADHD Accommodations for Your 9 to 5 Job

Have you tried Google Meet captions? Speech-to-text browser extensions like Read Aloud? How about asking your manager for a pre-meeting agenda, or putting a “Work in Progress” sign on your office door?Job accommodations make it possible to perform professional responsibilities with a physical or mental disability.1 Documentation of a disability is often required to secure approval of formal accommodations, which can lead to real-life consequences, despite ADA protections.

HR channels can also take time to negotiate.Taking the first step toward workplace accommodations can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be complicated or risky.

There are plenty of small adjustments you can make at work immediately, for free, and without disclosing a diagnosis.We asked ADDitude readers: What are your most creative self-accommodations to stay organized, meet deadlines, communicate with coworkers, and satisfy job duties?

Read on for reader suggestions, plus additional tips from ADDitude’s recent webinar on invisible disabilities at work.“When I meet new co-workers, I tell them, ‘I need everything in writing.’ Due to an auditory processing disorder, verbal instructions don’t make sense to my ADHD brain.