12.6 ADA-Ability to Perform Essential Functions-Factors is a subcategory of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that outlines the legal requirements for employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities so that they can perform the essential functions of a job. This includes evaluating a person’s ability to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodations, and determining the types of reasonable accommodations that must be provided in order to enable an individual with a disability to perform the essential functions of a job. The ADA outlines four factors for evaluating the ability of an individual with a disability to perform the essential functions of a job: 1. The nature and extent of the disability. 2. The job-relatedness of the accommodation. 3. The cost of the accommodation. 4. The impact of the accommodation on the operation of the employer's business. These factors must be taken into consideration when evaluating an individual’s ability to perform the essential functions of a job.