Which term describes a modification so significant it changes the essential nature of the goods or services offered?

Which term describes a modification so significant it changes the essential nature of the goods or services offered?

• A. Reasonable modification
• B. Reasonable accommodation
• C. Accessibility
• D. Fundamental alteration

Answer: (D)

The key idea is that some requests to change how a service is delivered would go so far as to alter what the service fundamentally is. This is captured by the term fundamental alteration, which describes a modification that would change the essential nature of the goods or services offered. In ADA practice, accommodations should be reasonable and not change the core purpose or character of the service; if a proposed change would alter what the service is at its heart, it may not be required because it would amount to a fundamental alteration. For example, transforming a service that is designed to provide a specific type of program or access into something entirely different would be considered a fundamental alteration. The other terms describe different ideas: reasonable modification refers to adjusting policies or procedures to improve access, accessibility focuses on making facilities usable, and reasonable accommodation is the broader idea of accommodating disabilities, with fundamental alteration serving as a check on when a change would be too drastic.

The key idea is that some requests to change how a service is delivered would go so far as to alter what the service fundamentally is. This is captured by the term fundamental alteration, which describes a modification that would change the essential nature of the goods or services offered. In ADA practice, accommodations should be reasonable and not change the core purpose or character of the service; if a proposed change would alter what the service is at its heart, it may not be required because it would amount to a fundamental alteration. For example, transforming a service that is designed to provide a specific type of program or access into something entirely different would be considered a fundamental alteration. The other terms describe different ideas: reasonable modification refers to adjusting policies or procedures to improve access, accessibility focuses on making facilities usable, and reasonable accommodation is the broader idea of accommodating disabilities, with fundamental alteration serving as a check on when a change would be too drastic.