Steven A. Arneson appeals the dismissal of his claim against his former federal employer under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. We remand.
I. Background
Steven A. Arneson was employed by the Social Security Administration (SSA) from March of 1968 through January of 1983. In 1975, he learned that he suffers from a neurological disorder known as apraxia. Arneson, the holder of Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Business Administration degrees from the University of Iowa, as a result of the disorder, is very easily dis*395tracted by activity around him and has an impaired ability to concentrate and to simultaneously perform motor and cognitive tasks. He also has difficulty with comprehending spoken and written language and difficulty in acquiring and processing data. In addition, he has poor handwriting skills, poor reading skills and poor organizational skills.
While employed by the SSA, Arneson worked as a claims representative. The majority of his time was spent interviewing claimants to obtain information for applications for Social Security benefits, advising claimants of their eligibility for benefits, gathering work and medical histories and assisting in determining a claimant’s entitlement to Social Security benefits.
Until September of 1980, Arneson worked at the SSA office in Clayton, Missouri. As a result of his diagnosis and the recommendation of a psychologist who evaluated Arneson, certain accommodations were made to provide Arneson with a work area where he could be most productive. His desk was relocated from the large area where he had worked with the other claims representatives to a three-sided room which had previously been used as a stock room. Arneson was also given a telephone headset to allow him to have both hands free while he talked on the phone as well as assistance in organizing his work. As a result of these accommodations, the quality of his work improved.
In September of 1980, Arneson voluntarily took reassignment to a new branch office in Maryland Heights, Missouri. At the Maryland Heights office Ameson’s desk was placed in a large room with the other claims representatives. To provide some accommodation, his desk was placed in the back of the room where it was thought there would .be less distraction. In addition, he was given a telephone headset similar to the one he used in the Clayton office and, again, received organizational assistance.
From the period of October 1, 1980, to September 30,1981, Arneson received “satisfactory” ratings on his Employee Appraisal and Performance Rating Certification. However, on January 21, 1982, Arne-son’s immediate supervisor, Russell Hudson, wrote to Arneson informing him that his work was unsatisfactory. At Ame-son’s Performance Review on July 23, 1982, Hudson again told Arneson that his work was unsatisfactory. On October 5, 1982, Hudson and the branch manager met with Arneson and advised him to apply for voluntary disability retirement. They told Arneson they would initiate removal proceedings if he did not do so.
On November 30, 1982, the SSA issued its proposal to remove Arneson, citing approximately 75 instances of unsatisfactory performance. Arneson was terminated effective January 21, 1983.
On January 18,1984, Arneson applied for and was granted disability retirement under the Civil Service Retirement System.
On October 31, 1984, Arneson filed this action under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 791 et seq., seeking reinstatement and back pay. Following a trial, the district court entered judgment in favor of the SSA. Arneson appeals.
II. Discussion
It is Ameson’s contention that he is an “otherwise qualified handicapped individual” within the meaning of the Rehabilitation Act and that the SSA failed to make the reasonable accommodations necessary to enable Arneson to do his job satisfactorily as required by the Act. He claims that had reasonable accommodations been made, he would have been able to perform his job. However, before we can deal with the substantive portion of Ameson’s appeal, we must first determine whether his claim is barred because of his retirement from federal service.
A. Retirement from federal service
Upon termination, Arneson became eligible for disability retirement from the federal service. However, to secure those benefits, he had to file an application for a disability annuity within one year of the date of his separation. 5 C.F.R. §§ 831.501 and 831.502. Nearly a year after his dis*396charge, Ameson filed the necessary application and began receiving monthly benefits. The district court held that this action bars his claim under the Rehabilitation Act. “[B]y accepting retirement, the [federal] employee has voluntarily surrendered all claims to his former position.” Brown v. United States, 2 Cl.Ct. 586, 587 (1983), affirmed without opinion, 732 F.2d 167 (Fed.Cir.1984).
In reviewing “the right of a retired employee to reinstatement and back pay * * * ‘[t]he focus of our consideration must be the voluntariness of plaintiffs retirement * * *. If that choice was freely made, he had no right after that event to further employment by the Federal Government.’ ” Taylor v. United States, 591 F.2d 688, 690, 219 Ct.Cl. 86 (1979) (quoting Roskos v. United States, 549 F.2d 1386, 1388, 213 Ct.Cl. 34 (1977)). While it is true that Ameson was faced with making the difficult decision of either losing his retirement benefits or losing his ability to pursue his claim for reinstatement, “the fact that an employee * * * has to chose between two unpleasant alternatives does not make the resulting action involuntary.” Taylor, 591 F.2d at 692.
However, the Court of Claims in Roskos held that the plaintiffs retirement was involuntary because the court found that the transfer, which precipitated the retirement, was unlawful. “An action is not voluntary if it is produced by government conduct which is wrongful.” Roskos, 549 F.2d at 1389-90 (citations omitted).
Because Ameson’s termination may have been unlawful, i.e., in violation of the Rehabilitation Act, we cannot say that his retirement bars his claim for back pay and reinstatement. If his termination was unlawful, then he has the right to seek this remedy regardless of his retirement. Consequently, we consider Ameson’s claim under the Rehabilitation Act.
B. Otherwise qualified handicapped individual
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act provides:
No otherwise qualified individual with handicaps * * * shall, solely by reason of his handicap, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity * * * conducted by any Executive agency * * *.
29 U.S.C. § 794 (Supp. IV 1986). “Section 501(b), 29 U.S.C. § 791(b), requires the federal government as an employer to develop and implement affirmative action plans on behalf of handicapped employees.” Gardner v. Morris, 752 F.2d 1271, 1277 (8th Cir.1985). The district court found that Arneson was a handicapped individual within the meaning of the Rehabilitation Act but found that he was not an otherwise qualified handicapped individual within the meaning of the Act. An otherwise qualified handicapped individual is one who, with reasonable accommodation, “can perform the essential functions of the position in question without endangering the health and safety of the individual or others.” 29 C.F.R. § 1613.702(f) (1988).
Ameson claims that the district court was incorrect in finding that he had “the initial burden of establishing that he is an ‘otherwise qualified handicapped individual,’ that is, one, who with reasonable accommodations, is able to perform the requirements of his job despite his handicap.” Arneson v. Heckler, No. 84-2552C(3), slip op. at 12, 1988 WL 42351 (E.D.Mo. Mar. 30, 1988). We agree, Ameson is only required to provide evidence sufficient to make “at least a facial showing that reasonable accommodation is possible.” Gardner v. Morris, 752 F.2d at 1280. At that point, the burden shifts to the SSA to prove that it is unable to accommodate Ameson. “Once it has been established that (1) the employee has been denied employment on the basis of his handicap and (2) the particular handicap would impair job performance unless job requirements are modified, the dispute focuses on whether the employer can reasonably accommodate the handicapped employee.” Id. at 1279-80. It is undisputed that Ameson was terminated because of poor job performance, which performance was due to the effects of apraxia. It is also undisputed *397that some modifications of his job requirements are necessary to enable him to perform his job. Therefore, we must focus on what kinds of accommodations will be required and whether these are reasonable.
Arneson claims that accommodations can be made which will enable him to satisfactorily perform his job as a claims representative. The SSA argues that it has made reasonable accommodations and Ameson’s work performance has not improved sufficiently. Further accommodations, the SSA contends, would be beyond the requirements of the Rehabilitation Act.
Ameson contends, based upon his consultations with a variety of psychological and occupational experts, that he could improve the performance of his job if he had the following: (1) a telephone headset to free his hands; (2) a quiet workspace to diminish distractibility; and (3) clerical assistance to check his work. In addition, it has been suggested that Ameson be allowed to modify his work hours to enable him to work in the office when there are less distractions or, in the alternative, that he be allowed to take work home. It has also been suggested that Ameson be transferred back to the Clayton office. The SSA claims that each of these alternatives, with the exception of the headset, with which Ameson has been provided, is not feasible. The SSA states that there is no private office available for Ameson at the Maryland Heights office and that to provide him with the kind of assistance that he needs, the SSA would have to hire someone who is capable of performing Ameson’s job. This would result, basically, in hiring two people to do the job of one. Furthermore, it is against SSA policy, for security reasons, to allow an employee to take work home or to be in the office after normal business hours. As for a transfer back to the Clayton office, Arneson’s supervisor rejected that possibility because he felt it would not “enable [Ameson] to do a better job.” Tr. at 288. Therefore, the SSA concluded, and the district court agreed, that it had made reasonable accommodations to Ameson and he was still unable to perform his job satisfactorily. As a result, the SSA contends, Ameson’s termination was not in violation of the Rehabilitation Act.
Although a district court’s findings of fact are not to be set aside unless clearly erroneous, we believe that this matter involves an application of the law to the undisputed factual determinations made by the court. As such, the district court’s conclusions with regard to whether the accommodations made by the SSA were reasonable and whether there are additional reasonable accommodations which can be made, are reviewable de novo. See Carter v. Bennett, 840 F.2d 63, 65 (D.C.Cir.1988).
In determining what kinds of accommodations are reasonable, courts are permitted to “take into account the reasonableness of the cost of any necessary work place accommodation, and the availability of alternatives therefor or other appropriate relief in order to achieve an equitable and appropriate remedy.” 29 U.S.C. § 794a(a)(1) (1982). An unreasonable accommodation is one which “would impose undue hardship on the operation of its program.” 29 C.F.R. § 1613.704(a) (1988).
We disagree with the district court’s conclusion that the SSA had made reasonable accommodations and that even with reasonable accommodations, Arneson was unable to perform the job. It seems that there were some possible accommodations which were not given much credence by the court, such as a clerical assistant or transferring Ameson back to the Clayton office where a semi-private office was available. It does not appear from the record that these alternatives were adequately examined in an effort to determine the cost of such accommodations and the impact they would have on the operation of the SSA office. For example, further development is necessary to ascertain what duties this assistant would have to perform in order to have some impact on Ameson’s job performance, what the cost of such an assistant would be and whether additional funding may be available to offset the cost to the SSA. Obviously, it is beyond the expectations of the Rehabilitation Act that the SSA be required to hire another person capable of actually performing Arneson’s job. On the *398other hand, Ameson claims that he would only need someone to proofread his work and that this person would only need to know how to read. And, presumably, the necessary proofreading could be accomplished by a part-time worker, such as a college student.
Because the record is unclear as to the specifics of the other suggested accommodations, we remand this case back to the district court for a determination of their reasonability. Specifically, we recommend that the court explore the possibility of a part-time assistant for Ameson, and if that is not a workable solution we recommend looking into the possibility of a transfer back to the Clayton office. We strongly feel that the federal government should be a model employer of the handicapped and should be required to make whatever reasonable accommodations are available.
III. Conclusion
For the foregoing reasons, the decision of the district court is reversed, and the case remanded to the district court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.