Tapping Technology - Managing AT Accommodations in the Workplace

December, 2002

Tapping Technology

Managing AT Accommodations in the Workplace

* This article is compiled with the information published by the Office of Disability Employment Policy, Department of Labor in their worksheets "Making Management Decisions About Accommodations" and "Statistics About People With Disabilities And Employment."

Working and having a disability can, at times, mean barriers and uphill battles for the employee with the disability. Many times, accommodations are needed for the employee to fully excel in their business setting. An accommodation, as defined by The Office of Disability Employment Policy is "an investment an employer makes in his or her business in order to make the business more efficient or profitable." Some of the most common and widely needed accommodations include: accessible parking or an accessible public transit spot nearby; elevators; adaptations to work stations; and special work arrangements (reduced or part-time hours, job redesign). The less common accommodations include: job coaches; personal assistants; Braille, enlarged print; voice synthesizers, TDD's or other technical devices; sign language interpreters or readers. The decision to invest in accommodations is one that must be made jointly, with the employee and the employer together. Both should discuss what the employee's job duties consist of, how the accommodations will help the employee perform his or her duties, and any alternatives that might exist. The Office of Disability Employment Policy outlines the following points that should be reviewed before any accommodations are made:

What are the functional limitations of the individual seeking the accommodation?
What specific job tasks are affected by the individual's functional limitations?
What types of equipment are used/needed to perform the job?
Are there work place policies or procedures that affect the individual's ability to perform the job?
Are all the necessary areas of the work environment accessible for this individual?

Access, such as physical access to a building and access to communications (i.e. for those with vision or hearing impairments) is an important issue as well. For many, accessing a building (as simple as having working elevators) or finding transportation to the place of employment is half the battle. Often, a concerted effort between the employer and employee to break through the attitudinal barriers of co-workers and supervisors is what needs to occur in order to fully integrate the employee into the work environment.

To do this, the employer must determine the answers to five significant questions that will set in motion the accommodation process:

How do I determine a reasonable accommodation for this particular situation?
Where can my company obtain these products and is it possible to purchase equipment on a trial basis, or is there a facility near the place of business where the equipment may be tested?
What if the accommodation doesn't work?
Where can I find local resources for services like worksite evaluations?
Who pays for the accommodation?

If the employee or the employer would like help determining what the best method and implementation of acquiring assistive technology for the workplace, he/she may contact the Office of Disability Employment Policy's Job Accommodation Network (JAN) at 800-ADA-WORK.