Job Accommodations
In December 1994 the Office of Disability Employment Policy's
JAN reported that 68% of
job accommodations made cost less than $500, and further, that employers report
that for every dollar spent on accommodations, the company received $28 in benefits.
Accommodations, which are modifications or alterations, often make it possible for
a qualified person with a disability to do the same job as everyone else but in a
slightly different way. Some accommodations are simple adaptations; others require
technically sophisticated equipment. The essential functions of the job and the
functional limitations of the individual are what the employer and the employee
want to match up.
An employer should analyze the job tasks, basic qualifications needed to do those
tasks, and the kinds of adjustments that can be made to ensure that performance standards
will be met. The way the worker does the job is far less important than the outcome.
The following examples are a small sampling of real situations that businesses
have reported, along with the solutions used. What is common to all these situations
is that accommodations are always made on an individual basis. To find solutions
to your own situations, call JAN toll-free at 1-800-526-7234.
| Situation |
Solution |
| A greenhouse worker with mental retardation has difficulty staying
on task and knowing when to take breaks.
|
At no cost to the employer, a job coach gave initial training.
The worker then carried a tape recorder that provided periodic reminders to
stay on task and indicated break time. The worker also carried a set of
laminated cards which showed the basic list of tasks to be completed. Cost: $50.
|
| A radio broadcaster/announcer who is blind needs to read the
AP wire news desk material.
|
The employer connected a Braille printer to the incoming news
service, and installed a switch to move from regular printed material to
Braille. Cost: $1,700.
|
| An administrative assistant in a social service agency has a
psychiatric disability that causes concentration and memory problems related to
word processing, filing, and telephone work.
|
Accommodations included using soothing music in one earphone
to block distractions and taped instructions to augment written material. Cost: $150.
|
| A police officer has a learning disability that makes it difficult
to take standard civil service tests.
|
Officer was permitted 50% more time to take the test and was
allowed to use a dictionary during the examination. Cost: $0.
|
| A laboratory technician has a permanent restriction on mobility
of head and neck, and must use a microscope on the job.
|
A periscope was attached to the microscope so the worker does not
need to lower her head and bend her neck to perform the job. Cost: $2,400.
|
| A chef who is paraplegic needs a way to move around the various work
stations in the kitchen.
|
The chef was provided with a stand-up wheelchair that allowed
flexibility and mobility, thereby eliminating the need to change the worksite
itself. Cost: Approximately $3,000.
|
| A highly skilled electronics company technician who has AIDS was
taking large amounts of annual and sick leave.
|
The employer provided a flexible work schedule and redistributed
portions of the workload. The company also instituted AIDS awareness training
for employees. Cost: $0.
|
| A severe brain injury has resulted in a computer programmer's
inability to read past the vertical midline of his computer screen, starting
at the left side.
|
The employer acquired a software package that has a feature for
splitting the screen.
|
|
