Talent Knows No Limits
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" I think that the bottom line is that it really isn't the disability, it is what they bring to the organization"

Job Accommodation Resources

 

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) provides individualized accommodation solutions and technical assistance.

DoItMyselfBlog.com has a Checklist for Planning an Accessible Event to ensure that all attendees at your meetings feel welcomed.

The National Federation of the Blind has an active job posting board and many career and employer resources.

New California rules allow you to work and still keep your Medi-Cal health insurance and Workplace Personal Assistance–it’s explained in this brochure from CHIIP.

The California Telephone Access Program (CTAP) ) for people with limitations of hearing, vision, mobility, speech, and/or interpretation of information.

The California Relay Service (CRS) offers free operator-assisted relay of live telephone conversations between hearing- or speech-disabled people and anyone else, 24x7 in English and Spanish.

Free Assistive Technologies is an online, single stop library of free assistive technology software applications.

Don’t let a company’s Web site discourage a qualified job candidate with a disability. Review this list of Web accessibility standards from the U.S. Dept. Justice.

Designing More Usable Web Sites tells you how people with disabilities use the web, so that you can improve your website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Situations and Solutions

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.

In December, 1994, the President's Committee's Job Accommodation Network (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.

Situation: A greenhouse worker with mental retardation has difficulty staying on task and knowing when to take breaks.
Solution: 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.

Situation: A radio broadcaster/announcer who is blind needs to read the AP wire news desk material.
Solution: 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.

Situation: 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.
Solution: Accommodations included using soothing music in one earphone to block distractions and taped instructions to augment written material. Cost: $150.

Situation: A police officer has a learning disability that makes it difficult to take standard civil service tests.
Solution: Officer was permitted 50% more time to take the test and was allowed to use a dictionary during the examination. Cost: $0.

Situation: A laboratory technician has a permanent restriction on mobility of head and neck, and must use a microscope on the job.
Solution: 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.

Situation: A chef who is paraplegic needs a way to move around the various work stations in the kitchen.
Solution: 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.