Assistive Technology Works!
Information For Employers
Assistive Technology Will Open Your Doors to a Diverse Workforce
At the end of the 20th Century, technology revolutionized the way you do business. Now technology can revolutionize who you do business with. Ramps, automatic doors, telephone devices for the deaf, accessible websites, and door chimes open your firm to new employees and new customers. A telephone amplifier, voice recognition software, or blocks under a desk could be all it takes to open your doors to workers who are ready, willing, and able to work.
Employers want qualified workers. Qualified people with disabilities want work. Assistive Technology is the key to opening your doors to an entire segment of qualified workers. An Assistive Technology device is used to maintain or improve a person's capabilities. An Assistive Technology service helps an individual select, acquire or learn to use an Assistive Technology device. Technological advances have opened up a host of jobs done by computer. If an applicant is computer proficient, it doesn't matter if they can walk, talk, see, or hear. Software that reads back data in a synthesized voice enables people who are blind to become modern computer workers. People who are deaf can perform any computer function, and communicate by telephone with a telecommunication device (TTY). People with little or no movement can operate computers with speech recognition software.
Not all Assistive Technology comes from the cutting edge of information technology. Lever door handles, gooseneck clamps for flexible mounting, and C-clamps for stabilization, can be found at any hardware store. Mechanical lifts and hand controls allow people with disabilities to operate heavy equipment on the farm or in the factory.
The Work Improvement Initiative Act was signed into law removing a huge barrier to employment for people with disabilities. People with disabilities can earn a living wage, work full time, and still buy into medical assistance. Many former recipients of income benefits are being transformed into taxpayers. These potential employees are available to any employer willing to commit themselves to diversity in their workforce. Tax incentives are available to for profit firms hiring individuals who have been receiving income benefits, or services from the Division of Rehabilitative Services. The Internal Revenue Service has information on tax credits available to fund Assistive Technology.
The Job Accommodation Network reports that the cost of a typical accommodation is $150. In 1996, a JAN survey of JAN employers/clients found the typical benefit of these accommodations was $5000. These benefits were realized in retaining and hiring, workers compensation savings, decreased turnover and increased productivity.
Sites of Interest:
- Employer Assistance Referral Network Recruit, hire and retain qualified workers.
- Office of Disability Employment Policy, a division of the U.S. Department of Labor, has a list of publications dealing with employment of people with disabilities. Included in this list are:
- National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research (NCDDR) has publications that focus on employment issues.
- WorkSupport.com is a gateway to information, resources, and services regarding the employment of people with disabilities.
- The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a free service of the Office of Disability Employment Policy of the U.S. Department of Labor. JAN's mission is to facilitate the employment and retention of workers with disabilities by providing employers, employment providers, people with disabilities, their family members and other interested parties with information on job accommodations, self-employment and small business opportunities and related subjects.
- The Social Security Administration Work Site provides employment support for people with disabilities.