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November 4, 2008    DOL Home > ODEP > Publications > Fact Sheets

Accommodations Get the Job Done

Accommodations are developed on an individual basis and in a partnership between the person with the disability and the employer. This teamwork generally results in cost-effective solutions. The elements to consider are (1) the job tasks that must be performed, (2) the functional limitations of the individual, and (3) whether the proposed accommodation(s) will result in undue hardship to the employer. Creative solutions may involve equipment changes, work station modifications, adjustments to work schedules, assistance in accessing the facility, and dozens of other possibilities, depending on the individual s particular limitations and needs.

Offered below are examples of accommodations that have been made for qualified workers with disabilities. These are samples only and are not necessarily the only possible solutions to the problems. To receive guidance on specific problems and possible solutions, call the Office of Disability Employment Policy's Job Accommodation Network at 800-526-7234, or 800-ADA-WORK (800-232-9675). JAN is a free service.

PROBLEM: A worker with a polycystic renal (kidney) disease is a senior technician in the coal industry who is responsible for the preparation of samples for testing. This employee requires Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) four times daily, with one exchange occurring during working hours.

SOLUTION: Space is made available in the dispensary for the employee to perform CAPD while at work. Storage space is also provided for extra supplies to be used in case of bad weather emergencies necessitating a second exchange at work. COST: $0.

PROBLEM: An assembler for a furniture manufacturer has spinal degeneration, uncoordinated gait and balance difficulties. The limitations involve walking, carrying materials and balancing.

SOLUTION: Installing a plywood platform to raise part of the work station, suspending tools from the ceiling to balance their weight and using a cart to move assembly parts. COST: $200.

PROBLEM: An airline programmer/analyst with post-polio fatigue brought on by stress cannot be on call 24 hours a day and work overtime as needed.

SOLUTION: Waiver of the requirements of 24-hour on-call duty and overtime. The employee works the hours prescribed for older adult worker program participants of the airline. COST: $0.

PROBLEM: A worker with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is employed at a bank, processing checks and other transactions. Items must be numbered and placed into a sorting machine tray in a special manner. The problem lay in periodic confusion due to memory loss and weakness in one side of his body.

SOLUTION: A job coach/trainer supplied by the rehabilitation agency assists in special training in task sequencing, and equipment is adjusted to accommodate weakness. COST: $0.

PROBLEM: An experienced electronics equipment inspector paralyzed from the waist down needs to perform tasks related to using precision equipment and assembly inspection; he needs rapid mobility around the plant.

SOLUTION: A heavy motorized wheelchair is stored on the premises overnight for his use in the plant. The employee uses his lightweight chair for travel. The bins containing items to be inspected are lowered, and a lap-board is provided for his specification books. COST: less than $200.

PROBLEM: Because of a severe hearing loss, a nurse is unable to monitor multiple alarms on medical equipment in the critical care unit.

SOLUTION: To continue to utilize her experience and training, the hospital transfers her to an open position in the laboratory, where a vibrating pager and a portable TTY/TTY is used to direct her to various locations throughout the hospital. COST: $634.

PROBLEM: The back problem of a well-drilling rig operator is aggravated by the constant vibration of the standard seat in the rig.

SOLUTION: A scientifically designed mechanical seat is installed which allows the operator to make necessary adjustments of position, absorbing most of the vibration. The seat is used by all workers and prevents additional trauma. Cost: $1,100.

PROBLEM: An administrative assistant with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has difficulty with using the phone, typing, computer input, completing forms and reports, and doing some filing.

SOLUTION: A cordless headset for the telephone is purchased, arm rest extensions from the edge of the desk are installed to reduce strain on wrists and arms, and a new effortless lock and handle are installed on the restroom door. COST: $450.

PROBLEM: A computer service technician with cerebral palsy loses function of the lower extremities. The job related problems include bending, stooping, balancing, and getting underneath the mainframe equipment to perform needed repairs.

SOLUTION: An automotive repair creeper is purchased and modified with back support to enable the employee to slide easily under the mainframes. COST: $30.

PROBLEM: A receptionist who is blind works at a law firm. She cannot see the lights on the phone console which indicate which telephone lines are ringing, on hold, or in use by staff.

SOLUTION: The employer purchases a light-probe, a penlike product which detects a lighted button. COST: $45.

PROBLEM: A clerk-typist with severe depression and problems with alcoholism experiences problems with the quality and quantity of her work.

SOLUTION: Employee is provided with extended sick leave to cover a short period of hospitalization and a modified work schedule to attend weekly psychotherapy treatment. Treatment is covered by company medical plan. COST: $0.

PROBLEM: A personnel manager with AIDS experiences a serious drop in energy levels during the mid-afternoon hours.

SOLUTION: A small chair that converts to a sleeping mat is provided. During a 90-minute afternoon break, the employee puts a Do not disturb sign on the door and takes a nap. All staff meetings are scheduled for the morning. The employee makes up the time in the evening or on weekends as necessary. COST: $50.

PROBLEM: An individual who has a congenital heart defect which limits strenuous activity, and mobility limitations due to childhood polio works as a receiving clerk, which requires unpacking merchandise, checking it in, assigning numbers, and making price checks.

SOLUTION: A rolling chair with locking wheels, which adjusts to the level of the task. COST: Cost: $200.

PROBLEM: A clerk with low back strain/sprain has limitations in lifting, bending, and squatting, all results of lower back injury. The job requires mail sorting and filing incoming documents in a large numerical filing system.

SOLUTION: Both the clerk and the documents are put on wheels! A rolling file stool is supplied for use when filing at lower levels, and upper-drawer filing is done with documents on a rolling cart, without need to lift or bend. COST: $44.

October 1994



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