Denetta L. Dowler

Employer benefits from making workplace accommodations

BACKGROUND This study explored workplace disability accommodations and their benefits. The participants were employers and human resource professionals who had not used the services of the Job Accommodation Network (JAN). The companies included large businesses (more than 499 employees) and small businesses (fewer than 500 employees). OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS The intent of this investigation was to assess the disability accommodations and benefits for the employers. METHODS The study used responses to online survey from194 employers to discuss disability-related accommodations for an employee or potential employee. The survey included 128 employers who reported having had a person with a disability who requested an accommodation. RESULTS As reported by the employers, the most frequently mentioned direct benefits from implementing workplace accommodations were (a) retained a qualified employee, (b) increased worker productivity, and (c) eliminated the cost of training a new employee. The most frequently mentioned indirect benefits from accommodations were (a) improved interactions with coworkers, (b) increased overall company morale, and (c) increased overall company productivity. The most frequently reported types of implemented accommodations were buying equipment and changing work schedules. Most of the respondents estimated the direct benefits of having made an accommodation at more than

Accommodating workers with spinal cord injury

1000. CONCLUSIONS The findings heighten awareness of benefits associated with making accommodations for people with disabilities in the workplace. These benefits signify value for business, coworkers, and individuals with disabilities for whom accommodations are critical for successful employment.

Outcomes of reasonable accommodations in the workplace

Over 1000 cases from the Job Accommodation Network caseload that involved workers with spinal cord injury were examined in terms of the nature of the industry, job, career progression, job function and accommodation solutions suggested. The cases for those who reported the disability as paraplegia and quadriplegia were compared. Suggested accommodations and issues raised by the callers are also discussed.

Disability and Income

A sample of Job Accommodation Network cases was examined to describe accommodations made in the workplace. An analysis of successful accommodation cases from an informal survey was conducted to determine the accommodation outcomes. The surveys revealed that businesses are making reasonable accommodations that they perceive as effective, economically beneficial, and that improve worker productivity and satisfaction. Accommodations are made across types of industry, types of jobs, and job functions. Most accommodations in this sample involved purchase of a product. Over half of the accommodations were for those in professionaIjpara-professional and clerical job classes. A variety of disabling conditions were included in the sample, but individuals with upper extremity limitations as a result of amputation, arthritis, and repetitive strain injuries represented the highest proportion of the sample. The cost figures for these accommodations as reported by the employers were consistent with accommodation cost information found in the literature. Copyright

Personal assistance services in the workplace: A literature review

It has long been recognized that people with disabilities usually have less earnings than workers who do not have disabilities. The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA)-911 data for 2012 were examined to determine the “true” income of workers with disabilities. The 2012 database included 579,312 cases closed during that year. The benefits and earnings of the whole data set and of 17 disability groups were examined. That is, the amount of earnings (at application for Vocational Rehabilitation [VR] services and at case closure) were combined with the amount of benefits to determine (a) whether total income increased from application for VR services to case closure, (b) the proportion of total income from benefits versus earnings, and (c) how total income for these consumers compared with the poverty level. Overall, those data revealed a 326% increase in total income from application to closure. At application, the proportion of total monthly income from earnings was 42%, whereas at closure, it had shifted to 83% of total income from earnings. Income relative to the poverty threshold was 57% for all clients at application, but had increased to 185% at closure. Results are also provided for each of the 17 disability groups.

Personal Assistance Services (PAS) for individuals with disabilities: Self-care at the workplace

BACKGROUND Personal assistance services (PAS) can be valuable adjuncts to the complement of accommodations that support workers with disabilities. This literature review explored the professional literature on the use of PAS in the workplace. METHODS Bibliographic sources were used to locate relevant research studies on the use of PAS in the workplace. The studies in this review used both qualitative and quantitative methods to identify current definitions of work-related and personal care-related PAS, agency-directed versus consumer-directed PAS, long-term and short-term funding issues, development of PAS policy, and barriers to successful implementation of PAS. RESULTS The studies uncovered issues related to (a) recruiting, training, and retaining personal assistants, (b) employer concerns, (c) costs and benefits of workplace PAS, (d) wages and incentives for personal assistants, and (e) sources for financing PAS as a workplace accommodation. CONCLUSION The findings reveal the value and benefits of effective PAS on the job. PAS can lead to successful employment of people with disabilities when other accommodations cannot provide adequate workplace support. Additionally, the evolution of workplace PAS is dependent on development of realistic PAS policy and funding options.

Real-Life Issues in Job Accommodation

OBJECTIVE The intent of this investigation was to identify current definitions, issues, and strategies related to the use of Personal Assistance Services (PAS) in the workplace. PARTICIPANTS The participants were employees with disabilities who used PAS in the workplace as well as employers who participated in research studies over the past 20 years. METHODS More than 30 articles were reviewed to determine PAS definitions, use, policies, and outcomes. A comprehensive search of bibliographic resources (e.g., EBSCOhost) was conducted to identify appropriate articles. RESULTS The articles revealed current definitions of workplace PAS, demonstrated an increasing need for PAS, and highlighted fiscal and societal barriers to the full implementation of PAS at work. CONCLUSIONS The outcomes clarify the historical components, but also identify questions that remain. These questions concern the effectiveness of PAS, best practices for funding PAS, and the need for national and local policies to support the use of PAS for workers with disabilities.

Assistive technology: Choosing the right tool for the right job

Over 2, 000 recent cases from the files of the Job Accommodation Network were examined to expose the relationships among the issues discussed, the type of lob involved, and the career progression of individuals with disabilities for calls by employees with disabilities and calls by their employers. Six types of issues (understanding the Americans with Disabilities Act [ADA], impact of the accommodation, cortjlict between employer and employee, cost, government agency problems, and other) were identified. Both employers and employees cited understanding the ADA as their most critical concern. As implementation of the ADA proceeds, it is expected that issues of concern will shift from definitions of ADA terminology to more practical implementation strategies.