Creativity Inspires Accomodations

02/27/07

A sampling of ADA-related problems, culled from the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) archives, shows that creative accommodations can cost very little:

A clerk became unable to reach with her arms and thus unable to retrieve files. The company spent $85 on a “lazy susan” file holder. Problem solved.

Due to a learning disability, a saw operator couldn’t measure in fractions of an inch. For a cost of $5, the company created a card that showed an enlarged inch labeled with fractions. The employee could hold it up to the saw’s measurement scale and compare it. That enabled him to cut items to the proper width.

A one-handed cook couldn’t open cans. The restaurant found a one-handed can opener for $35.

Create Low-cost Accommodations
JAN studies show that more than half of all accommodations cost less than $500.

While there’s no guarantee that you can provide an acceptable accommodation for little or no money, it pays to think creatively before making costly changes. This checklist of ideas will help you get your creative juices flowing.

Define the problem clearly. What is it exactly that keeps an employee from performing an essential job task? A physical symptom? The configuration of a machine or piece of equipment? The way the workplace is set up? A cognitive disorder? Clearly defining a problem may give you an idea for a solution immediately.
Ask the employee for solutions. Disabled employees can be wonderfully creative in eliminating barriers to an enjoyable life and productive work.
Rearrange the work area or move it entirely. Raise or lower desks, move workspaces away from problem areas like drafty hallways or dusty workrooms, turn desks away from windows, etc.
Add devices/equipment/furniture. A clerk in a wheelchair can’t reach the top drawer of a vertical file. Solution: Replace the vertical file with a horizontal file. An employee with MS can no longer turn a screwdriver. Solution: Replace conventional screwdrivers with battery-operated ones.
Modify a product or equipment. Add an anti-glare screen, for example, to the computer belonging to an employee with eye problems. Refit a machine with levers instead of knobs. Replace hand controls with foot controls.
Restructure the job. You have many options here. If an employee is having trouble performing minor or secondary tasks, assign them to someone else. Alter when or how the job is done. Let people work from home. Allow employees to trade job duties. Reduce hours.
Consider whether medical leave would eliminate the problem. Maybe the em-ployee needs to rest a wrist, for example, or undergo rehab or physical therapy.
Reconstruct portions of the workplace. Add a ramp, put grab bars in bathrooms, put an exhaust fan where there is none, etc. This is where things might get costly, so investigate all other avenues for accommodation first.
Reassign the employee to a vacant position.

Don’t Go It Alone
If you’re stumped for a solution or faced with a costly one, call your state or local vocational services department. Most states have people dedicated to the task of helping the disabled remain employed. They may have a databank of solutions or industrial engineers who can help.

Some state and local social-services agencies even have funds available to pay for accommodations.