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Putting the Pieces Together: Job Accommodations and Employers
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By Michael Papp
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Abstract:
The assistive technology specialist is an expert in theprovision of assistive technology services to rehabilitationconsumers. Technology specialists traditionally work closelywith rehabilitation counselors, consumers, and therapists.However, they are often times not as sensitive to the needs ofemployers. Employers have unique needs and they appreciatespeaking with rehabilitation professionals who understand thelanguage of human resources and marketing.
It takes a multidisciplinary team within vocationalrehabilitation to fulfill the needs of both the consumer and theemployer. Rehabilitation counselors serve the needs of consumersby helping them determine and setup the services they need.Assistive technology specialists work directly with consumersand technology to improve their functional abilities foremployment. Employer developers bridge the gap between therehabilitation world and the employers' world to ensure the jobaccommodation needs of the consumer are met and the employer'sconcerns are addressed. Alabama vocational rehabilitationmaintains an employer database, which shows many employersreturn to vocational rehabilitation repeatedly for assistance inhiring employees with disabilities, and to assist them inaccommodating current employees who have become disabled.
By using a multidisciplinary team with expertise in marketing,assistive technology and accommodation services, andrehabilitation counseling, we are able to link people withdisabilities and employers together to implement jobaccommodations to create successful employment outcomes.
Keywords:
rehabilitation, assistive technology, job accommodations,disability, employment, placement
Background
The goal of vocational rehabilitation is to assist eligiblepeople with disabilities to improve their opportunities foremployment. The employment rate for people with severedisabilities in 1995 was only 26.1%. The employment rate forpeople with disabilities decreased while employment for peoplewithout disabilities increased during the economic expansion ofthe late 1990s . People with severe disabilities often must turnto a vocational rehabilitation counselor for assistance infinding and maintaining employment. The counselor and consumerwork with a variety of different professionals to assist withthe rehabilitation process. The various service providers whowork with the consumer, such as vocational evaluators, rehabteachers, therapists, interpreters, orientation and mobilityspecialists, and assistive technologists are well trained inproviding for the needs of rehab consumers, but do notnecessarily have a very good understanding of the needs ofemployers. The traditional method of vocational rehabilitationdoes not address the concerns or needs of the employer in atimely fashion. Applicants for VR services could wait up to 60days before they are determined eligible. They may have to waiteven longer for funding and resources before they start toreceive services. Considering FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act)only provides for 90 days of leave, many people loose their jobslong before they start receiving services.
Employers have a business, company, or organization to run, andwork must get done. When hiring an employee with a disability,the employer has concerns, such as safety, absenteeism,insurance costs, costs of job accommodations or restructuring,impact on other employees, previous bad experiences, and theirconcern that the person can actually do the work. Employers alsohave concerns when they have a current employee who has becomedisabled. Common employer concerns with employees who aredisabled include: is the disability covered by the ADA, what arethe legal obligations under the ADA, should accommodations beprovided if the employee's disability is not covered under theADA, and how will accommodating an employee affect co-workers.
Method
There are several important pieces that must be brought togetherto effectively assist employees with disabilities in maintainingtheir jobs.
The first piece is to have trained rehabilitation professionalsavailable to provide services. As in many agencies, vocationalrehabilitation in Alabama uses a multidisciplinaryorganizational team, which includes employment developers,assistive technologists, and rehabilitation counselors who workwith employers and employees with disabilities to identify andaddress accommodations needs. The second piece is to provideservices in a timely fashion. The goal is to treat both theperson with the disability and the employer as a consumer ofservices.
The rehabilitation counselor fills the traditional role of casemanagement, providing information, resources, counseling andguidance. Counselors work closely with consumers to coordinatethe services necessary to assist them in finding and maintainingemployment. These services may include: vocational evaluation,education or training, interpreter services, and purchasingassistive technology and equipment.
The assistive technology specialist works directly with theconsumer and their co-workers or supervisor to evaluate andrecommend technology to improve their functional abilitiesand/or modify the work environment.
The employer development coordinator assists consumers with jobreadiness training and job seeking skills. They also workdirectly with companies providing assistance with disabilitymanagement issues, such as consultations, disability awarenesstraining, consulting on ADA and other issues, job analysis, aswell as placing qualified people with disabilities in availablejobs. The employer development coordinator bridges the gapbetween the rehabilitation world and the employers' world toassist consumers with job placement and retention services.
Timeliness is a major problem when providing services toemployers. Often, either the employee or the employer havewaited until the last minute to begin to address the situation.The goal in a job retention case where the employee is inimmediate danger of losing their job is that one of the teammembers be on the job site within 3 business days.
Vocational rehabilitation in Alabama has formalized jobretention services in a program called RAVE, Retaining A ValuedEmployee. This program has a dual focus; first to assist workerswith disabilities in retaining their employment, and second toassist employers in retaining their trained and experiencedemployees whose jobs are in jeopardy due to disability.
Results
Using the RAVE approach, vocational rehabilitation has developeda close partnership with many employers in Alabama and hasassisted them in accommodating and retaining employees.
For the 12 month period from the start of the third quarter in2004 to the end of second quarter 2005 (July 1 - June 30), therewere 74 employer consultations concerning retaining a workerwith a disability. Of those consultations, 48 employees retainedemployment in their position. This is an employment retentionrate of approximately 65%. The employees who were not able toretain their positions received assistance in finding anotherposition within their organization, or finding work with a newemployer.
Vocational rehabilitation has maintained a very closerelationship with one large employer located in the Birminghamarea by providing many formal and informal services. During a 3year test period, 129 employees with disabilities received jobaccommodation assistance. Of those employees, 87 were able tocontinue working in their current job. Employees who were notable to retain employment in their current position wereprovided with vocational testing, training, and job placementservices as needed.
Since the inception of this program, there has beenapproximately a two-thirds retention rate for employees withdisabilities who are referred for job accommodation services.
Discussion
The system that has evolved in Alabama has been effective atplacing people with disabilities into employment, as well asassisting those already employed in acquiring the accommodationsthey need to maintain employment or be eligible for promotion.The system treats both the consumer and the employer as acustomer, providing both with services to meet the needs of bothparties.
The RAVE program approach has allowed vocational rehabilitationto build a partnership with employers that encourages them toseek help with their disability management issues and inproviding job accommodations. Many companies that participate inthis program are also more willing to hire and work withvocational rehabilitation to accommodate new employees withdisabilities.
Conclusion
A multidisciplinary team, which includes expertise in marketing,assistive technology services, and rehabilitation counselingthat works with people with disabilities and employers togetherto implement job accommodations in a timely fashion benefitsboth parties and creates successful employment outcomes.
Research is needed on how to further bring businesses into therehabilitation process and to determine which services willencourage them to repeatedly hire people with disabilities. Asurvey is needed of small, medium, and large organizations inthe fields of consumer and business services, manufacturing,government, education, and health care to determine what typesof services would be useful to them in hiring people with severedisabilities. Additionally further study is needed to comparethe long term efficacy of assisting employees with disabilitiesmaintain their existing employment versus consumers in thestandard vocational rehabilitation process who are finding newjobs. A comparison of the cost and time necessary to provideservices between people who are trying to retain employment andpeople who are seeking employment would also help in determiningif a RAVE style program is worth implementing on a nationallevel.
References:
Hayward, Becky J. , Schmidt-Davis, Holly. "Longitudinal Study ofthe Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program." DisabilityResearch Institute May 2003..
Kraus, Lewis E., Stoddard, Susan, and Gilmartin, David (1996)."Chartbook on Disability in the United States, 1996. An InfoUseReport." Washington, DC: U.S. National Institute on Disabilityand Rehabilitation Research.
Siewert, Sally. "A Study of Employers Perceived Needs andAttitudes in Region IV." 29 July 2002. Online PowerPoint.VrRegion4.org. .
Stapleton, David., Burkhauser , Richard., Houtenville, Andrew."Has the Employment Rate of People with Disabilities Declined?"Rehabilitation Research and Training Center for EconomicResearch on Employment Policy for Persons with DisabilitiesDecember 2004.
Stoddard, S., Jans, L., Ripple, J. & Kraus, L. "Chartbook onWork and Disability." Access to Disability Data 1998..
United States. Rehabilitation Services Administration."Achieving Successful Employment Outcomes With the Use ofAssistive Technology." Menomonie, WI. May 1998.
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