Table Of ContentIndividual freedom cannot
existwithout economic
security and independence.
FranklinD. Roosevelt
This program isfundedthroughthe DepartmentofHuman Services, Officeof
Rehabilitation Services (DHS/ORS) undergrantWl 110290160fromthe U.S.
DepartmentofLabor. This publication does notnecessarilyreflectthe position
orpolicyofDHS/ORSorU.S. DepartmentofLaborand noofficial endorsement
should be inferred.
Workplace Technologies forPeople with Disabilities
publishedby
IllinoisAssistive Technology Project/TechConnect
1 West Old State Capitol Plaza
Suite 100
Springfield, IL 62701
217-522-7985 V
217-522-9966 tty
217-522-8067 fax
800-852-5110 v/ttylL only
[email protected]
www.iltech.org
www.at4u.org
Published 3/2002
Rev. 2/2003, 1000 copies
tms
RodR,Biagojevich,Governor IllinoisDepartmentofHumanServices CarolL.Adams,Ph.D.
100SouthGrandAvenue,East • Springfield,Illinois 62762
401 SouthClintonStreet • Chicago,Illinois 60607
April2003 (t
A
DearColleague:
On behalf ofthe Illinois Department ofHuman Services, Office ofRehabilitation
Services(ORS),Iampleasedtosharethisexcellentresourcemanualwithyou.Iwould
alsoliketoexpressmyappreciationtotheIllinoisAssistiveTechnologyProject(lATP)
stafffortheirhardworkincompiling suchacomprehensive, “userfriendly”manual.
Asyoureviewthisinformation,youwillseehowassistivetechnologycanmakeallthe
$
difference inthe lives ofpeoplewith disabilities, helpingthem succeedatworkand
alsoperformbasicdailylivingactivitiesathome.
As the lead state agencyforproviding services to individuals with disabilities, ORS
collaborateswithlATPandnumerouspartnerstohelppeoplewithdisabilitiesachieve
their goals in the areas ofemployment, education, and independent living. Working n
together, ORS, LATP, andotherconsortiumpartners areimplementingtheAccessto
EmploymentNetwork,astatewideinitiativefundedbytheU.S.DepartmentofLabor n
thatwillfacilitateafrillyaccessibleOne-Stop systemtosupportemploymentandjob
advancement for people with disabilities. While assistive technology is only one
componentoftliisinitiative, itplays acriticalroleinhelpingpeoplewithdisabilities n
reachtheirfullpotential.
I hope that this manual is helpful to you. If you have questions or need more
informationaboutassistivetechnology,pleasefeelfreetocontacttheIllinoisAssistive
TechnologyProjectat 1-800/852-5110 (V/TTY).
Sincerely,
RobertF. Kilbury,Rh.D.
AssociateDirector
OfficeofRehabilitationServices
Ackr]ow\ed0mente
James Mueller's book, The Workplace Workbook, An Illustrated
Guide toJobAccommodations andAssistive Technology, published
bythe Dole Foundation in 1990, wasthe major inspiration for many of
the ideas in this document. The sections titled. More Ideas ... are
summaries ofthe ideas in his book.
We mustalsothank The Interagency Program forAssistive
Technology in North Dakota (IPAT). Their publication, SoMons.' As-
sistive TechnologyforPeople with Hidden Disabilities, also inspired
many ideaswe incorporated into this book.
The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a constantsource of
good information about makingjob accommodationsforpeoplewith
disabilities. Their 10-step process reprinted in this bookwill be a help-
ful guide to all who use it.
Akout theHHnoieA^ebtive TechnologyFroject (lATF)
It is lATP'sjob to help people with disabilities getthetechnology
thatwill help them increase, maintain or improve theirskills. lATP is
consumercontrolled and operated. lATP offers:
• TechConnect Demonstration & Loan Center
• Information &Assistance
• Training
• TechNotes & TECHTALK
• Online Information
lATP receives fundsfrom the National Institute on Disability and
Rehabilitation Research and the Illinois Department ofHuman Ser-
vices, Office ofRehabilitation Services.
Call lATPformore information aboutworkplace technologies for
peoplewith disabilities.
Fronoune
This book uses thefeminine pronoun “she” and its variants. We do it
solelyforthe ease ofthe reader.
Dieclaimer
Neither lATP, or its funding sources, endorseanyspecificproduct.
Technologies highlighted in this book are merely examples.
Table of Contents
Peoplewith disabilitieswanttowork 7
What is assistivetechnology 8
Making ajob accessible 9
Universal design 11
Americans with DisabilitiesAct 13
Tax Incentives 13
Technologyfor peoplewith vision disabilities 17
Technologyfor peoplewith hearing disabilities 25
Technologyforpeoplewith manipulation&finemotordisabilities 33
. .
Technologyfor peoplewith mobility & balance disabilities 41
Technologyforpeoplewith mental illness,
cognitive ormemorydisabilities 51
Technologyfor peoplewith organization &
planning disabilities 57
Technologyforpeoplewith communication disabilities 65
Feople with Dieabilitiee Want to Work
Finding and keeping qualified workers in this economy is often the
mostchallenging partofrunning a business. Yet, employers often
overlook a large segmentofourqualified workforce. peoplewith
. .
disabilities. A Lou Harris ^ survey, found that:
• 98% believe thateveryone, including peoplewith disabilities,
should haveanequal opportunitytoparticipate inAmerican society;
• 90% said society benefits from having people with disabilities be-
come more productive ratherthan dependent upon publicfinan-
cial assistance;
• 82% see putting peoplewith disabilitiestoworkas a good thing
ratherthan a threat.
Based on the 1998 First Reportofthe
Presidential Task Force on Employmentof
Peoplewith Disabilities, seven outoften
unemployed peoplewith disabilitieswould
prefertowork. Illinois estimates that more
than 342,000 unemployed working age
citizenswith disabilitieswanttowork.
People with disabilities are as capable
and dependable as thosewithoutthem.
Yet, they continue to be passed by. Why?
One main reason isthe myth that hiring a person who has disabili-
ties means costlyaccommodations.^ It'sfundamentally untrue. Most
accommodations are easyto implementand costvery little.
About thie 3ook
This book isfilled with ideas about howemployers can increase
theirwork pool by accommodating the 7.8 million* working-age adults
with disabilities. It's intended forpeoplewith disabilities, employers,
employmentspecialists, caseworkers, advocates oranyone inter-
ested in improving employmentopportunitiesforpeople with disabili-
ties.
Two hundred years ago Charles Dickenswrote, “Change begets
change.” That’s even moretrue today. The greattechnology boon of
the pasttwo decades changed thewayall businesses operate. That
same change created opportunitiesforpeoplewith disabilities to be-
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Promoting Independent Living Through Technology
^
d
come partoftheworkforce . . .some, forthe veryfirsttime.
With this newtechnology (often called assistive technology) people
with disabilities can excel injobs thatwere previously closed tothem. ^
Theycan becomewageearnersandactivemembersoftheircommunities.
(j
*EducationKit, 2000. President'sCommitteeonEmploymentofPeoplewithDisabilities
What \e Aeeietive Technology?
It’s anything that helps someone do something. All technology is
assistive. It can be something designed foreveryone, like a grocery
cart; specificallydesigned fora segmentofthe population, like a
plumber’s adjustable wrench; or, uniquely de-
signed fora specific person, like prescription
eye glasses. However, theterm is mostoften
used to describe devicesthat help peoplewith
disabilities be more independentatwork,
school, home and anyotherplace they happen
tofind themselves.
It’sestimated thatthere are over 18,000
specifictechnologiesthatcan help someonewith a disability be more
independent.
Since technology isANYTHING thatcan help a person do some-
thing, it is impossibleto come upwith a list. Itcan be as lowtech as
Velcro oras high tech as a computersystem thatspeaksfora person
who is noteasily understood. That broad definition can befrustrating
for peoplewho are newto thefield, ordon’tencounterpeoplewith dis-
abilities often in theirworkorsocial life. That’s whywe’ve published
this guide.
The examples in this book represent a small percentage of work-
place technologies available today. We highlighted examples oflow,
medium, and high technologysolutions. But remember: there are
probablyfive toten more devicesthatare similar, aswell as other
waysto do a particularjob.
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[
ATP/TechConnect
HowDo Makea JobAcceeeible?
/
The JobAccommodation Network (JAN) offers these steps to em-
ployers who makejob accommodations. ^
Step 1: Define the problem .
Step 2: Is it possibleto modifythejob? Yes?
Step 3: Is it possible to modifythe existing facility? Yes?
Step 4: Does a productorservice existthatwould solve the prob-
Step 5: Can you use orcombine available products in away not
Step 6: Is it possible to modify a product? Yes? Modifythe prod-
Step 7: Is it possible to design a new product? Yes? Design the
Step 8: Are there alternative placement possibilities? Yes? Re-
Step 9: Redefine the situation.
Step 10: Maintain accommodations.
How Can KnowWhat’s Right?
I
The simple answer is, ifitworks. Suppose you hire an employee
who uses awheelchair. You knowthat yourbuilding is physicallyac-
cessible with entrance doors, interiordoors, bathrooms, parking lots
and elevators meeting all the current codes. Everything seems to be
right. However, on your newemployee’sfirst day, you learn she can-
notget herwheelchairfarenough underthe deskto use it. There
seem to be twoobstructions:
1. The desk is too low.
2. The wheelchair’sfootrests bang on the privacy panel in thefront
ofthe deskthat prevents herfrom getting asfar underthe desk as
she needs to be.
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Promoting Independent Living Through Technology
'i
(|
There are several options availableto you. You can:
(j
A. Raise the deskwith bricks or blocks on each corner, and cuta
.
half-moon in thefront modesty panel to accommodatethewheel-
chair’sfootrests. ^
B. Use a heightadjustable tablethat hastelescoping legs thatcan
^
be setatone height. To change the height, you must laythe desk
on its side. Use accessiblefiles and portable drawersto add
needed storage space.
C. Use an adjustable deskwithouta modesty panel. Ausercan
raise and lowerthe desk using a hand crank.
D. Use a newelectricadjustable deskwithouta modesty panel. The
userpushes a button to raise and lowerthe desk.
Is one solution betterthan anyofthe others? That’s a decision you
and the employee must make.
You may alsowantto have someone come in and assessthework
environmentand makesuggestions about howto make itworkfor
your newemployee.
Exploring^11 tho Options
When you are trying to solvethis
kind oftechnology problem, alwayscon-
siderthe least intrusive, mostcost-
effective solution first. Ifthatwon’twork,
move up to something a little higher
tech. Asthe steps above indicate, look
fora no-tech type ofsolution first, before Successfulartist, DanKeplinger
considering a device. Nosingle solution usesahead-sticktopaint,oneof
itsmanyuses.
works in all situations, even ifthe ac-
commodation isfor peoplewith the
same disability.
In ourexample, explore “A” first. Ifthatdoesn’twork, then maybe
“B” might. Ifthatdoesn’t work, try “C” and so on. Askyournew em-
ployee to explore the strengths and weaknesses ofeach option. To-
getheryou can find the bestoption to use.
Focus on the Task
Don’tget bogged down bya disability. Focus on whata person
needs to do and then search fortoolsthatwill help herdo it. For
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