Putting the Pieces Together: Job Accommodations and Employers
Abstract:
The assistive technology specialist is an expert in the
provision of assistive technology services to rehabilitation
consumers. Technology specialists traditionally work closely
with rehabilitation counselors, consumers, and therapists.
However, they are often times not as sensitive to the needs of
employers. Employers have unique needs and they appreciate
speaking with rehabilitation professionals who understand the
language of human resources and marketing.
It takes a multidisciplinary team within vocational
rehabilitation to fulfill the needs of both the consumer and the
employer. Rehabilitation counselors serve the needs of consumers
by helping them determine and setup the services they need.
Assistive technology specialists work directly with consumers
and technology to improve their functional abilities for
employment. Employer developers bridge the gap between the
rehabilitation world and the employers' world to ensure the job
accommodation needs of the consumer are met and the employer's
concerns are addressed. Alabama vocational rehabilitation
maintains an employer database, which shows many employers
return to vocational rehabilitation repeatedly for assistance in
hiring employees with disabilities, and to assist them in
accommodating current employees who have become disabled.
By using a multidisciplinary team with expertise in marketing,
assistive technology and accommodation services, and
rehabilitation counseling, we are able to link people with
disabilities and employers together to implement job
accommodations to create successful employment outcomes.
Keywords:
rehabilitation, assistive technology, job accommodations,
disability, employment, placement
Background
The goal of vocational rehabilitation is to assist eligible
people with disabilities to improve their opportunities for
employment. The employment rate for people with severe
disabilities in 1995 was only 26.1%. The employment rate for
people with disabilities decreased while employment for people
without disabilities increased during the economic expansion of
the late 1990s . People with severe disabilities often must turn
to a vocational rehabilitation counselor for assistance in
finding and maintaining employment. The counselor and consumer
work with a variety of different professionals to assist with
the rehabilitation process. The various service providers who
work with the consumer, such as vocational evaluators, rehab
teachers, therapists, interpreters, orientation and mobility
specialists, and assistive technologists are well trained in
providing for the needs of rehab consumers, but do not
necessarily have a very good understanding of the needs of
employers. The traditional method of vocational rehabilitation
does not address the concerns or needs of the employer in a
timely fashion. Applicants for VR services could wait up to 60
days before they are determined eligible. They may have to wait
even longer for funding and resources before they start to
receive services. Considering FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act)
only provides for 90 days of leave, many people loose their jobs
long before they start receiving services.
Employers have a business, company, or organization to run, and
work 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 their
concern that the person can actually do the work. Employers also
have concerns when they have a current employee who has become
disabled. Common employer concerns with employees who are
disabled include: is the disability covered by the ADA, what are
the legal obligations under the ADA, should accommodations be
provided if the employee's disability is not covered under the
ADA, and how will accommodating an employee affect co-workers.
Method
There are several important pieces that must be brought together
to effectively assist employees with disabilities in maintaining
their jobs.
The first piece is to have trained rehabilitation professionals
available to provide services. As in many agencies, vocational
rehabilitation in Alabama uses a multidisciplinary
organizational team, which includes employment developers,
assistive technologists, and rehabilitation counselors who work
with employers and employees with disabilities to identify and
address accommodations needs. The second piece is to provide
services in a timely fashion. The goal is to treat both the
person with the disability and the employer as a consumer of
services.
The rehabilitation counselor fills the traditional role of case
management, providing information, resources, counseling and
guidance. Counselors work closely with consumers to coordinate
the services necessary to assist them in finding and maintaining
employment. These services may include: vocational evaluation,
education or training, interpreter services, and purchasing
assistive technology and equipment.
The assistive technology specialist works directly with the
consumer and their co-workers or supervisor to evaluate and
recommend technology to improve their functional abilities
and/or modify the work environment.
The employer development coordinator assists consumers with job
readiness training and job seeking skills. They also work
directly with companies providing assistance with disability
management issues, such as consultations, disability awareness
training, consulting on ADA and other issues, job analysis, as
well as placing qualified people with disabilities in available
jobs. The employer development coordinator bridges the gap
between the rehabilitation world and the employers' world to
assist consumers with job placement and retention services.
Timeliness is a major problem when providing services to
employers. Often, either the employee or the employer have
waited until the last minute to begin to address the situation.
The goal in a job retention case where the employee is in
immediate danger of losing their job is that one of the team
members be on the job site within 3 business days.
Vocational rehabilitation in Alabama has formalized job
retention services in a program called RAVE, Retaining A Valued
Employee. This program has a dual focus; first to assist workers
with disabilities in retaining their employment, and second to
assist employers in retaining their trained and experienced
employees whose jobs are in jeopardy due to disability.
Results
Using the RAVE approach, vocational rehabilitation has developed
a close partnership with many employers in Alabama and has
assisted them in accommodating and retaining employees.
For the 12 month period from the start of the third quarter in
2004 to the end of second quarter 2005 (July 1 - June 30), there
were 74 employer consultations concerning retaining a worker
with a disability. Of those consultations, 48 employees retained
employment in their position. This is an employment retention
rate of approximately 65%. The employees who were not able to
retain their positions received assistance in finding another
position within their organization, or finding work with a new
employer.
Vocational rehabilitation has maintained a very close
relationship with one large employer located in the Birmingham
area by providing many formal and informal services. During a 3
year test period, 129 employees with disabilities received job
accommodation assistance. Of those employees, 87 were able to
continue working in their current job. Employees who were not
able to retain employment in their current position were
provided with vocational testing, training, and job placement
services as needed.
Since the inception of this program, there has been
approximately a two-thirds retention rate for employees with
disabilities who are referred for job accommodation services.
Discussion
The system that has evolved in Alabama has been effective at
placing people with disabilities into employment, as well as
assisting those already employed in acquiring the accommodations
they need to maintain employment or be eligible for promotion.
The system treats both the consumer and the employer as a
customer, providing both with services to meet the needs of both
parties.
The RAVE program approach has allowed vocational rehabilitation
to build a partnership with employers that encourages them to
seek help with their disability management issues and in
providing job accommodations. Many companies that participate in
this program are also more willing to hire and work with
vocational rehabilitation to accommodate new employees with
disabilities.
Conclusion
A multidisciplinary team, which includes expertise in marketing,
assistive technology services, and rehabilitation counseling
that works with people with disabilities and employers together
to implement job accommodations in a timely fashion benefits
both parties and creates successful employment outcomes.
Research is needed on how to further bring businesses into the
rehabilitation process and to determine which services will
encourage them to repeatedly hire people with disabilities. A
survey is needed of small, medium, and large organizations in
the fields of consumer and business services, manufacturing,
government, education, and health care to determine what types
of services would be useful to them in hiring people with severe
disabilities. Additionally further study is needed to compare
the long term efficacy of assisting employees with disabilities
maintain their existing employment versus consumers in the
standard vocational rehabilitation process who are finding new
jobs. A comparison of the cost and time necessary to provide
services between people who are trying to retain employment and
people who are seeking employment would also help in determining
if a RAVE style program is worth implementing on a national
level.
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