Assistive Technology as an Accommodation in Work Settings

As in school and other settings (e.g. home, community) one of the roles of AT is to include and integrate persons with disabilities into such environments by facilitating the completion of the required environmental (e.g. school, home, work) tasks. Determining what type of AT to provide as an employment accommodation for an individual with a disability is challenging. Employers should consider contacting AT related resources such as vocational rehab agencies and applying a proper decision-making process to achieve a successful AT fit. The Job Accommodations Network (JAN, 2005) proposed the following five step process to assist with the selection of the proper AT device or intervention for employment related accommodations.

When making the accommodation, it is important that employers consider any possible changes in the individual's functional limitations or job duties that would alter current accommodations. If an accommodation is available that would help the individual in his/her current condition as well as a projected future condition (if the disability is degenerative), that accommodation would be most appropriate. When changes occur, an employer may need to provide further AT accommodations (JAN, 2005). Also it is important to recognize the similarities between this five step decision-making process and other paradigms, such as the Adaptations Framework and the SETT Model in the selection of AT for individuals with disabilities. As mentioned before, attention to each step is critical for ensuring the optimal match between technology and user within the specified environment.

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