Employment: Accommodations

» An employee has disclosed that he/she needs effective communication because of a disability. Your first thought is a sign language interpreter, even though they have not requested one. How can you explore this request?

A solution can be to make ITY a part of the overall communication plan. There may be times that an ITY is warranted, and there may be times that a sign language interpreter makes the most sense. The employer should have an interactive discussion about the employee's need. The key to making this a financial balancing act is to have a plan in place, implementing the right communication tool at the right time.

» An employee with a speech disability is exploring options for a better effective communication device for his job. He is a computer programmer who has contact with staff on many levels and has asked his supervisor to have a conversation about this, so that they purchase the most effective one. What is the responsibility of the employer to provide this device?

The regulations read that an employer is not responsible for purchasing such things that are deemed "personal in nature." This can include wheelchairs, hearing aids and medical equipment. But in the scenario above, the employer is not responding to a request that is outside the scope of the employee's job. Effective communication in the workplace is imperative, particularly for employees who have to communicate on many levels. The employer can use the tax incentives to help offset the cost.

» There is an employee who is returning to work after she had a stroke. Her speech is now impaired and the type of work she does requires her to be able to have communication with customers daily. She works for a county agency. Upon returning to work, the employee has requested reasonable accommodation because of her speech difficulties. How should the employer complete her return to work plan?

It will be important that the employee mentioned above has access to a technology that can facilitate two-way conversations. She needs to both give and receive information. Her therapist has provided the employer documentation that explains how such a device like an ITY can accommodate her abilities to meet the essential functions of her job. It provides her a modality to have communication with constituents as well as her colleagues. Since the cost was less than $1,000, the county agency proceeded to purchase one for her. When and if she may not need it, they are able to use it for a potential future situation.

» An employee is in need of an accommodation that will assist in participating in meetings and keeping notes. The employer is unsure of exactly which equipment can provide this. She mentions she would like to use a "computer assisted device."

Make sure to explore all options, when it comes to reasonable accommodation. There may need to be a technology assessment done to see which device will be the most effective. If the employee is receiving vocational rehabilitation services, then VR may be able to provide the assessment. If it has been determined that a device like ITY is effective, then VR and the employer can work together to pay for it. If that financial partnership doesn't work, the employer may want to tap into the tax incentives to help offset the cost.

» A nurse practitioner has developed a degenerative hearing loss disability. She has had some of her equipment modified, like her stethoscope, but still needs an accommodation that will allow her to communicate, obtain information from patients and import that information to the computer. Most employees use a stationary computer, but she needs something that is portable.

The employee decided that the ITY was her choice. It gave her the versatility to communicate with her patients as well as being able to import the information to the stationary computer. Since the ITY connects directly to a computer, it eliminated the paper pencil-then to computer process. The doctor's office found it not only helpful for this employee but also patients who were deaf or heard of hearing. The employer was able to make this reasonable accommodation not only be effective for the employee but also with patients.