JAN E-News is the quarterly newsletter of the Job Accommodation Network. This newsletter will help keep you informed of new work site accommodation tools and techniques, changes at JAN, and other issues important to improving employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

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Index

1. JAN Conference 2006 Scheduled for September 18-19
2. “EEOC on Job Accommodation Issues” Audio Conference on May 2
3. Center for PAS Seeks Promising Practices
4. Resources for Disabled Service Members
5. CAP & JAN: Your Partners in Accommodation Service
6. Service Animals at Work
7. JAN Exhibit and Training Schedule
8. Contact JAN

1 - JAN Conference 2006 Scheduled for September 18-19

The Fifth Annual JAN Conference will be held September 18 and 19 at the Hilton Boston Logan Airport. The three concurrent session tracks include: Accommodation, Innovative Employment Practices, and ADA/Legal. Keynote sessions will feature Christine M. Griffin, Commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); John D. Kemp, Principal, Powers, Pyles, Sutter & Verville; W. Roy Grizzard, Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor; and Dinah F.B. Cohen, Director of the Department of Defense Computer/Electronics Accommodations Program (CAP). Approximately 25 suppliers of accommodation goods and services will host exhibits. CEUs are available.

2 - “EEOC on Job Accommodation Issues” Audio Conference on May 2

This second event in JAN's Accommodation and Compliance Series features Sharon Rennert, Attorney Advisor, US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Linda Batiste, JAN Consultant. The speakers will provide legal and practical information about medical exams and inquiries, safety, direct threat, and other tough accommodation issues as well as respond to questions from participants. Captioning is available.

3 - Center for PAS Seeks Promising Practices

The Center for Personal Assistance Services is seeking Workplace Personal Assistance Services (WPAS) promising practice nominations from private and public employers. WPAS include work task-related assistance, such as the use of an assistant to read business documents not otherwise available electronically, a sign language interpreter for company meeting or training, and help lifting or reaching work-related items. WPAS may include personal care-related assistance such as helping an employee to access the restroom, eat or drink at work, or travel for business purposes.

Do you have a promising practice to share? Please tell us more about it. Go to: http://www.jan.wvu.edu/media/PAS.html and click on the hyperlink in order to nominate the WPAS practice. We will follow up with a call to hear more about the success of the practice. WPAS promising practices will be developed into a series of case studies. These case studies will be disseminated to other employers wishing to replicate the successful practice.

4 - Resources for Disabled Service Members

Today, the Global War on Terrorism is changing the landscape of the workplace. These changes are creating a need for veterans with disabilities and their employers to be aware of the challenges faced by our returning service members. Many veterans have been exposed to traumatic events, or have suffered injuries that may result in motor, sensory, and/or cognitive impairments. As our service members make the transition into civilian life, there is a growing need for accommodations in the workplace.

JAN assists employers and veterans by identifying accommodations in the workplace, discussing disability rights information, and linking callers to service organizations in their communities and across the country. For more information, visit JAN’s Consultant’s Corner at http://www.jan.wvu.edu/corner/vol03iss02.htm which contains links for veteran-specific resources, or call a JAN consultant for further information.

The following is an example of the accommodations a returning service member may require:

Situation: A veteran with a traumatic injury to her vocal cords needed accommodations for increasing her vocal volume when communicating with customers.

Solution: Her employer accommodated her with a portable speech amplifier. Cost: $225.00.

Reintegrating veterans into civilian life and the workplace has become the mission for several programs and organizations. The following are valuable resources for veterans, employers, and rehab professionals:

• The Veterans' Reemployment and Training Service (VETS) offers training resources and services for returning service members. More information is available at http://www.dol.gov/vets/welcome.html
• REALifelines assists in a seamless transition into civilian life by offering linkage to vital resources including one-to-one employment assistance. More information is available at http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/real-life/main.htm
• The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USSERA) facilitates the employment and reemployment of US service members. More information is available at http://www.dol.gov/elaws/userra.htm
• Veteran’s Preference affords veterans special rights and privileges for federal employment. The Veteran’s Preference VETGUIDE can be found at http://www.opm.gov/veterans/html/vetguide.asp
• The Veterans Administration Readjustment Counseling offers veterans confidential counseling services to assist in the readjustment process. Most services are available in or near the veterans’ respective communities. Further information about these services is available at http://www.va.gov/rcs/
• CAP services: CAP is committed to providing assistive technology and support to returning wounded service members that are employed by the federal government. Accommodations are available for wounded service members with vision or hearing loss, upper extremity amputees as well as persons with communication and other disabilities to access the computer and telecommunication environment. For more information on CAP’s services go to http://www.tricare.osd.mil/cap/Initiatives/WSM.cfm

- Jill Hess

5 - CAP & JAN: Your Partners in Accommodation Service

JAN Consultant Beth Loy visited the Pentagon on April 5, 2006, in a joint venture with the Department of Defense's Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP). Beth joined CAP's Dexterity Team to speak about CAP and JAN services, demonstrate assistive technologies, discuss accommodations for people with dexterity impairments, and respond to specific questions on accommodations. Over 200 individuals received JAN information on dexterity impairments, brain injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder, emergency evacuation, and other aspects of accommodation.

Having JAN participate in our demo day at the Pentagon added so much value to our customers educational experience. Some of them came just to talk to Beth so we were all so excited that they were able to join us for such a successful day," said Sharon Terrell-Lindsay the CAP Dexterity Team Leader.

Members of the Military Severely Injured Center (http://www.military.com/support) were also present to discuss programs available to returning service members. "We talked with returning service members and veterans with disabilities about how they can use assistive technology in the workplace, and it was a really fulfilling day."

"It's a way for JAN to contribute to our recovery." Dinah Cohen, CAP Director, expressed her thanks. “JAN is truly the leading information resource on legal and accommodation solutions for people with disabilities. CAP and JAN work very closely together to improve employment and accommodations solutions for people with disabilities. CAP's scope is to provide the assistive technology to federal employees with disabilities. The staff at JAN works with us to help identify the appropriate solutions. CAP and JAN are working together to address the needs of our returning severely injured service members. Many of them are coming home with multiple injuries, and disabilities and we are working with JAN to help identify the appropriate accommodations for unique situations and disabilities."

Beth summed up the experience, "Joining CAP was a tremendous honor. Having been to the Pentagon prior to 9/11, this trip was very different. It was humbling to be escorted by CAP Director Dinah Cohen to the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial. It's hard to into words and discuss what it feels like to stand in the place where so many lost their lives. The only way to deal with the emotion is to be positive. It is very empowering and uplifting to be a partner with CAP and be a positive resource for our country's future."

For more information on CAP, visit: http://www.tricare.osd.mil/cap/

6 - Service Animals at Work

Mention the phrase “service animal” and what comes to mind? For some, it evokes an image of a guide dog assisting a person who is blind. This traditional concept is born of a rich history in which the first recognized service animals in the 1800’s and 1900’s were typically German Shepherd dogs. The dogs were individually trained to perform mobility assistance tasks for injured soldiers and individuals with low or no vision. Training initially began overseas and gradually developed in the United States with an organization called the Seeing Eye (http://www.seeingeye.org).

Fast forward to today. Service animal training organizations are available around the country. In some cases, organizations are extending service animal training and availability to assist individuals with a variety of impairments. For instance, a service animal could be individually trained to perform tasks to assist a person who has a vision impairment, is deaf, uses a wheelchair, or has epilepsy, depending on the training organization. The concept of the service animal has expanded beyond German Shepherd dogs to include a variety of breeds--such as Golden Retrievers, Labradors, Boxers, and Border Collies--as well as other types of animals when appropriate.

Service animals are not pets. People with disabilities may choose to use service animals to assist with a variety of tasks. For example, a person who is deaf might use a hearing cat to alert him to sounds in his environment, a person with a motor impairment might use an assistance animal to retrieve small items from a satchel on the floor, and a person who is blind might use a guide dog to help her travel to/from work and move about her environment.

In the workplace, some people with disabilities do use service animals as reasonable accommodations. To address many workplace questions we receive about accommodating people with disabilities who use service animals, JAN has developed new materials to offer service animal information, accommodation ideas, and resources. These include a full length publication, a fact sheet, consultants’ corner briefs, a resource list of informative organizations, a non-exhaustive list of service animal training organizations, and a vendor list for service animal related products.

Service animals are more than just a concept. They are individually trained, work, perform tasks, serve as informative role models, and assist people with disabilities--at home, in the work environment, and within our communities. To learn more, please visit these JAN links:

JAN Accommodation and Compliance Series: Service Animals as Workplace Accommodations. http://www.jan.wvu.edu/media/servanim.html

Fact Sheet: Service Animal Related Job Accommodations. http://www.jan.wvu.edu/media/serviceanimalsfact.doc

Consultants’ Corner Archive. http://www.jan.wvu.edu/corner/archive.htm

Service Animal Resources. http://www.jan.wvu.edu/cgi-win/TypeQuery.exe?760

SOAR: Service Animal Training Organizations: http://www.jan.wvu.edu/cgi-win/TypeQuery.exe?762

SOAR: Service Animal Equipment and Accessories. http://www.jan.wvu.edu/cgi-win/OrgQuery.exe?Sol723

- Carmen Fullmer

7 - JAN Exhibit and Training Schedule

May 2, 2006. EEOC on Accommodation Issues. JAN Audio Conference. http://www.jan.wvu.edu/teleconf/Teleconf.htm

May 22, 2006. California Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society teleconference. Greg Wimer will be presenting on self-employment options for people with MS.

May 22-23, 2006. National Conference on the Employment of Lawyers with Disabilities. Washington, DC. Stop by and talk with a JAN Consultant at the ODEP booth in the vendors showcase.

June 21-24, 2006. 2006 Florida Bar Annual Convention. Boca Raton, FL.
http://www.floridabar.org/ click on News and Events, then Meetings and Calendars. Stop by and talk with a JAN Consultant at the JAN booth in the exhibit hall.

June 25-28, 2006. SHRM Annual Conference & Exposition. Washington, DC. http://www.shrm.org/conferences/annual. Stop by and talk with JAN consultants at the JAN booth in the exhibit hall.

July 11, 2006. The ADA at 16: Trends and Developments. JAN Audio Conference. http://www.jan.wvu.edu/teleconf/Teleconf.htm

July 31- August 1, 2006. Assistive Technology: It's hot, It's cool; Use it at work, home or school! Arizona Assistive Technology Project annual conference. Litchfield Park, AZ. http://www.nau.edu/ihd/aztap/. Visit the JAN exhibit booth. John Greer will be presenting.

August 8, 2006. Strategies for Recruiting and Accommodating in the Health Care Industry. http://www.jan.wvu.edu/teleconf/Teleconf.htm

September 18-19. JAN Conference 2006. Boston, MA.

October 4, 2006. Pennsylvania Governor's Group Annual Conference. Pittsburgh, PA. Stop by the JAN exhibit booth and presentation.

October 4, 2006. Howard County Maryland Annual Employer Awards Breakfast. Columbia, MD. JAN consultant presenting.

October 4-6, 2006. Inclusion the Time is Now. U.S. Business Leadership Network Annual Conference. Minneapolis, MN. Stop by the JAN booth in the exhibit hall. Suzanne Gosden will be presenting.

October 24-27, 2006. West Virginia State Vocational Counselor training. Morgantown, WV. JAN consultant providing training on JAN, accommodations and the ADA.

November 14,2006. CAP and JAN: Successful Accommodation Strategies. JAN Webcast. http://www.jan.wvu.edu/teleconf/Teleconf.htm

8 - Contact JAN

E-mail: jan@jan.wvu.edu

Call JAN: 800-526-7234 (Voice), 877-781-9403 (TTY), 304-293-5407 (Fax)

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This document was developed by the Job Accommodation Network, funded by a contract agreement from the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (#J-9-M-2-0022). The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U.S. Department of Labor. Nor does mention of tradenames, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Labor.