The JAN E-News is a quarterly online newsletter of the Job Accommodation Network. Its purpose is to keep subscribers informed about low-cost and innovative accommodation approaches, the latest trends in assistive technologies, announcements of upcoming JAN presentations, media events, trainings, and Webcasts, and legislative and policy updates promoting the employment success of people with disabilities.

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Index

1. JAN Conference Keynote Speakers Announced
2. JAN Webcast 2007 Series Continues
3. The USBLN ® Announces Their New Employer-Focused Webinar Series Beginning April 19th!
4. Workforce Innovations 2007
5. Resources for Choosing Assistive Technology
6. Accessibility under the ADA
7. On-Screen Keyboard Software
8. Eating Disorders
9. JAN Exhibit and Training Schedule
10. Contact JAN

1 - JAN Conference Keynote Speakers Announced

JAN keynote speakers are dynamic and inspirational presenters who promote building an inclusive workforce. The 2007 Conference features key officials and experts who have demonstrated leadership at the national level in advancing the employment of persons with disabilities.

JAN Conference 2007 keynote speakers include:

• Dr. W. Roy Grizzard, Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor
• Michael Stein, Cabell Research Professor of Law, William & Mary Law School. Professor in Residence, Harvard Law School
• Leslie Milk, Author, Lifestyle Editor, Washingtonian Magazine
• Dinah Cohen, Director, Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP), U.S. Department of Defense
• Charles Ciccolella, Assistant Secretary for the Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS), U.S. Department of Labor
• L. Tammy Duckworth, Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (Tentative)

The Conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Alexandria, VA on August 6th and 7th. Registration is limited to 300, so please register early.

2 - JAN Webcast 2007 Series Continues

Don't miss the chance to have JAN training delivered to your computer. These one-hour training opportunities bring expertise from JAN staff and other national experts to your computer. Sessions cost only $30 per computer connection and any number of people may participate at that computer.

• April 10, 2007. Focus on Technology. Trainers: JAN Consultants Beth Loy and Tracie Saab. Moderator: Linda Batiste.
• May 8, 2007. Employing and Accommodating Individuals with Psychiatric Impairments. Trainers: Kimberly Bisset, Ed.D., Employment and Training Manager, Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation. Moderator: Beth Loy.
• June 12, 2007. Workplace Accommodations: A Small Investment Yields Large Return. Trainers: Tammie McNaughton, Director/Corp Workforce Initiatives with 2006 New Freedom Initiative Award winner Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Pittsburgh, PA and Beth Loy, JAN Consultant. Moderator: Linda Batiste.
• July 10, 2007. The ADA at 17: What’s Happening with Title I? Trainers: Sharon Rennert, Attorney Advisor, US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission with Linda Batiste, JAN Consultant. Moderator: Beth Loy.

For full information, visit the http://www.jan.wvu.edu/teleconf/.

3 - The USBLN ® Announces Their New Employer-Focused Webinar Series Beginning April 19th!

The USBLN®, in partnership with the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), is excited to announce its new Webinar series featuring the themes:

• K-12 and Beyond- Raising Expectations and Results
• Exemplary Best Practices- Focus on Ability
• Industry Innovators- Leading the Way

The Employer Focused Sessions begin April 19 with Joan McGovern, Vice President, JPMorgan Chase presenting "Achieving an Inclusive Culture."

All Webinars are held 2pm-3pm Eastern Time. Registration Fee: $159 per log in ($99 for BLN Chapter members and sponsors). The Job Accommodation Network is authorized to provide 1.0 hours of HRCI Credit. All sessions are captioned.

For more information, go to: http://www.jan.wvu.edu/blnwebinar/

4 - Workforce Innovations 2007

Come to Workforce Innovations 2007 Kansas City (MO) Convention Center July 17-19, 2007!

Workforce Innovations, the premier, annual conference for local, state, and national workforce, business, economic development, and education leaders, provides an important opportunity to share common experiences and challenges in building a highly skilled and adaptable workforce. This year’s theme, Beyond Boundaries, will explore ways in which partners can collaborate and innovate to break down boundaries – be they historical, geographical, political, or financial – to create a competitive workforce advantage. Throughout the conference we will discuss the latest thinking in workforce system transformation and provide examples of where exciting and successful transformations are taking place. Conference highlights include:

• Disability-related sessions on mental illness, youth employment, apprenticeship programs, and Ticket-to-Work
• Others on talent development, rural economies, and partnerships with community colleges and universities
• A special series of sessions on Thursday afternoon (July 19th) focusing on current policy, legislative, and regulatory issues such as WIA Reauthorization, Career Advancement Accounts, and reauthorization of the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Act
• Town Halls providing opportunities for candid conversations with ETA and other Federal partner leadership
• Ample opportunity for networking and dialogue
• And more

Register online now at www.WorkforceInnovations.org, and take advantage of the early bird discount rate. Mark your calendar to spend July 17-19 at Workforce Innovations!

5 - Resources for Choosing Assistive Technology

Choosing AT can be a daunting task for employers who are not familiar with technology. Fortunately, there are a number of knowledgeable individuals, and public and private agencies that can help with the evaluation and selection process. JAN encourages employers to take advantage of these resources. To learn more, read the full article.

6 - Accessibility under the ADA

Many people get confused when trying to understand the accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). At first glance, the requirements may seem straightforward: the ADA has a set of Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) that tells you how to make a building accessible and you just follow that, right? Here’s where the confusion comes in: whether you have to follow the ADAAG depends on the situation. The ADA has different requirements under its various sections (titles), different requirements depending on whether the building in question existed before the ADA went into effect, and different requirements for new construction versus renovation.

Private employers need to know that they may be covered by both title I (employment) and title III (public accommodations and commercial facilities) of the ADA, and each title has different accessibility requirements. But the requirements are not as confusing as they appear to be if employers start with a few general rules:

Rule 1: New construction: All newly constructed places of public accommodation and commercial facilities (which include most places of employment) must be built in strict compliance with the ADAAG. So if you are building a new facility, even if it will only house employees, you will probably have to follow the ADAAG.

Rule 2: Renovation: All renovation in places of public accommodation and commercial facilities (which include most places of employment) must comply with the ADAAG to the maximum extent feasible. So if you are renovating a facility, even if it only houses employees, you will probably have to follow the ADAAG (unless technically infeasible to do so).

Rule 3: Reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities: Use the ADAAG as a starting point, but an employer’s obligation is to meet the individual employee’s needs. Sometimes that means going beyond the requirements of the ADAAG. For example, if you have an employee parking lot with 50 parking spaces, the ADAAG requires that two of those spaces be accessible. However, if an employer has three employees who use wheelchairs and need accessible parking spaces, the employer has to consider adding another accessible space.

For a more detailed discussion, see Accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act at http://www.jan.wvu.edu/media/accessibilityfact.doc.

For more information about reasonable accommodation, see Employer's Practical Guide to Reasonable Accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) at http://www.jan.wvu.edu/Erguide.

- Linda Batiste

7 - On-Screen Keyboard Software

People with mobility impairments may have difficulty typing on a conventional keyboard. However, if they can use a mouse or other pointing device, they can use a computer.

On-screen keyboard software allows typing via a mouse, trackball, touch screen, head-pointer, or other pointing device without using a physical computer keyboard. Instead of pressing keys on an actual keyboard, just point and click on an image of a keyboard that appears on the computer monitor.

This special software is also known as “virtual keyboard software,” “soft keyboards,” “keyboard emulators,” or “software keyboards.” Many of these products feature word prediction software or cursor dwell software which reduce cursor clicks and speed up entries. Cursor dwell allows clicking functions to be performed automatically by holding the cursor motionless for a period of time selected by the user; word prediction features word completion selected from an included or personalized word list.

Check out the following product links for more information, current prices, and reviews of these special products and alternative entry devices (mice other than the standard two-button click), as well.

• On-Screen Keyboards: http://www.jan.wvu.edu/cgi-win/OrgQuery.exe?Alt63
• Click-N-Type virtual keyboard: http://www.lakefolks.org/cnt/
• Alternative Mice: http://www.jan.wvu.edu/cgi-win/OrgQuery.exe?Alt65
• TouchScreens: http://www.touchscreens.com/
• WiViK on-screen keyboard: http://www.wivik.com/
• KeyStrokes on-screen keyboard for Mac users: http://www.macworld.com/news/2002/03/16/keystrokes/
• InterKey Portable utilities for portable PC users: http://pocket-pc-software.penreader.com/InterKey.html

  - Eddie Whidden

8 - Eating disorders

Eating disorders can develop in women as well as men during adolescence or early adulthood, and often occur with other psychiatric disorders such as depression, substance abuse, and anxiety disorders. In addition, individuals who have eating disorders can experience a wide range of medical complications ranging from serious heart conditions to gastrointestinal disorders and even kidney failure which can impact their ability to work. While an employer would not be required to accommodate the behavior associated with an eating disorder such as bulimia or anorexia, they may have to accommodate the medical impairments that can develop as a result of these conditions.

Accommodation Suggestions

Fatigue/Weakness

• Reduce or eliminate physical exertion
• Schedule periodic rest breaks away from the workstation
• Allow a flexible work schedule and flexible use of leave time
• Allow work from home
• Implement ergonomic workstation design
• Provide a scooter or other mobility aid if walking cannot be reduced
• Provide parking close to the work-site
• Install automatic door openers
• Move workstation close to other work areas, office equipment, and break rooms
• Provide mechanical assists and lifting aids

Temperature Sensitivity

• Modify work-site temperature
• Modify dress code
• Use fan/air-conditioner or heater at the workstation
• Allow flexible scheduling and flexible use of leave time
• Allow work from home during extremely hot or cold weather
• Maintain the ventilation system
• Redirect air conditioning and heating vents
• Provide an office with separate temperature control

Weight Loss

• Ergonomic chair with extra padding
• Arm supports
• Alternate working positions to prevent sores from forming (i.e., sitting & standing)
• Have access to refrigerator (To store food supplements or medications)

Chronic Diarrhea

• Work-site near restroom (Inconspicuous)
• Flexible work schedule to allow for restroom breaks

Depression and Anxiety

• Identify stressors and reduce stress
• Educate coworkers, but keep person and his/her condition confidential
• Peer counseling
• Allow telephone calls to emotional supports
• Open door policy to supervisor
• Negotiating time for accommodations
• Time off for counseling or therapy
• Provide praise and positive reinforcement

Resources

• National Institute on Mental Health
  http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/eatingdisorders.cfm#intro
• National Eating Disorders Association
  http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

9 - JAN Exhibit and Training Schedule

JAN on the Road provides updated information on JAN training Opportunities.

10 - Contact JAN

E-mail: jan@jan.wvu.edu

JAN Web site: http://www.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.