Job Accommodation Network
Home     Contact     About     FAQs
New  Media  Sitemap  Search
 JAN Logo
E-News

Volume 3, Issue 4, Fourth Quarter, 2005

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.

Please use the links at the end of this document to subscribe, unsubscribe, and contact us.

Notice: If you do not wish to receive JAN E-News and JAN Consultants' Corner, please send an e-mail to unsubscribe@jan.wvu.edu

Index

1. JAN Announces the Accommodation and Compliance Audio/Web Training Series
2. Managing Temperature Sensitivity in the Workplace
3. Tips for Locating a Business Mentor
4. What does it really cost to provide accommodations for job applicants and employees with disabilities?
5. JAN Conference Evaluations 2005
6. JAN Exhibit and Training Schedule
7. Contact JAN

1. JAN Announces the Accommodation and Compliance Audio/Web Training Series

JAN is bringing its nationally acclaimed training to your computer and telephone! JAN will unite national experts on job accommodation and disability employment law to provide training opportunities via audio conferences and Webcasts in 2006. The Accommodation and Compliance Training Series provides a convenient opportunity for human resource managers, compliance officers, disability and diversity managers, and other professionals to discover ways that enhance an organization’s ability to accommodate and employ people with disabilities.

Disability Etiquette in the Workplace is an audio conference featuring Jana Copeland, Training Coordinator, Rocky Mountain ADA & IT Center with Tracie Saab and Eddie Whidden, JAN Consultants. Tuesday, March 14, 2006.

EEOC on Job Accommodation Issues is an audio conference featuring Sharon Rennert, Attorney Advisor, US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission with Linda Batiste, JAN Consultant. Tuesday, May 2, 2006.

The ADA at 16: Trends and Developments is an audio conference featuring Naomi Levin, US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission with Anne Hirsh, JAN Consultant. Tuesday, July 11, 2006.

Strategies for Recruiting and Accommodating in the Health Care Industry is an audio conference featuring Corey Turner, Employee Engagement Service Manager, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, on Tuesday, August 8, 2006.

CAP and JAN: Successful Accommodation Strategies is a Webcast featuring Dinah Cohen, Director, Computer/Electronics Accommodation Program (CAP) with Beth Loy, JAN Consultant. Tuesday, November 14, 2006.

The $25 per session registration fee includes admission to the training audio conference or Webcast and accessible training materials. All sessions will have real-time captioning available. Check http://www.jan.wvu.edu/teleconf for complete information.

2. Managing Temperature Sensitivity in the Workplace

Working in an environment that is too hot or too cold can be a challenge for people with temperature sensitivity. Maintaining the “perfect temperature” for all employees may seem elusive because some people experience sensitivity to cold while others experience sensitivity to heat. Some individuals may be affected by both temperature extremes—cold and hot.

People with many different types of impairments may experience a temperature sensitivity limitation. Examples include but are not limited to spinal cord injury, heart disease, thyroid disorder, cancer, burn injury, lupus, asthma, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, neuropathy, and skin conditions such as cold urticaria. Individuals experiencing temperature sensitivity may want to consult their healthcare professional. A healthcare professional might offer insight into this limitation or suggest solutions that would be appropriate to a person's specific medical condition.

Here are some accommodation ideas for managing temperature sensitivity in the workplace:

Cold Sensitivity

  • Increase work area temperature
  • Wear gloves and/or hat
  • Dress in layers using thermal material or fleece
  • Use a blanket
  • Use portable space heaters
  • Provide heated clothing
  • Provide an office with separate temperature control
  • Allow flexible scheduling during cold weather
  • Allow work from home during cold weather
  • Reassign employee to a position in a warmer environment

Heat Sensitivity

  • Reduce work area temperature
  • Use cool vest or other cooling clothing
  • Use fan/air-conditioner at the workstation
  • Close window blinds
  • Allow flexible scheduling and flexible use of leave time
  • Provide an office with separate temperature control
  • Allow work from home during hot weather
  • Reassign employee to a position in a cooler environment

Balancing Needs of an Employee with Cold Sensitivity and an Employee with Heat Sensitivity

  • Modify work-site temperature and maintain the ventilation system
  • Modify dress code
  • Use fan/air-conditioner or heater at workstations and redirect vents
  • Allow the employees to work different shifts
  • Provide offices with separate temperature control
  • Trade a warm workstation for a cold workstation if employees are agreeable to the switch
  • Allow flexible scheduling and/or work from home during extremely hot or cold weather

For information on clothing for people with temperature sensitivity, visit:

  - Carmen Fullmer

3. Tips for Locating a Business Mentor

For aspiring entrepreneurs, including those with disabilities, starting a small business brings forth images of someone working “on their own” and moving towards a more independent work life. However, experienced business owners know that it takes a network of people, resources, and organizations to support an aspiring entrepreneur and one of the most critical of these is the business mentor.

What is a business mentor? Scott Allen, in his article The Value of a Business Mentor, defines a mentor as “…someone with more entrepreneurial business experience than you who serves as a trusted confidante over an extended period of time, usually free of charge.”

Mentors primarily provide the following supports:

  • Mentors have business experience and can provide a wealth of knowledge based on their history, plus they may have specific insights into your particular industry or location.
  • They can help you expand your social and business networks and can provide resources that may not be available through standard business development channels.
  • Mentors often volunteer their time, so they have a strong commitment to sharing their knowledge and helping others become successful in their chosen business field.
  • Mentoring, in the best sense, is a mutually beneficial relationship so each party profits from the interaction; therefore, finding a mentor that is a good fit for you is critical.
  • When seeking a mentor, it’s essential to find someone who shares your social beliefs and values, who can provide the level of support you need, who is open to discussing the goals and expectations of the relationship, and who has the level of experience and expertise you feel will benefit you and your business. Some SBSES callers also tell us that they prefer that their mentor have some knowledge of issues specifically impacting entrepreneurs with disabilities. You will need to determine what your particular needs and expectations are and what type of person will be able to fill this role.

There are multiple routes you can take to locate a business mentor. Below is a selective list of some of the organizations that can assist with this process.

Micromentor.com. http://www.micromentor.org/
"Micromentor helps entrepreneurs grow their businesses through mentoring relationships with experienced business professionals. Our mentors volunteer their time to meaningfully impact the lives of those new to the world of small business.”

Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE). http://www.score.org/
"SCORE is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization. We provide a public service to America by offering small business advice and training. Volunteers share their wisdom and lessons learned in business. Our volunteers are working/retired business owners, executives and corporate leaders.”

Self-Employment for People with Disabilities Listserv. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pwd_self-employment
"This Group has been established by Diversity World to promote the development of more self-employment opportunities for people with disabilities. It is intended to be a Networking forum for entrepreneurs with disabilities and individuals or organizations who have an interest or role in this arena. Members are invited to post comments and questions and promote related events, publications, organizations and similar resources.”

Finally, consultants at the Small Business and Self-Employment Service (SBSES) can provide ongoing business development supports and link you to specific mentoring resources in your area. Contact us directly for additional information at 1-800-526-7234. http://www.jan.wvu.edu/sbses/index.htm.

Resource:
The Value of a Business Mentor by Scott Allen. http://entrepreneurs.about.com/od/businessmentoring/a/valueofamentor.htm

  - Kim Cordingly

4. What does it really cost to provide accommodations for job applicants and employees with disabilities?

This is one of the questions that the University of Iowa’s Law, Health Policy, and Disability Center (LHPDC) is asking as part of a follow-up with employers that use JAN. The answer? Study results show that more than half of the accommodations needed by employees and job applicants with disabilities cost absolutely nothing. Of those accommodations that do cost, the typical expenditure by employers is around $600.

As of May 2005, the LHPDC had interviewed 778 employers that contacted JAN between January 2004 and April 2005. The employers represented a range of industry sectors and sizes. The study is ongoing through September 2007. Preliminary findings illustrate some interesting and useful trends.

Finding #1: Employers want to provide accommodations so they can retain valued and qualified employees.

Of the employers that called JAN for accommodation information and solutions, most were doing so to retain (84%) or promote (2%) a current employee. On average, these employees had been with the company about seven years, with an average wage of $13 for those paid by the hour, or an average annual salary of about $48,000. In addition, the employees these companies wanted to retain tended to be fairly well-educated, with 43% having a college degree or higher.

Finding #2: Most employers report no cost or low cost for accommodating employees with disabilities.

Of the employers that gave cost information related to accommodations they had provided, a little more than half (50.5%) reported an accommodation had been made at no cost. Many employers gave changing a work schedule as an example of a “no-cost” accommodation. An additional 42% said the accommodation they had made resulted in a one time cost with a median cost of $600. The final 7.5% reported experiencing either an annual accommodation cost or both a one-time and an annual cost; however, too few of these employers provided cost data to report with accuracy. When asked how much they paid for an accommodation beyond what they would have paid for an employee without a disability who was in the same position, employers typically answered around $500.

Finding #3: Employers report accommodations are effective.

LHPDC asked employers that had implemented accommodations at the point they were interviewed to rank the effectiveness of the accommodations on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being extremely effective. Of those that responded, 76% reported that the accommodations were either very effective or extremely effective.

Finding #4: Employers experience multiple direct and indirect benefits after making accommodations.

Employers that had made accommodations for employees with disabilities reported multiple benefits as a result. The most frequently mentioned direct benefits were (1) the accommodation allowed the company to retain a qualified employee, (2) the accommodation eliminated the costs of training a new employee, and (3) the accommodation increased the worker’s productivity.

The most widely mentioned indirect benefits employers received were (1) the accommodation increased overall company productivity, (2) the accommodation increased over all company morale, and (3) providing the accommodation ultimately improved interactions with co-workers and customers. In addition, a significant number of employers said that the accommodation helped improve workplace safety.

For a more detailed report on the survey results, please see “Cost and Effectiveness of Accommodations in the Workplace: Preliminary Results of a Nationwide Study” by D.J. Hendricks, Linda C. Batiste, Anne Hirsh, Helen A. Schartz, and Peter Blanck in Disability Studies Quarterly (2005, in press). Disability Studies Quarterly is an online subscription journal of the Society for Disability Studies and is available online at http://www.dsq-sds.org/. This report is available at http://www.dsq-sds.org/login.asp?referer=/_articles_html/2005/fall/hendricks_etal.asp.

5. JAN Conference Evaluations 2005

The 4th Annual JAN Conference, Empowering Employers to Build an Inclusive Workforce, was held September 26 and 27, 2005. The two-day event included 24 break-out sessions along with keynote and luncheon speakers who addressed issues related to an inclusive workforce. At the close of each of the 24 concurrent sessions, participants were asked to complete an evaluation form to describe their experience:

A total of 860 responses were received (an average of 36 per session).

  • The average level of agreement that "Presenters were prepared and knowledgeable" was 98.5% (ranging from 84% to 100% across the 24 sessions).
  • The average level of agreement that "Questions and issues raised were adequately addressed" was 98.3% (ranging from 84% to 100% across the 24 sessions).
  • The average level of agreement that the "Information was applicable to my professional development" was 98% (ranging from 91% to 100% across the 24 sessions).
  • When asked for an "Overall" rating of the session, an average of 98% of the participants indicated that the session they attended was "Excellent" or "Good."
  • In addition, an Overall Evaluation was completed by 111 individuals. They were unanimous in their high ratings of the skills they gained, the value of the Conference, that they would recommend it to others, and that, Overall, the Conference was Excellent or Good. The ratings of the hotel were slightly lower, but still over 95% positive.

The participants were asked "Which session(s) was most helpful to you?" All but one of the 24 sessions received at least one vote and 12 people commented that every session they attended was the "most helpful." About 20% of the participants reported that the session on Mental Illness was the most helpful session and the Legal Update session and the Worker's Comp/FMLA/ADA session each received about 10% of the votes. Those who provided a "reason" for their choice usually said because it related directly to their job.

The attendees also provided a variety of useful comments about the logistics of the conference (e.g., appreciated the use of PowerPoint and handouts, would like more "networking" time), additional topics for future conferences (e.g., legal updates, case studies, aging issues, youth issues), and their perceptions of the event. These responses along with the comments and suggestions received will be incorporated into future JAN Conferences.

  - Denetta Dowler

6. JAN Exhibit and Training Schedule

March 20-25, 2006. C-SUN Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference. Los Angeles, CA. http://www.csun.edu/cod/conf/ Stop by and talk with JAN consultants at the JAN booth in the exhibit hall.

April 10, 2006 Power Up 2006 Conference and Expo, Missouri Assistive Technology Advisory Council. Columbia, MO. http://www.at.mo.gov/training.shtm Linda Batiste will be presenting at this statewide event.

April 10-12, 2006. National ADA Symposium and Expo, National ADA /IT center annual event. St Louis, MO. http://www.adaproject.org/Symposium.html Linda Batiste will be presenting and stop by the JAN Booth in the exhibit hall.

May 5-7, 2006. 21st Annual Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology National Conference. Dallas, TX http://siop.org/Conferences/ Kendra Duckworth will be presenting.

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.

September 18-19. 2006 JAN Conference. Boston, MA. Watch the JAN Web site for details.

7. Contact JAN

E-mail: jan@jan.wvu.edu

JAN Web site: http://www.jan.wvu.edu

Small Business and Self-Employment Service: http://www.jan.wvu.edu/sbses/

Call JAN: 1-800-526-7234 (Voice/TTY), 304-293-5407 (Fax)

To subscribe to or unsubscribe from JAN Updates:

To subscribe, e-mail us at subscribe@jan.wvu.edu. When subscribing, be sure to include the e-mail address at which you want to receive the newsletter.

To cancel a subscription, e-mail us at unsubscribe@jan.wvu.edu. Be sure to include the address at which you are receiving the newsletter.

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 the endorsement by the U.S. Department of Labor.