By Teresa Goddard M.S., Senior Consultant, Sensory Team, and Burr Corley M.S.W., Consultant, Motor Team, Job Accommodation Network
We all know how important it is to make workplace accommodations. Effective accommodations can bring about many benefits beyond ADA compliance. Most of the employers who contact JAN for accommodation ideas are very motivated to do the right thing and make an effective accommodation, but costs are a common concern. Fortunately, as JAN’s research on the costs and benefits of accommodation shows, accommodations do not always have to be expensive. In fact, information from the JAN study showed that over half of the accommodations reported in the study were made at no cost, and a typical cost of accommodation, when there was a price tag, was about $500.
When you contact JAN for accommodation ideas, we will do our best to talk with you about a range of options to consider. Many times it is possible to come up with low-cost or even no-cost alternatives. In some cases, a minor policy change can be an effective accommodation. Some examples include simple changes to scheduling procedures, leave, and attendance policies. Changes in procedures can also be helpful. Sometimes all that is necessary is a simple change in the way things are done, such as a change to the way job tasks are assigned.
Purchasing equipment, can also cost less than you might think. Sometimes it is possible to use a mainstream product, like a special kind of pen to accommodate an individual as an alternative to buying more expensive dedicated assistive technology. Sometimes it’s even possible to find a way to accommodate using equipment that is already available in the workplace — for example by buying an app for a tablet that the person is already using. In other cases an accommodation approach may involve the purchase of equipment that seems expensive, but the long-term cost could be less over time because the approach is effective and the product is durable.
Here are more situations and solutions that involve low-cost accommodations:
Situation: A legal secretary was having difficulty using her computer effectively because of dry eye syndrome.
Solution: The employer provided an air purifier and anti-glare filter for the employee’s monitor.
Situation: An office employee had a problem with fragrance sensitivity and had asked the employer for an accommodation.
Solution: Her employer sent a memo telling people to be aware of how much fragrance they wear, which proved effective in this case.
Situation: An employee with autism spectrum disorder had difficulty turning in paperwork on time.
Solution: His employer began providing reminders as to when paperwork is due. With reminders, the employee began turning work in on time.
For more information on low-cost solutions, check out JAN’s Webcast Series Archives where you can find JAN’s Webcast on Low-Cost Solutions. You may also be interested in JAN’s publication on Workplace Accommodations: Low Cost, High Impact.