Cost of Accommodation:   

According to the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), a service of the U.S.
Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy:

Job accommodations are made for:

Documentation:  

Determining a Job Accommodation:

Undue Hardship:

Job Accommodations May Include:

Tax Credits and Deductions

See the Tax Credits and Deduction Incentives section in this guide.

Agency Assistance

If the new or current employee is a client of the State Vocational Rehabilitation
Division, Commission for the Blind, or Veterans Vocational Rehabilitation
Services, the agency may be able to provide assistance.  Some nonprofit
organizations and companies that provide job placement assistance to 
clients may also assist the client and employer if possible.  Much depends on 
client needs and availability of resources. 

Vendor Discounting

Some vendors may offer a discount for equipment purchased by or for 
individuals with disabilities.  Be sure to check with the vendor.

Situation:   A person had an eye disorder.  Glare on the computer screen 
                      caused fatigue.
Solution:    An antiglare screen was purchased ($39.00).

Situation:   A person with a learning disability worked in the mail room and 
                      had difficulty remembering which streets belonged to which zip codes.
Solution:    A rolodex card system was filed by street name alphabetically with
                      the zip code.  This helped him to increase his output ($150.00).

Situation:   A plant worker had difficulty using the telephone due to a hearing
                      impairment that required use of hearing aids.
Solution:    A telephone amplifier that worked in conjunction with his hearing
                      aids was purchased ($48.00).

Situation:   A large grocery store wants to hire an individual with Down syndrome
                      and a mild hearing loss as a bagger/stock person.  The concern was
                      that he would not be able to hear the paging loudspeaker system
                      that was used to call employees to different parts of the store for
                      work assignments.
Solution:    A personal paging device, which was worn on the wrist or belt and
                      which vibrated when activated by an incoming signal, was purchased
                      for the employee.  When signaled, the employee immediately went
                      to the office for specific instructions.  In this way, the employer could
                      be sure that the employee both heard and understood his assigned
                      tasks ($350.00).

Situation:   A clerk developed limited use of her hands and became unable to
                      reach across the desk to her files.
Solution:    A lazy susan file holder was provided so she could access the files
                      and keep her current job ($85.00).

Situation:   An insurance salesperson with cerebral palsy had difficulty taking
                      notes while talking on the telephone.
Solution:    Her employer purchased a headset for the phone ($49.95).

Situation:   A seamstress could not use ordinary scissors due to pain in her
                      wrist.  
Solution:    The business purchased a pair of spring-loaded ergonomically 
                      designed scissors ($18.00).

Situation:   A person applied for a job as a cook and was able to do
                      everything required except opening cans, due to the loss of a
                      hand.
Solution:    The employer called the Job Accommodation Network, was given
                      a list of one-handed can openers, and bought one ($35.00).

Situation:    A medical technician who was deaf could not hear the buzz of
                      a timer, which was necessary for specific laboratory tests.
Solution:    An indicator light was attached ($26.95).

Situation:   An individual with dyslexia who worked as a police officer spent
                      hours filling out forms at the end of each day.
Solution:    He was provided with a tape recorder.  A secretary typed out his
                      reports from dictation, while she typed the others from handwritten
                      copy.  This accommodation allowed him to keep his job ($69.00).

Situation:   A person who used a wheelchair could not use a desk because
                      it was too low, and his knees would not go under it.
Solution:    The desk was raised with wood blocks (scrap wood an individual
                      brought in from home), allowing a proper amount of space for the
                      wheelchair to fit under it ($0).

Situation:   A company wanted to hire a clerk who could not access the
                      vertical filing cabinets from her wheelchair.
Solution:    They moved the files into a lateral file and hired her ($450.00).

Situation:   A worker who uses a wheelchair in a plant that manufactures
                      electronic components needed to be "grounded."
Solution:    A "grounding foot strap" was attached to the person's foot and a
                     5-6" chain was attached to the foot strap.  The chain lands down
                     on the floor and serves as a ground.  The company made an extra
                     device should they have a visitor to the facility that uses a chair.
                     There was minimal cost for chain.

Situation:   A production worker with mental retardation, who has limited fine
                      motor dexterity, must use tweezers and a magnifying glass to
                      perform the job.  The worker had difficulty holding the tweezers.
Solution:    Giant tweezers were purchased ($5.00).

Situation:   An individual with a neck injury, who worked in a lab, had difficulty
                      bending his neck to use the microscope.
Solution:    A periscope was attached to the microscope ($2,400).

Situation:   A field geologist who was deaf and worked alone in remote areas
                      was unable to use two-way radio communication to report his
                      findings.
Solution:    Text telephone technology was used to allow the geologist to 
                      communicate using a cellular telephone.  Cost:  $400.00, plus
                      monthly service fee for the phone.

Situation:   A saw operator with a learning disability had difficulty measuring
                      to the fraction of an inch.
Solution:    The employee was provided with a wallet-sized card on which the
                      fractions were listed on an enlarged picture of an inch.  This 
                      allowed the employee to compare the card with the location on
                      the ruler to identify the correct fraction ($5.00).

Situation:   A catalog salesperson, who had a spinal cord injury, had problems
                     using the catalog due to difficulty with finger dexterity.
Solution:    The employer purchased a motorized catalog rack, controlled by
                      a single switch via the mouthstick, and provided an angled
                      computer keyboard stand for better accessibility ($1,500.00).

Situation:   A custodian with low vision was having difficulty seeing the carpeted
                      area he was vacuuming.
Solution:    A fluorescent lighting system was mounted on his industrial vacuum
                      cleaner ($240.00).