Accommodating Employees with Disabilities

Employers are looking for motivated, talented people who love doing their jobs. By being willing to make a few simple workplace accommodations, businesses can attract talented new hires or retain longtime employees with recent disabilities. Produced with a U.S. Dept. of Education grant, this straightforward program explains what the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) means for businesses, along the way defining “disability” and “reasonable accommodations,” while also discussing costs and tax incentives. Divided into chapters that deal with major categories of disabilities, each section revolves around a dramatized vignette in which a person with a particular disability works with an employer towards accommodation, enjoying positive results after the changes are implemented. Most of these adjustments are easily fulfilled with minimal cost or complication. In the scenarios here, for instance, a written list helps Randy, who has a learning disability, while Elizabeth (with a traumatic brain injury) benefits from the purchase of a time clock to punch per project completed each day. While intended for HR managers, small business owners, and other prospective employers, this program would also be useful viewing for employees with disabilities, as the collaborative effort between employer and employee is constantly emphasized here. Recommended. Aud: P. (E. Gieschen)