Vol. 3, No. 4, July/August 1995	Previous Issues Subscribe to AT Messenger Download PDF Viewer
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Assistive Technology in the Workplace: Accommodations for People with Disabilities

Ed Salisbury, Technology Specialist, Kent County ATRC

Assistive Technology simply means any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of those individuals with disabilities. When many people think of assistive technology in the workplace, they think of high tech computers and robotic workstations. Although these modifications may be made for a person with a disability, most accommodations cost very little or nothing at all. As a matter of fact, everyone uses assistive technology during the course of the day without even realizing it. Simple devices like a remote control and speakerphone may be conveniences for most, but for a person with a disability, they may be necessities.

What accommodations can be made for people with physical impairments?

People with physical impairments include those who use a wheelchair or cane and those who have limited or no use of their arms, legs, and hands. For people who use wheelchairs, the installation of ramps and automatic doors is generally a necessity. These modifications are also beneficial to employees pushing carts or moving equipment, and employees -as well as customers-carrying packages and other items. Other modifications may include the raising of a desk or workstation to accommodate a wheelchair, keeping clutter out of aisles, and placing files to which the employee needs access in bottom file cabinets. People who use a cane or have weakness in their legs may require their desks to be placed close to the elevator or restroom.

Many people with physical disabilities have difficulty using the standard keyboard and mouse. The Macintosh computer has many built-in access features to control the response of the keyboard as well as movement of the mouse pointer. These include StickyKeys, MouseKeys, SlowKeys, adjustable key repeat rate, and repeat delay. The StickyKeys feature "latches" the command, shift, control, and option keys allowing the user to press multiple keys sequentially instead of simultaneously. MouseKeys allows the user to move the mouse pointer using the numeric keypad on the keyboard. SlowKeys increases the amount of time a key must be depressed to avoid accidental keypresses. For people using a DOS computer, these features can be obtained free of charge in a program called Access DOS. Microsoft provides a similar package for people running Windows.

For people who cannot use the standard keyboard and mouse, a variety of alternate access methods are available. Membrane keyboards may be purchased with keys as large as several inches and as small as half an inch. Another alternative would be voice access. A person can dictate commands and text to the computer at speeds of up to 200 words per minute. A person using a voice activated computer generally has little difficulty meeting data entry speed requirements. Because of the popularity of voice access for people with and without disabilities, it has also become a very affordable alternative. Mouse emulating devices such as infrared and ultrasonic head pointers, trackballs, and touch sensitive screens are also available for those unable to use a mouse.

What accommodations can be made for people with visual impairments?

Many people with low vision can be accommodated by enlarging forms on a photocopier and providing adequate lighting and a magnifying glass at the workstation. Reference materials and manuals may also need to be printed in a larger font size. For a computer user with low vision, an accommodation may be as simple as placing the monitor on a swing arm and positioning it closer to the individual. A larger monitor may also be purchased. Even a 15" monitor at 640 x 480 resolution will greatly increase the size of the characters on the screen while leaving all screen contents visible. If more magnification is required, screen magnification software programs can be installed to magnify text and graphics up to 16 times. The Macintosh computer has this feature included with its system software.

For an employee who is blind, it will be necessary to have Braille signage, especially on doors and elevators. Again, aisles must be kept clear of clutter and the blind person must be made aware of any rearranging of the office or workplace. Reference materials and manuals should be made available in alternative formats such as Braille or audiocassette. Other employees must remember that if they borrow something from the desk or files of a blind person that they put it back exactly where they found it. It can be very frustrating for the employee who relies on memorization to find things in his or her "memorized" space disrupted. The computer user who is blind will probably require spoken output of information on the screen through the use of a speech synthesizer. Tactile output through the use of a refreshable Braille terminal is another option. The keys on the keyboard should be marked with tactile references for finger placement or a Braille keyboard overlay. A computer with voice output capabilities, a flatbed scanner, and optical character recognition software (often included with a scanner) will give the employee who is blind access to any printed material such as the newspaper and daily mail.

What accommodations can be made for a person with a hearing impairment?

People with hearing impairments include those with mild to profound hearing loss and deafness. A person with mild hearing loss will generally require an amplified telephone with an adjustable volume control. If the person wears a hearing aid, the phone needs to be compatible with his or her hearing aid for effective use. A personal amplification device may be required for large meetings and seminars where it may not be possible for the hearing impaired employee to be seated close enough to the person speaking. Employees with more severe hearing loss may require visual alerting devices such as strobe lights on fire alarms and telephones. Tactile alerting devices, such as vibrating pagers, may also be necessary. Any training videos that the employee is required to watch should be close captioned. A person who is deaf may also require an interpreter when lip reading or sign language conversation is not possible. A TDD, or Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, is also recommended as an option for phone use. Since the computer is mostly graphically oriented, little modification is necessary in most cases. One modification would be a visual alerting of the computer's beep. This feature is built-in to Macintosh computers and may be purchased separately for IBM and compatible computers.

How can information about this technology be found?

The Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative is a statewide program with Assistive Technology Resource Centers in each county. Each center houses a wide variety of equipment that can be borrowed by a consumer, therapist, or business. The centers also contain information on where to purchase assistive technology and how to obtain funding and training. For more information, contact the ATRC closest to you-addresses and phone numbers can be found at the end of this document.