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Linda Schaedle, an employee ofBank of America, has Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Guillain-Barre issimilar to Multiple Sclerosis inthat the conductive portion(myelin) of the peripheral nervesis attacked by the body’s ownimmune function. While a studentat UCLA, Linda had her firstattack which resulted in completeparalysis. This happened many years ago when there was no therapy available. Curbcuts, automatic doors, ADA, or reasonable accommodations were also not available.Currently, Linda uses a power wheel chair and specialized tools for functioning due tomuscle weakness and endurance issues.A recent exacerbation of Linda’s Guillain-Barre Syndrome left her withcompounded nerve damage. When she was ready to return to work, a consultantperformed an ergonomic evaluation and the accommodation process began. Throughthe efforts of her case manager, supervisor, and therapists, she was able to return towork at Bank of America. Some of the accommodations that were made to assistLinda in her return to work included: voice activated software, an ergonomic chair,keyboard, trackball mouse, and a front door entry with an extended security windowfor badge entrance, allowing wheel chair passage, before locking again.While accommodations were being made for Linda to return to her formerwriting position, her department was eliminated through restructuring. Bank ofAmerica’s management offered her the opportunity to move into a Case Managementposition. Linda says she is “thrilled to be here and to work with such a remarkableteam where possibilities become realities. You just never know when you could end upon the other end of the telephone, as I did. If that happened, what would you do?”PROFILE: LINDA SCHAEDLE’S RETURN TO WORK ATBANK OF AMERICA“Bank of America is remarkable, and I’m honored to bepart of the team. It is a place where we are valued forour talents and abilities and the unique qualities that weall bring to the team.”Manager’s Corner.....Ask the ExpertIf a manager has never hired or worked with a person with a disability, questions may come to mind. Theseunanswered questions can create hesitation in hiring applicants with disabilities. This column is a regular featurein this newsletter and is intended to answer questions, present facts, and share strategies for recruiting andretaining employees with disabilities. Frequently asked questions about people with disabilities and reasonableaccommodations are presented below.Question & AnswersQQUESTION #1Are accommodationsexpensive?AFor most situations job accommodations are notexpensive. However, there may be situations in which thetype of job accommodation may require high technologyand can be costly. According to the Job AccommodationNetwork (JAN) based out of West Virginia University, theaccommodation cost reported by businesses show 20% ofaccommodations cost nothing at all. JAN also reports that50% of the accommodations cost less than $500 and morethan 80% cost less than $1,000. Accommodations arespecific to the needs of each individual and the job requirement,but JAN reported that only 9% of the accommodationcost between $2,000 and $5,000 with only 3% costingmore than $5,000.6 ©2002, VCU-RRTC on Workplace Supports -- Permission to Reproduce -- Additional Copies: 25/$9.95
Tapping New Talent for Business Success -- January, 2002QWhat should an employer dofollowing a request for anaccommodation?QQUESTION #3As an employer do I have tomake an accommodation if it isrequested?QQUESTION #2QUESTION #4What are some examples oftypical job accommodations forsomeone with a psychiatric disability?AThe first step is to identify the specific disability. Itwill be important to conduct a needs assessment to identifyaccommodations appropriate for the each individual request.Once you have determined there is a disability thenyou should review the job description to identify the essentialfunctions of the job and which functions require accommodations.Once you have an understanding of the accommodationsneeded, you can begin to explore a variety ofaccommodations that reduce or remove the barriers andassist the individual to meet the requirements of the job.After the specific accommodation(s) has been identified, thenext step is too determine cost effectiveness of each accommodationrequired by the employee. Lastly, you will need toimplement the most appropriate accommodation with theleast economic hardship for the business.AYes, unless an employer can prove undue hardshipusually the accommodation will have to be made if theperson has a disability. An accommodation may be consideredan undue hardship if it exceeds the bounds of practicality.That is, an employer would not be required to provide anaccommodation if it cost more than alternatives that areequally effective, requires extensive and disruptive renovations,or negatively affects other employees or customers.Undue hardships are determined on a case-by-case basisusing the following criteria: the cost and nature of the accommodation; the overall financial resources of the organization; the overall financial resources of the employer; and the type of business of the covered employer.AEvery situation is different and must be consideredon an individual basis to determine the best accommodationthat will not pose an undue hardship and allow the worker tobe productive at the workplace. However, if a person hasproblems maintaining stamina during the workday, thepossible accommodation might be : provide flexible scheduling or allow job sharing or redistribution of work.If the person has difficulty concentrating you may consider: reducing distractions in the work area, dividing large assignments into smaller tasks, or providing space enclosures.There are other simple accommodations that can be used,such as making “to do” lists, giving written job instructions,writing clear expectations or responsibilities and consequencesfor not meeting the expectations, providing directions in aconsistent manner, and using one-to-one supervision.7
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