Job modifications

With the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employers now have a greater responsibility in providing reasonable accommodation for qualified workers who are disabled. Rehabilitation Services (RS) staff need to negotiate with employers in providing assistive technology to effect job modifications which make a job more accessible. Employers are generally responsible for providing the “tools of the trade” which are related to the company’s function such as computer hardware and software.

RS staff and the employer need to mutually decide who will purchase assistive technology, such as voice synthesizer, screen magnifier, or other device, which will make the computer, other company equipment or job function accessible. If the job modification for the worker who is disabled makes the job function easier for most employees, then the employer should bear a greater share or all of the cost. Smaller companies may have limited resources for reasonable accommodation. In this instance, the agency would want to share or be totally responsible for the cost to secure placement of the client.

Generally, exterior entry into the business or worksite is an employer’s responsibility.