Answered Questions is a monthly resource for the Spanish language Disability Community that fills an information need. This month’s question is: I have been recently diagnosed with a disability. I work part time and go to school part time and would like to learn more about accommodations. What information and resources are available that discusses accommodations in schools, employment, and in my community? This edition of Answered Questions includes items that discuss a workplace accommodation support system; the effect of accommodation on the academic performance of college students with disabilities; how accommodations may help people with disabilities facing barriers in their employment; new technologies serving as accommodations; legislation and requirements related to housing accommodations, technical assistance and accommodations to help achieve inclusive education; and reasonable accommodations in employment. More about Answered Questions.
NIDILRR-Funded Projects:
The Workplace Accommodation Expert Support System (Work ACCESS) (English) (90DPEM0001) is developing Work ACCESS, an online tool and mobile app to help employers assess the workplace accommodation needs of their employees with disabilities. The objective of Work ACCESS is to improve the provision of accommodations that increase workplace performance and participation, while provide a user-friendly tool that employers and employees can use together to make informed, evidence-based decision.
From the NARIC Collection:
The article, The effect of accommodation on academic performance of college students with disabilities (English) (J73791) discusses a study that investigated the effects of accommodations for postsecondary students with disabilities on their grade point average (GPA). Researchers analyzed data from the Office of Disability Services at Pennsylvania State University and the results showed a significant influence that both test accommodations and course accommodations had on the overall GPA of students with disabilities. The article also discusses the significance, limitations, and implications of the results.
Research In Focus:
People with Disabilities Face Barriers to Employment, But Accommodations May Help discusses a study by researchers from the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Individual-Level Characteristics Related to Employment Among Individuals with Disabilities (English) where they analyzed data collected from people with disabilities who were applying for vocational rehabilitation (VR) services. The researchers found that the people with disabilities who received accommodations were more likely to have had their disability since birth or for an average of two years longer than those who did not receive accommodations. They also found that people who received accommodations were more likely to have multiple disabilities and less likely to have physical disabilities than those who did not receive accommodations. The authors also found that people with physical disabilities or health concerns reported facing the most accessibility barriers and were also least likely to receive accommodations at work.
Technology:
The article, New technologies at the service of people with disabilities (Diversity and Inclusion), discusses how new technologies have had an influence in the increase of employment of people with disabilities through their use as assistive technologies and accommodations in the workplace. The author provides examples of accommodations in the workplace for various types of disabilities, discusses how technology as an accommodation has improved the quality of life and employment of people with disabilities, and discusses the barriers to the use of technology and accommodations that meet the needs of people with disabilities. Finally, the article provides information on the types of barriers that are encountered by people with disabilities as they access technology, how well adapted are devices to the needs of people with disabilities, the use of conventional technologies by people with disabilities, and more.
Community:
The article, Housing accommodations for people with disabilities: Legislation and requirements (Reforma De Vivienda), discusses the architectural and transportation barriers that limit the movements of people with disabilities as they try to be part of the community. It also discusses Spanish legislation on accessibility and architectural barriers and discusses the requirements that need to be met under Spanish law to make housing accessible to people with disabilities. The article also discusses ways to provide accommodations within living spaces for people with disabilities and ends with a list of links to organizations that provide support for people with disabilities in Spain.
Education:
This document, Technical assistance and adaptation for students with disabilities to achieve inclusive education (capacidad.es) addresses different aspects of the educational needs of students with disabilities and the possible solutions that can be provided from the field of technology so that students with disabilities achieve real integration into society. The authors briefly explain the characteristics of each type of disability and offer information on technical aids and educational resources used for different stages of counseling, such as software and adaptations used in the field.
Employment:
The goal of the Employment Manual: Reasonable Accommodations from Disability Rights Oregon is to provide general information to employees with disabilities regarding their rights and protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and their rights related to reasonable accommodations and discrimination in their employment under Oregon state law. The manual also defines physical and mental disabilities, what is excluded under the ADA, activities of daily living, essential functions in employment, and reasonable accommodations. The manual also discusses whether there are limitations to accommodations and taking time off work as a reasonable accommodation, and provides resources and an example of a request for a reasonable accommodation.
Resources:
- Students with mental health conditions may need additional supports to help them do the best they can in school and work. The tip sheet, Outside-the-box college accommodations: Real support for real students. Tools for school (English) (O20709) from The Learning and Working During the Transition to Adulthood Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (Transitions ACR) (English) (90RT5031), is designed to help people with mental health conditions to think “outside-the-box” to get the educational accommodations that help with their unique struggles. The Transitions ACR also provides publications in Spanish, including Getting Accommodations at College: Tools for School.
- The NIDILRR-funded Southwest ADA Regional Center (90DP0092) has a factsheet, Reasonable Accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which defines what reasonable accommodations are under the ADA, describes the process of accommodating an employee with disabilities, defines security and reasonable accommodations, discusses reasonable accommodations and an employee’s behavior, and more. The factsheet also provides resources and a list of related factsheets.
- What are reasonable job accommodations for people with disabilities?, an FAQ from NARIC, provides a definition of reasonable accommodations and includes examples of reasonable accommodations that could be provided by an employer to an employee with disabilities. The FAQ also provides resources for employees with disabilities, employers, advocates, and others. The FAQ is available in English and Spanish.
Tools:
- The Mobile Accommodations Tool: Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (English) (90IF0097) has released the Mobile Accommodation Solution (MAS), a first generation mobile case manage app for iOS and Android to help employers, service providers, and individuals effectively address workplace accommodation requests throughout the employment lifecycle, from application to onboarding and advancement. The app provides users with a suite of fillable, accessible forms and the capability to store, print, and email records that can be imported into enterprise-level information systems. The MAS app also includes emerging policies and best practices in workplace accommodations. The app is available free from the App Store (English) and Google Play (English).
Courses:
- Access To Success (English) is a free online training for college students with disabilities from the KU Center for Community Health and Development (English). This course teaches students with disabilities who are entering college how to request the accommodations they need and how to advocate for themselves. The course contains an audio option.
Further Research:
REHABDATA:
PubMed:
International:
- Accommodations
- Accommodations (in Spanish)
- Accommodations and employment
About Answered Questions
Each month, we look through the searches on our blog and through the information requests made by our patrons who speak Spanish and pick a topic that fills the largest need. Each resource mentioned above is associated with this month’s information need. We search the various Spanish language news sources and feeds throughout the month to bring you these articles. With the exception of the NIDILRR Projects, From the NARIC Collection, and Further Investigation, all the linked articles and resources are in Spanish – any that are in English will be clearly marked.
Collection Spotlight from the National Rehabilitation Information Center 