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Presenters
Jodie Ryan
Washington Department of Services for the Blind (DSB)
Assistive Technology (AT) Specialist
Michael MacKillop
Washington Department of Services for the Blind (DSB)
Assistive Technology (AT) Specialist
Topics:
Vocational Rehabilitation; Blindness; Job Accommodation; Assistive Technology; Teaming
Overview:
A DSB Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) participant, unemployed for over two years and presenting a significant visual disability, is offered employment in a challenging position in a large federal agency. This case study identifies the unique conditions both supporting and challenging the accommodation process, and discusses the roles and responsibilities that the employer, employee/VR participant, VR Counselor, VR Assistive Technology Specialists, AT Vendors, and other external partners took on in an effort to team towards a fully successful accommodation and job placement.
Position Title: Supplies Systems Analyst
Employer: Federal Agency with over 3,300 employees.
Essential Job Functions: Train employees in effective use of software packages for Human Resource and Data management, and web-based information systems.
Identified Strengths that Assisted in Accommodation:
VR Counselor urged and supported continuing education in computer and access software during period of unemployment.
Employee/VR Participant made full use of training opportunities to prepare for employment.
Family support was strong during period of unemployment and transition into employment.
VR Participant was able to advocate for his needs and preferences, and was active participant in the accommodation process.
VR Counselor, employer, AT Services and employee maintained open and continuing dialogue, assuring that employee's skill sets and aptitude matched expected job duties, and assuring that both participant and employer were aware of the progress of the accommodations.
Employer demonstrated itself to be a strong advocate for diversity in its workforce, and was open and flexible in the accommodation process.
Identified Challenges To Accommodation:
Agency network works primarily off of a Citrix Server, which sends screen images of software programs to dummy terminals, making access through a screen reader package impossible. (Screen readers will not read images of data).
Most AT vendors/manufacturers gave no support or suggestions when faced with question of how to make Citrix server system accessible to Blind user.
Software packages are complex and intricate, with many screens leading the user to over 4,000 possible reports or options.
Keyboard access in software packages was inconsistent and unreliable.
The workplace, while outwardly supportive of diversity, was unfamiliar with Blind cultural norms or workplace needs.
Size and scope of the employer IT Department required strong coordination and communication from the AT Specialists in order to maintain priority for accommodations.
Roles in Accommodation
The onsite accommodation assessment was preceded by:
Training and preparation by the VR participant in conjunction with VR counselor support.
Communications among VR participant, VR counselor, and employer/supervisor regarding expected duties, skill sets and intent to hire, dependent on ability to set up assistive technology allowing for complete access to computer programs.
The onsite accommodation assessment conducted by DSB AT Specialists consisted of:
Assessment of scope of computer work, and identification of issues that are obstacles to access.
Identification of AT vendor that was willing to travel onsite and assist in attempt to develop a work-around for Citrix server issue. (Dolphin USA Rep Gareth Collins agreed to do this)
Facilitation of communications and activities among AT vendor, employer IT Department, employer and employee/VR participant in implementing drastic changes to current procedure and work flow to allow for access.
Clear communication of scope and expected timeline essential for VR participant/employee, employer, and VR counselor. (Expected DSB AT support was estimated at one year due to the intricate scope of job duties; the worksite was actually made independent in supporting the accommodation process within six months)
Explanation of work-around solution communicated to all parties and implementation assisted by DSB AT staff and AT vendor. (Network connection linked directly into server in order to work with actual data)
Assessment and recommendations of AT equipment developed for employer, and financial responsibilities negotiated among employer and DSB. (Choice of Dolphin SuperNova screen reader based on apparent vendor commitment to support of jobsite)
Ordering and installation of equipment assistance provided to employer IT Department
Screen-reader tested against all software packages and customized for worksite. (AT facilitated testing among AT vendor and IT staff)
Orientation and Mobility services identified and provided. (DSB VR staff)
Long-term systems of support initiated to foster independence:
Blindness awareness training requested by employer, and provided by DSB staff.
Training in Dolphin SuperNova screen reader product and AT peripherals conducted for VR participant. (Jointly by AT Vendor and DSB AT staff)
VR participant connected with other local users of Dolphin products to develop peer support in use of AT. (Jointly by AT Vendor and DSB AT staff)
Training in adaptive technology used onsite provided for support staff among employer IT Department. (Provided jointly by AT vendor and DSB AT staff)
Summary
The scope of the accommodations made to this jobsite was daunting, and would not have been possible without the assistance of a number of players acting as a team.
The primary role of the DSB AT staff was to act as facilitators for ensuring communications among all parties, for bringing the appropriate parties together for decision-making, and following up to ensure that agreed-to action items were completed in a timely manner. Our expertise required us to acknowledge the limits of our skills and to bring in the appropriate parties (AT vendor; employer IT Department; employer; employee/VR participant) at the appropriate stage of accommodation.
We needed to communicate the reality and breadth of workplace changes needed to be enacted in order to allow for accommodation, and to assuage fears and assure parties that change is possible, suggesting some potential change, and facilitating exchanges among the other parties in order to generate ideas for other means of accommodation.
For a successful accommodation, AT staff became the bridge that allowed the assorted parties to talk, understand each other, and agree toward actions. The key for this jobsite accommodation was to foster the various expertise and levels of authority into a unified team, working toward the same goal.
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