I am posting information I received on disk about the Job Accommodation Network (JAN): a project of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. For ADA implementation among other reasons, JAN collects and disseminates information about effectively accommodating functional limitations of employees. It may be contacted in various ways, including phone, fax, BBS, and the web. Jamal Mazrui National Council on Disability Email: 74444.1076@compuserve.com ---------- Job Accommodation Network P.O. Box 6080 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV 26506 A Service of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities Toll Free Information Service (Voice/TDD) Within The United States 1-800-526-7234 Canada 1-800-526-2262 ADA Information 1-800-ADA-WORK (1-800-232-9675) All lines Voice/TDD Computer Bulletin Board 1-800-DIAL-JAN (1-800-342-5526) Fax Line 304-293-5407 President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities Welcome to JAN! The Job Accommodation Network, established by the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities in 1984 as a service of the President's Committee, is an information and consulting service providing individualized accommodation solutions to inquire about enabling people with disabilities to work. JAN's purpose has always been to make it possible for employers and others to share information about job accommodations. JAN has several ways to make this possible: a free "800" number for telephone contact, 1-800-526-7234; a free "800" number for computer contact (with modem), 1-800-DIAL-JAN; and a new telephone "800" number, 1-800-ADA-WORK. We are anxious to know about YOUR experiences in making accommodations. This is a very valuable resource to others. The President's Committee is asking all people active in the employment of persons with disabilities to share any information they may have about successful accommodations made, and to identify other sources. If you have questions or suggestions, please call 1-800-526-7234, or call us at 202-376-6200. Thank you in advance for adding to our valuable information resource of accommodations that work. President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities 1331 F Street NW Washington, DC 20004-1107 202-376-6200 (Voice) 202-376-6205 (TDD) 202-376-6219 (Fax) Table of Contents: History and Mission Calling JAN True Stories JAN's Resources The JAN information service: The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is an international toll-free consulting service that provides information about job accommodations and the employability of people with functional limitations. Anyone may call JAN for information. Calls are answered by consultants who understand the functional limitations associated with disabilities and who have instant access to the most comprehensive and up-to-date information about accommodation methods, devices and strategies. JAN preserves the confidentiality of communication between caller and consultant. The mission of JAN is to assist in the hiring, retraining, retention or advancement of persons with disabilities by providing accommodation information. JAN's work helps: Employers 1. hire, retain, and promote qualified employees with disabilities; 2. reduce workers' compensation and other insurance costs; 3. address issues pertaining to accessibility; 4. provide accommodation options and practical solutions Rehabilitation Professionals 1. facilitate placement of clients through accommodation assistance; 2. find local resources for workplace assessment; 3. discover resources for device fabrication and modification Persons with Disabilities 1. acquire accommodation information; 2. discover other organizations, support groups, government agencies, and placement agencies. (Picture Caption) JAN is a part of the College of Human Resources and Education at West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV. History and Mission Need: Few people have adequate information about the employability of individuals with disabilities and about job accommodation techniques. Before the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), there was no central resource to which one could turn for information on relevant options concerning job accommodations. Information Services: The Job Accommodation Network now provides such information to employers, rehabilitation professionals, and people with disabilities throughout the United States and Canada. JAN also provides other helpful information, such as names, addresses, and phone numbers of individuals and organizations experienced in the modification of work environments for persons with disabilities. Development: The development of the JAN system has been achieved through the collaborative efforts of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, the West Virginia Research and Training Center at West Virginia University, Employment and Immigration Canada, and private industry throughout North America. Impact: The Job Accommodation Network represents the most comprehensive resource for job accommodations currently available. Its work greatly enhances the ability of employers to provide reasonable and appropriate job accommodations for qualified persons with disabilities, and increases job opportunities for persons with disabilities. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): In 1991 the service of the Job Accommodation Network was expanded to provide public access information to businesses and services needing to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). By dialing 1-800-ADA-WORK, a caller may speak with a JAN consultant who is knowledgeable about public access issues and ways to modify facilities and equipment to provide access for persons who are disabled. (Picture Caption) This JAN consultant regularly uses a stand-up computer workstation to accommodate a back problem. Calling JAN Call JAN when: 1. you would like to hire a person with a disability; 2. you are trying to help a person return to work from injury or illness; 3. you want to promote a person with a disability; 4. you need to help a person perform a present job more easily; 5. you need information about how your business can comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. What will happen when you call: 1. When you dial JAN's toll-free number, a professional consultant will ask a few easy questions about the requirements of the job, the worker, and the work environment. 2. The consultant will search JAN's files to discover readily- available solutions, and may also engage other experts to help determine appropriate accommodations for your solution. 3. You will receive information about possible solutions for your particular situation. You may also receive names and phone numbers of employers or workers who have made such accommodations, and lists of other helpful information such as funding resources and tax incentives. 4. If you have made an accommodation in your workplace, you will be asked to share your experience on JAN's easy data input form. Information which you provide will be added to JAN's resources, where it can be used to benefit. Calling hours Calls are answered from 8 a.m.to 8 p.m. Eastern Time Monday through Thursday, and on Fridays from 8 a.m to 5 p.m. All lines are Voice/TDD. Machines answer after-hours calls. (Picture Caption) As a toll-free service in the United States and Canada, JAN's consultants provide information for English, French, and Spanish-speaking callers. (Picture Caption) Inexpensive accommodations for carpal tunnel syndrome (repetitive motion disability) include the keyboard wrist rest and wrist wrap, used regularly by this JAN staff member. True Stories From JAN Injured employee returns to work An insurance company asked JAN for information to help a furnature refinisher get back to work after a leg injury. The worker had been receiving physical therapy for three months, but the injury left him unable to bend and kneel frequently while working on furniture of different shapes and weights. JAN suggested a flat lift table known as a "liftmat." This piece of equipment could elevate the furniture to a height which enabled the worker to sit or stand while working. The insurance company was pleased to pay for the equipment that not only helped the employee return to work but also eliminated their disability payments. Accommodation opens job to candidate who is disabled and creates new service/market for company When a bank bought some equipment that allowed a person who is deaf to work as a teller, the bak also gained the ability to serve customers who are deaf. Interested in hiring a candidate who was deaf, the bank manager called JAN for assistance. Because the position required conversations with hearing customers, JAN suggested that teller and customer could communicate using telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDDs). Though TDDs are most often used on phone lines, JAN knew of another device to connect two units without using a phone line. With the TDDs, a customer and the teller could communicate by typing on the TDD keyboard. Barrier-free business opens its doors to customers with disabilities The desire to open his business to a new group of customers motivated a call to JAN by the owner of a hardware and swimming pool supply store. The businessman wantedto make his facility accessible for persons with various disabilities. A JAN consultant discussed modification options including ramping the entrance way, installing automatic door systems, installing telephone devices for the deaf, and other possibilities. Then JAN mailed him a helpful packet of information showing equipment and purchasing information, describing access guidelines, and listing federal tax subsidies. Sample accommodations and costs 1. Providing a drafting table, page turner, and pressure sensitive tape recorder for a sales agent paralyzed from a broken neck ($950). 2. Changing a desk layout from the right to the left side for a data entry operator who had a shoulder injury ($0). 3. Supplying a telephone amplifier for a computer programmer who was hard of hearing ($56). 4. Providing a special chair for a district sales agent to alleviate pain caused by a back injury ($400). 5. Providing padded wrist-rests under a computer keyboard to alleviate strain of repetitive motion and carpal tunnel syndrome ($35). (Picture Caption) A JAN consultant answers the phone using a TDD (telecommunication device for the deaf). JAN's Resources 1. Consultants who are specialists in functional limitations and rehabilitation; 2. Voice/TDD lines for hard of hearing or deaf callers; 3. Ability to answer requests in English, Spanish, and French; 4. Materials which can be distributed in English, Spanish, French, braille, large print, tape and disk. 5. Comprehensive library of information about tens of thousands of manufactured products; 6. Comprehensive data on accommodation methods, policies and strategies; 7. Current information about other service agencies, training programs and funding sources; 8. Technical knowledge about requirements of barrier-free accessand other issues; 9. Computer bulletin board (toll-free) for discussion groups, electronic mail and other information sharing. The President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities This organization provides information, training and technical assistance to America's business leaders, organized labor, rehabilitation and other service providers, advocacy organizations, families and individuals with disabilities. The Committee also serves as an advisor to the President of the United States on public policy issues affecting employment with disabilities. As a service of this Committee, the Job Accommodation Network maintains a close working relationship with its staff and members. Electronic Access: DIAL-JAN is a computer-based bulletin board created and maintained by the West Virginia Research and Training Center's Project Enable. Among its many functions, DIAL-JAN enables businesses and rehabilitation professionals to "come together" to share needs and expertise. JAN also maintains a web-server on Internet. To access our web page, use URL: http://janweb.icdi.wvu.edu (Picture Caption) JAN distributes materials in braille, large print, regular print, on tape, and on disk. (Picture Caption) Standard telephone head sets may be used to accommodate workers with neck or shoulder injuries and other mobility impairments