The ADA intended the reasonable accommodation process to be a collaborative interaction between employers and employees.  For decades, The Chicago Lighthouse has assisted local employers in navigating the accommodations process with their employees who are blind or visually impaired. 

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employers and potential employers are required to make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.  In the ADA ’s terminology, this word “qualified” is key.  According to the EEOC, a “qualified individual with a disability” is a person who meets legitimate skill, experience, education, or other requirements of an employment position that he or she holds or seeks, and who can perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.

The EEOC describe a reasonable accommodation as “any modification or adjustment to a job or the work environment that will enable a qualified applicant or employee with a disability to participate in the application process or to perform essential job functions” as well as any adjustments necessary to assure that a qualified individual with a disability has rights and privileges in employment equal to those of employees without disabilities.

The goal of an accommodation is to allow a qualified worker to function at his or her optimum level by reducing the impact of a disability on his or her job performance, not by giving special treatment.  Simply put, accommodations reduce or eliminate workplace barriers.

Accommodations and the assistive technology needed depend very much on the individual and the work situation.  Some individuals who are visually impaired will use a closed-circuit television (CCTV) that is used to magnify printed material onto a monitor.  Most CCTVs also have settings to adjust contrast, size and color to meet an individual’s needs.  Other low vision aids like hand-held magnifiers might be used by someone who is visually impaired to read small print.  Telescopes or monoculars can be used for distance reading, such as reading print on a projector screen from across a room.

On the computer, some people who are visually impaired will use screen magnification software.  This software enlarges the information on the computer screen and can also be adjusted to display different contrasts, sizes and colors.  Some screen magnification software also has settings to change the appearance of the mouse pointer and cursor as well as voice output.

Individuals who have less sight might use screen reading software to access the computer.  Screen readers translate the information on the computer screen into synthesized speech and can read everything from pop-up messages to hyperlinks on an Internet page.  Many individuals who use screen reading software may navigate using keyboard commands instead of the mouse.  Refreshable Braille displays can also be connected to a computer so that information on the screen is translated into Braille.  Many computer users who are blind choose to use both screen reading software and refreshable Braille displays together so that information can be proofread in Braille for accuracy.

Other assistive technology for people who are blind or significantly visually impaired may include portable note-takers, Braille writers and Braille typewriters to take the place of a pen and paper.  Scanners can also be utilized to upload printed material onto the computer.

Because the ADA only protects individuals with “known” disabilities, the applicant or employee is responsible for introducing the need for reasonable accommodation by first disclosing his or her disability.  Nevertheless,

In this way, reasonable accommodations make sense from a business perspective in order to best utilize talent and maximize productivity.

The ADA protects employers from accommodations that will impose an undue hardship, which is defined as “an action requiring significant difficulty or expense” when considered in light of a number of factors, such as the nature and cost of the accommodation in relation to the size, resources, nature, and structure of the employer’s operation. Undue hardship is determined on a case-by-case basis.

According to the ADA , if the cost of an accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the employer and no outside funding is available, the individual with a disability must be given the option of paying for the accommodation. The employer and the employee should discuss what the employee’s needs are and together determine an effective, reasonable accommodation through an informal, interactive process.

The good news is that research indicates that most on-the-job accommodations for workers with disabilities aren’t as costly as one might think.  In fact, according to the American Foundation for the Blind, 31% of accommodations cost nothing.  No-cost accommodations might be as simple as moving a person’s desk to reduce glare on a computer monitor, adjusting computer settings to increase contrast or font size or using email instead of handwritten notes to convey messages to colleagues.  Additionally, 69% of accommodations cost under $500.  Adaptive computer equipment, low vision aids and alternative transportation are all options that can be implemented to help a visually impaired person to do his or her job.

Those accommodations that are more costly are almost always a one-time expense.  Indeed, most employers agree that the cost of accommodating workers who are blind or visually impaired is a good investment overall.  With the proper accommodations, these individuals are as productive as other employees and will likely quickly prove to be an asset to your organization.  Many employers have found that the cost of providing accommodations is easily compensated for by having workers who are consistently in attendance, diligent, and loyal.  Plus, tax incentives and other resources may be available  to offset the expense  of accommodations when appropriate.

The solution is often not as complicated as one might think.  Adaptive Technology Specialists at The Chicago Lighthouse are available to work with your company IT department to assist with any questions on system compatibility.  The Chicago Lighthouse has decades of experience in working with employers who are making an effort to hire and keep qualified workers who are blind and visually impaired and we’re ready to share our expertise with you.

According to the American Foundation for the Blind, reasonable accommodations are not as costly as one might think:

• 31 percent cost nothing
• 50 percent cost less than $50
• 69 percent cost less than $500
• 88 percent cost less than $1,000