Mary's Job Accommodations
Job Duty: The job responsibilities included answering a four line
telephone system, greeting customers who come into the office, and
maintaining
a database of customers for mailings. The individual hired for the
job had excellent communication and social skills and was very motivated
to work. She had never held a job other than selling cosmetics to
her network of friends. Though she wanted to work, she was unable
to use her hands due to a spinal cord injury. In addition, she had
great difficulty with recalling information due to short term memory
loss. While trying to find employment, the young woman was referred
to a supported employment agency by her vocational rehabilitation
counselor. The employment specialist assigned to her assisted the
individual in locating a job as well as provided on-site training
until she was able to perform her essential job functions independently.
The initial work challenge was to determine how the new employee could
answer the incoming telephone calls. The company was a small business with
limited resources. The hand held receiver was replaced with a headset.
In addition, a rehabilitation engineer made a simple lever that she lifted
up and down to answer the phone. A "mouthstick" allowed her to
move the lever and to press the numbers on the telephone. The mouthstick
rests in a stand on her computer table.
One of the work tasks related to answering the phone was to give out standard
information on the business. This presented a small challenge related to
her ability to remember details. A list of commonly asked questions was
posted next to the telephone and served as a very simple solution to this
barrier.
Another challenge was to determine how to take messages. The job duty required
her to record the names and addresses of individuals who requested that
information be mailed to them. While she could send most messages to individual
voicemail boxes she needed to record addresses for mailing requests. The
solution was to record the address in a tape recorder that sat at her work
station. She would repeat the address to the caller and tell them that
she was recording it for her records. The employee later uses Dragon Naturally
Speaking, a voice activated software, to enter the requests into an office
database. A coworker assists by later sending out the literature and/or
information.
Please note that an accommodation for this individual also included an
employment specialist on the job to assist her in learning how to use the
software. Prior to employment, the woman did not have any job experiences
or experience with the technology. The vocational rehabilitation counselor
paid for the needed job support while the worker learned the requirements
of the position. Once the individual became independent, the employer provided
all supports for her to maintain employment. The employment specialist
visited twice a month and kept in contact with the employer and the worker
to make.