Current economic conditions are challenging us all, and, for employers, recruitment and retention of personnel who are essential to the bottom-line is at critical mass.

Human resources professionals are being pushed to find high quality employees in a workforce that now includes five generations of workers, each with a unique work ethic and issues. As an individual seeking employment, imagine having a vision or hearing impairment and facing possible misconceptions from employers or potential coworkers.

What if you are already employed and worry about whether or not you will be able to maintain your employment due to your impairment? Will you be able to read a computer screen, receive and send e-mails or participate in a staff meeting, even take a telephone call?

Truly, individuals with disabilities face a plethora of employment issues in the marketplace, and Rehabilitation Consulting Services (RCS) – an initiative of the North Dakota Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (a unit of the Department of Human Services) – works, in part, to assist individuals with disabilities to maximize their employment opportunities.

RCS also works to help businesses find solutions to disability-related issues in the workplace. As specially-trained professionals in rehabilitation and career development, RCS consultants embrace the challenges of each individual client, whether individual or business – and work diligently to find solutions.

An important tool in their toolbox is assistive technology, more commonly referred to as AT. “The ADA (the Americans with Disabilities Act) requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees requesting them,” Assistive Technology Specialist and RCS Consultant Natasha Adamson said.

“But when an employee requests one, an employer is often uncertain of their responsibility in finding the solution that is effective – not realizing that the solution may not necessarily be the most expensive.”

The newly designed RCS SOLUTIONS using AT Lab, located at West Central Human Service Center in the Prairie Hills Plaza at 1237 Divide Ave. in Bismarck, encourages a ‘try before you buy’ opportunity for both employee and employer in the lab, as well as offering trained staff to assist in the process.

At first glance, the lab appears to offer items for retail purchase. However, it’s designed to showcase the latest technology in an interactive setting and provide a solid source for a hands-on experience. Everything from assistive software to keyboards and mouses or furniture and hand-held devices can be tested.

And sky’s the limit, really, to the opportunities available in AT – and not always of the expensive sort. The lab offers an adjustable desk – not only for consideration, but for measurement purposes. Individuals in wheelchairs may find they are unable to work in a general office setting due to desk height.

However, counselors at the RCS SOLUTIONS using AT Lab may determine a workable height and make minor recommendations for the workplace. Displayed are keyboards and mice ranging from one-handed boards and foot pedal mice to tracking programs, which allow the user to (hands-free) move a cursor and other mouse functions by moving his head – where a sticky dot has been strategically affixed and calibrated, enabling the individual to navigate through computer applications.

The Ubi-duo technology allows communication when one individual is either unable to hear or speak without signing. This device lets each participant utilize a keyboard to facilitate communication in ‘real time’ (similar to chatting).

Suppose an individual needs a device to enlarge printed items (money, food labels, price tags) – a wide variety of items provide eyes and in some cases, ears. One device snaps a photo of a given document or printed piece. After decoding it, the text is read aloud.

Another handheld device enlarges the print on a page – with an option for magnifying the space directly to the right, showing correct positioning and alignment when writing. Screen reading, word prediction and dictation software allow individuals to utilize the latest in computer technology, including touch screen application.

With an employer’s permission, a professional analysis of the work site helps fully determine the client needs. “We treat each client, whether individual or business, as uniquely individual,” Adamson said.

“There is no cookie-cutter approach to what we do. We demonstrate, share product information, and make proper referrals to vendor sources.”

Essentially, by providing solutions for workforce development and retention, employers will find advantages when utilizing AT.

“By exploring available technologies and trying equipment, the business space may be adapted to help retain the employee – reducing the need to rehire for the position, ultimately saving the business financial loss in retraining an individual,” Marketing and Business Relations Director Harley Engelman said.

“In most cases, an average AT accommodation costs an employer less than $500.00. “It is also important that employers remember a critical element. Everything that is done to accommodate a disability will impact everyone in a positive manner. AT is not just for those with disabilities,” Engelman said.
“All employees can benefit from it.”

Quite often, he said, individuals with disabilities find they are ill-equipped to market themselves in a computer savvy world. Job searches can be intimidating for the average person seeking employment, and those with additional challenges face an array of situations, from basic computer functions to building a resume. To provide a resource for these folks, a new concept is being introduced.

The RCS Career Readiness Center offers opportunities for individuals to develop and strengthen foundational skills as they prepare to pursue a new career. Help with cover letters and resumes or learning interviewing skills are part of the focus.

“Our goal is to assist individuals in their current and future employment searches,” RCS Consultant Candace Hanson said.

“By teaching them basic foundational skills, they are empowered to search for a job.”

Engelman said a common misconception of individuals with disabilities is that they will perform poorly – or that they will be more difficult to supervise, however, these employees rank higher for employee retention, maintain equal or better performance testing, are relatively easier to supervise and better in attendance than those without disabilities.

Further, he said these individuals come to employment with highly adequate training or education. A goal of RCS is to keep the wealth of expertise of a current employee, adapting the space instead for their retention.

Whether self-driven, employer sought, or job coach referred, RCS counselors are privy to the latest AT devices, technology, or aids allow the individual to achieve independence in the workplace – and will also work directly with businesses to determine solutions for a full gamete of disability-related issues in employment.

One of four North Dakota locations (Minot, Grand Forks, and Dickinson also have labs); the Bismarck RCS SOLUTIONS using AT Lab is currently undergoing an expansion and relocation. A Grand Opening on May 19, 2009 will showcase the expanded lab and the newly created RCS Career Resource Center with the community.

The four labs will eventually be linked for video conferencing, allowing video demonstrations of devices in ‘real time’ across the state. Funded by both the state of North Dakota and with federal dollars, the services for on-site assessment, recommendations, assistance and training are provided at no charge on a one-to-one or group basis.

The cost to the business is incurred when assistive technology is selected for implementation – and that cost varies dependent upon the accommodation selected. The goal of RCS SOLUTIONS using AT Lab is to seek options and find solutions through the use of assistive technology.

And in the process, provide a road map to employment, training, and education as they help integrate these individuals with disabilities back into the mainstream workplace, where they will utilize their abilities.

Story by TINA DING