Accommodating Employees with Mobility Impairments

Accommodating Employees who use Mobility Devices Burr Corley, MSW, Consultant Eddie Whidden, M.A., Senior Consultant

JAN is a service of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. 1

Accommodating Employees who use Mobility Devices

Objectives  JAN Overview  Employees who use mobility devices  Accommodations for employees who use mobility devices  Scenarios  Questions

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JAN Overview

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How many people use mobility devices? There are 6.8 million Americans living in the community who use an assistive device to help them with mobility 27.4%of Americans who use mobility devices are in the labor force These statistics are from following document Kaye, H. S., Kang, T. and LaPlante, M.P. (2000). Mobility Device Use in the United States. Disability Statistics Report, (14). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. Available online at http://dsc.ucsf.edu/pdf/report14.pdf 4

Impairments which may require use of a mobility device

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Arthritis Amputation ALS Back conditions Cancer Cerebral Palsy Heart Disease Hemiplegia Hip conditions Knee Conditions Multiple Sclerosis

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Muscular Dystrophy Myasthenia Gravis Lupus Osteoporosis Paraplegia Parkinson’s Disease Quadriplegia Respiratory Disorders Spina Bifida Spinal Cord Injury Stroke 5

Types of mobility devices

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Canes Crutches Walkers Knee Walkers Rollators Wheelchairs   

Manual and Electric Standing Outdoor

 Scooters 6

Mobility Impairments in the Workplace             

Accessing the work site Accessing the work space Accessing information technology Bending, stooping, and kneeling Reaching Maintaining balance Sitting for prolonged periods Standing Walking Lifting materials Carrying and moving materials Lifting people Driving or operating vehicles 7

Accessing the Worksite

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Install automatic door openers Accessible door handles Parking Modify the building to make it accessible     

Ramps Chair lifts Stair lifts Elevators Restrooms

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Accessing the Worksite

 Moving employee to accessible location  Allowing or providing mobility devices  Scooter  Wheelchair  Manual  Powered  All-Terrain

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Emergency Evacuation Motor Impairments 

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Employers should remove any physical barriers (boxes, supplies, furniture) to insure a barrier-free route of travel out of the building. Employers may want to provide heavy gloves to protect individuals' hands from debris when pushing their manual wheelchairs, a patch kit to repair flat tires, and extra batteries for those who use motorized wheelchairs or scooters. Arrangements should also be made to make wheelchairs available after evacuation.

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Emergency evacuation

 Designate areas of rescue assistance  Providing emergency evacuation mobility aids

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Accessing the Workspace

 Providing accessible route of travel  Modifying workstation to make it accessible     

Ergonomic chairs Articulating keyboard trays and mousing surfaces Foot rests and forearm supports Headsets Slant boards and copy holders

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Accessing the Workspace

 Desk-A-Lators  Provide adjustable workstation that can allow a wheelchair user access to the desk, or allow alternating between sitting and standing  Accessible workstations for office settings  Accessible workstations for industrial settings

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Accessing Information Technology

 Alternative keyboards  Alternative mice  Speech recognition

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Accommodations for Climbing

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Aerial Lifts Work platforms Provide reacher Provide safety ladders for employees who must use ladders

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Bending, Stooping, and Kneeling

• Raise equipment or material on which the employee is working • Provide low stool or creeper • Racatac • Provide reacher

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Reaching

• Set up workstation to minimize reaching • Provide reacher • Job restructuring

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Maintaining Balance

 Provide safety ladders for employees who must use ladders  Provide or allow use of mobility aids     

Canes Walkers with seats Rollators Wheelchair Scooter

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Sitting for Prolonged Periods

 Providing adjustable workstation  Using ergonomic chairs  Seat cushions

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Sitting for Prolonged Periods

Implementing ergonomic principles       

Monitor risers Articulating keyboard and mouse trays Foot rests and forearm supports Headsets Lumbar cushions Copyholders, page turners, and book holders Task lighting

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Standing for Prolonged Periods

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Adjustable and accessible workstations Stand-lean stools Anti-fatigue matting Stand-up wheelchairs ErgoMates

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Walking

 Communicating with email, IM, two-way radios and cell phones  ErgoMates  Providing or allowing mobility device    

Wheelchairs Scooters Walkers and rollators Canes

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Lifting Materials

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Job restructuring Compact lifting devices Adjustable lift tables Vacuum lifts Mobile cranes Tool balancers and ergonomic tools

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Carrying and Moving Materials

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Carts and hand trucks Motorized carts Baskets for walkers and rollators Carts that can be attached to a mobility device like a scooter

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Accessibility in Agriculture

National Agrability Project

http://www.agrability.org

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Lifting People     

Adjustable and walk-up changing tables Adjustable examination tables Patient lifts Transfer aids Independent living products

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Driving or Operating Vehicles

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Steering grips Vehicle cushions Anti vibration seats and wraps Automatic clutch Hand controls Pedal extenders Specific seat belts and seat belt extenders Swivel seats and seat extenders Lifters and carriers for mobility aids Allow work from home 27

Non-Product Accommodations    

Job restructuring Modified schedule Reassignment Telework

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Scenario 1

A caller said an employee with a doctor's note stating he needs to telework because he can only walk 200 ft without experiencing pain/weakness due to neuropathy. The employee’s job is sedentary. They wanted some alternatives to working from home. We discussed the use of a mobility device and placing him closer to the common-use areas in the office, such as, the restroom, break area, etc.

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Scenario 2

A school teacher with 30 years experience in the classroom has difficulty walking around the room in order to give one-on-one attention to her students and has difficulty balancing while standing in front of the class for prolonged periods. Her arthritis has worsened in the last two years making mobility an issue at work. We discussed the use of a sit-to-stand stool to use when lecturing and a rollator for some limited walking.

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Scenario 3

Caller said they have a city employee working in grounds maintenance, but the employee has difficulty walking on uneven terrain and must haul bags of fertilizer throughout the area. She has a back condition resulting in restrictions of walking, carrying, and lifting. We suggested a powered scooter designed for outdoor use with a "yardcart" attached to the rear of the scooter.

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Scenario 4

An employee has trouble lifting/moving heavy boxes of computer paper due to a shoulder injury; he works in an office setting and deliveries are made to the basement. He must lift/move the boxes while ascending the basement stairs. We explained the use of a stair-climbing compact material lift device.

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Tax Incentives

 Disabled Access Credit (DAC)  Architectural and Transportation Barrier Removal Deduction  Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) Program  Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program  http://AskJAN.org/media/tax.html

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Questions? AskJAN.org

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Work that Works Contact    

(800) 526-7234 (V) & (877) 781-9403 (TTY) (304) 216-8189 via text AskJAN.org & [email protected] janconsultants via Skype

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