Volume 5, Issue 3, Third Quarter, 2007

The JAN E-News is a quarterly online newsletter of the Job Accommodation Network. Its purpose is to keep subscribers informed about low-cost and innovative accommodation approaches; the latest trends in assistive technologies; announcements of upcoming JAN presentations, media events, trainings, and Webcasts; and legislative and policy updates promoting the employment success of people with disabilities.

An E-mail announcement is sent to an opt-in list when a new issue is available. Please use the links at the end of this document to subscribe or unsubscribe to the E-mail notification and contact us.

Notice: If you do not wish to receive announcements about JAN E-News and JAN Consultants' Corner, please send an e-mail to unsubscribe@askjan.org

1 - JAN/USBLN 2007-2008 Webcast Series

Join the Job Accommodation Network's monthly Webcast, Hiring and Accommodating Veterans with Disabilities, 2:00 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, November 13, 2007.

Because there is limited capacity for this event, we recommend advanced registration. Click on the link below to register online and reserve your seat: http://askjan.org/webcast/register/

Speakers: Megan DuLaney, Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP), and Debra Ruh, Tec Access

Session Description: Our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines are returning everyday from deployment in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Yet, many of them are not returning to their duty assignments, instead, they are recovering at various Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) because of injuries they sustained in the Global War on Terror. CAP works closely with service members across the nation to ensure they receive appropriate assistive technology for their needs. TecAccess is actively partnering with leading organizations to train disabled veterans. These partners commit to furnish program funding and high quality jobs for our Nation´s heroes. Join Megan and Debra as they describe how these nationally acclaimed programs can benefit your company or agency. Learn what these wounded service members are experiencing as they transition into civilian careers. These trained and skilled veterans will be a valuable asset in the civilian workforce.

To register for this Webcast: http://askjan.org/webcast/register/

For more information about this Webcast or others in the JAN/USBLN series go to: http://askjan.org/webcast/, training@askjan.org or 800-526-7234 and select Option "5" (Voice) and 877-781-9403 (TTY)

2 - On the Job with Diabetes

Diabetes is a common, serious, and treatable disease that affects many people in the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are nearly 21 million people in the U.S. between the ages of 20 and 59 who have diabetes. This estimate accounts for approximately 10 percent of all working-age adults. Many people with diabetes are able to work effectively by maintaining a good work-life balance and by requesting simple accommodations on the job.

Diabetes is classified as either Type I, Type II, pre-diabetes, or gestational. Diabetes affects many parts of the body and can impact heart health, blood pressure, vision, and kidney and central nervous system functioning. At work, diabetes can be impacted by irregular scheduling, long hours, stress, strenuous activities, and infrequent breaks. Accommodations may be needed for limitations such as difficulty seeing, difficulty walking or standing, difficulty working a rotating shift or night shift, and for dietary reasons.

Good employee health contributes to successful job performance. Employers who recognize ways to prevent diabetes complications through balancing work expectations and employee medical needs will benefit from reduced absenteeism and increased productivity. Supervisors and managers should be aware of the value of implementing individualized accommodations that help workers maintain a healthy work-life balance. Accommodations for employees with diabetes should be provided on a case-by-case basis, but JAN’s top five most requested accommodations include:

Modified Schedule – Modified schedule requests include asking for a day shift or regular schedule, additional or different break times and the opportunity to make-up the time, and exemption from rotating shifts and over time.
Privacy and Safety – Privacy and safety related requests include asking for a private, clean place to test blood sugar or take medication; a cool, secure place to store medication; and a way to safely dispose of insulin needles in the workplace.
Flexible Leave – Flexible leave requests include asking for the ability to use unscheduled, accrued leave due to complications associated with the diabetes, without penalty; intermittent leave; and unpaid leave.
Policy Modification – Policy modification requests typically include asking for a modification to a no food or drink policy to allow a person with diabetes to eat small meals or snacks throughout the day to maintain blood sugar; or a modification to the dress-code policy so the employee can wear shoes that will not create foot sores, or help sores heal.
Assistive Technology (AT) – AT related requests often include such AT as computer screen magnification software needed because of diabetic retinopathy; a sit-lean stool needed because of neuropathy of the feet and legs; a timer to help the employee remember to take breaks; or equipment to reduce the need to lift on the job or perform strenuous physical activities.

November is American Diabetes Awareness month. Employers who are aware of the broad impact diabetes can have will be better prepared to help prevent complications by accommodating workers and developing a healthier, more productive workforce. The Job Accommodation Network offers information and resources that can support diabetes awareness efforts in the workplace. For more information, contact a JAN consultant or visit http://askjan.org/media/diab.htm.

For information regarding diabetes awareness and prevention, contact the American Diabetes Association at 800-342-2383, e-mail AskADA@diabetes.org, or visit http://www.diabetes.org and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at 800-CDC-INFO, e-mail cdcinfo@cdc.gov, or visit http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes.

- Tracie D. Saab, M.S.

3 - Preventing Workplace Eye Injuries

The American Academy of Ophthalmology has designated October as Eye Injury Prevention Month. Every day, an estimated 2,000 eye injuries of all types occur and about 1,000 of those eye injuries happen in the workplace.

There is little argument that the best way to prevent injury to the eye is to wear the appropriate eye protection. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that about 60% of injured workers were either not wearing eye protection at the time of the accident or wearing the wrong kind of eye protection for the job. They also estimate that over 90% of eye injuries are preventable with the use of proper safety eyewear. More than half of workers injured while wearing eye protection thought the eyewear had helped to minimize their injuries. Half the workers also felt that another type of protection would have been better for preventing or reducing the injuries they suffered. According to BLS,

the major factors that contributed to eye injuries on the job were:

Not wearing eye protection
Wearing the wrong kind of eye protection for the job.

the causes of eye injuries were:

Flying particles (flying or falling objects or sparks striking the eye)
Contact with chemicals
Other (objects swinging from a fixed or attached position, tree limbs, ropes, chains, or tools which were pulled into the eye while the worker was using them).

the occupations that experienced most injuries were:

Craft work (mechanics, repairers, carpenters, plumbers)
Industrial equipment operations (assemblers, sanders, grinder operators).

Eye injuries are prevented through appropriate use of protective eyewear, training and education of employees, and ensuring that protective equipment is properly maintained. OSHA standards describe appropriate use of eye protection, but to be most effective, the eyewear must match the work situation and properly fit the worker. Injured workers often report that they were unaware of the regulations concerning eyewear or that they received little or no information about the use of eye protection at work. Finally, eye protection that is scratched or dirty may reduce vision and contribute to accidents. Consistent and proper cleaning, maintenance, and/or replacement of eye protection equipment are critical to effective eye protection.

What type of safety eyewear is available to me? There are many types of devices designed for different workplace applications. Among these are non-prescription and prescription safety glasses, goggles, face shields, welding helmets, and full-face respirators.

The eye protection that is best for you or your workers depends on the hazards in your workplace. If you are likely to be in contact with particles, flying objects, or dust, safety glasses with side protection (side shields) may be your best option. People who work with chemicals may choose to wear goggles. There are also special-purpose safety glasses, goggles, face shields, or helmets for workers who are exposed to hazardous radiation (welding, lasers, or fiber optics).

Eye protection lenses may be made of glass, plastic, or polycarbonate. While all three types of safety lenses meet or exceed the requirements for protecting your eyes, some may be better suited to your workplace than others. Glass lenses are not easily scratched, do not react to chemicals, can be made in corrective prescriptions, but may be heavy or uncomfortable. Plastic lenses are light weight, can protect against welding splatter, are not likely to fog, but are not scratch resistant. Polycarbonate lenses have many of the attributes of plastic lenses and they are stronger than glass or plastic, but are not as scratch resistant as glass lenses.

An extensive list of manufacturers and vendors of protective eyewear can be found on the JAN Website at http://askjan.org/soar/vision/visionprod.html

Additional resources:

Eye Protection In The Workplace. U.S. Department of Labor, Fact Sheet Number OSHA 93-03. http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=FACT_SHEETS&p_id=142

Prevent Blindness America
http://www.preventblindness.org/resources/fact_sheets.html#workplacesafety

Federal Occupational Health, Department of Health and Human Services’ Program Support Center http://www.foh.dhhs.gov/Public/NYCU/eyeinjury.asp

- Denetta Dowler, Ed.D.

4 - ATIA Leadership Forum on Accessibility

Thursday, January 31, 2008 - Friday, February 1, 2008 Caribe Royale All-Suites Resort & Convention Center, Orlando, Florida.

Registration for the 2008 ATIA Leadership Forum on Accessibility is now open! And registering has never been easier! Simply visit the ATIA web site and fill out their convenient online registration form, or download a copy to reserve by mail or fax. But don’t delay! The Early Bird discount rates end November 26, 2007. Register today and save!

This 2008 ATIA Leadership Forum on Accessibility explores the business case for building system-wide accessibility within corporations, government agencies, or educational institutions. Through general sessions and break-out sessions, they will explore issues related to building systems to reach the maturing population and persons with disabilities along with internal systems to support the hiring, retention and advancement of persons with disabilities.

Highlights of this year’s Leadership Forum include:

In-depth discussions on the business case for accessibility, the direction of accessible technology, e-Learning, and how to transform your organization from the Office of the CIO to the developer workstation.
Highmark®, a leading health insurer in Pennsylvania, will discuss their ongoing efforts to create accessible employment systems and the impact as a federal contractor.
Walgreens® will discuss the evolution of their distribution operations that allows them to hire persons with cognitive disabilities, while still increasing overall productivity by 20%.
Monster.com® and USAJOBS presenting the benefits realized from accessible online recruiting.
Educational content discussing how to create a successful accommodations infrastructure and achieve measurable results.
Informative sessions that explore a variety of industry hot topics such as delivering accessible interfaces to electronic forms, how state and local government initiatives are connecting communities, and much more.

For complete details on the 2008 ATIA Leadership Forum visit www.atia.org/leadershipforum, and download a copy of their Advance Program. Or go online to register today!

This event is hosted by ATIA as an independent forum within the ATIA 2008 Conference.

5 - JAN Conference 2007 a Success

The Job Accommodation Network’s Sixth Annual Conference, Empowering Employers to Build an Inclusive Workforce, was held August 6-7, 2007, at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, VA. This exciting event provided a unique learning opportunity to 300 human resource managers, compliance officers, disability program managers, and other professionals from 34 states, Canada, and Korea. Attendees gained valuable experience and learned practical ways to accommodate and employ people with disabilities. Exhibitors, presenters, and attendees shared resources, cross-marketed, and formed long-term partnerships in an effort to find innovate ways to increase the employment rate of people with disabilities. JAN’s staff, along with numerous national experts, provided attendees with three concurrent training tracks that addressed accommodation strategies, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other legal issues, and innovative employment practices.

Keynotes throughout the Conference entertained, discussed current events, and provided innovative ideas. Here are some of the highlights from the Conference:

Karen Czarnecki, ODEP: Focus on Service, Policy Goals

Karen Czarnecki, the Acting Assistant Secretary for the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), U.S. Department of Labor, opened the JAN Conference. Czarnecki’s remarks focused on ODEP’s mission, highlighting that ODEP tests, develops, and disseminates policies to facilitate the hiring, retention, and advancement of people with disabilities and noting that ODEP is the only federal agency that develops comprehensive and integrated disability employment policy solutions. She also emphasized JAN’s national role in workplace accommodation, stating that “JAN has become an integral part of ODEP.” Czarnecki closed by saying, “It's my hope that the information that you gain today and over the next two days, will empower you to advance workplace accommodations for all workers in a changing, global economy.”

Michael Stein: Ideas for Change

Michael Stein, J.D., Cabell Research Professor of Law, William & Mary Law School, provided the opening keynote for the Conference. Stein focused on ideas for integration and change to improve the employment rate of people with disabilities. Stein stated that he believes global partnerships between governments, non-governmental organizations, civil society, and employers can bring about positive changes. He gave examples of how improvements to public accommodations, transportation, and governmental services are necessary to facilitate the employment of people with disabilities, stating that, “The idea is to get people with disabilities into the workplace, have them succeed in the workplace, and, therefore, become productive members of society."

Leslie Milk: An Inspiring Story with Humor and Charm

Leslie Milk provided the luncheon keynote on the first day of the Conference. Talking about life’s inspiring moments, Milk, a charming Washingtonian and Lifestyle Editor of the Washingtonian magazine, motivated participants to think about disability with a little humor. Discussing how her left arm was paralyzed during her birth, Milk reflected on her past job experiences: “There was one job where I was offered a one-handed typewriter, and it arrived in a box marked ‘to open, use two hands.’” Milk left the audience with these thoughts: “I believe that you can see past the obvious limitations that people have to find worlds of talent that have nothing to do with disability.”

Dinah Cohen and Ronald Drach: Veterans in the Workplace, a Priority

Dinah Cohen, the Director of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Computer/Electronics Accommodations Program (CAP), opened the second day of the Conference with a keynote that celebrated CAP’s successes and focused on the need to make veterans a priority. Cohen explained that CAP was originally created to provide streamlined needs assessment and accommodation implementation for DoD employees, but now serves as the centrally-funded program for DoD and 65 federal agency partners. Cohen noted that CAP eliminates any arguments about the cost accommodations. Cohen finished her keynote with a special tribute to veterans: “I want to congratulate every man and woman who has put on the uniform to secure our freedom. I want to make sure that we welcome them back; I want to make sure that you welcome them back."

Ronald Drach, Director, Government and Legislative Affairs, Veterans' Employment and Training (VETS), U.S. Department of Labor, continued the keynote with a review of programs to support returning service members and veterans. Drach shared with the audience what he learned during his years in Vietnam and with the Federal government: “I've learned over my years that there is nobody with a severe enough disability that would render them totally unemployable.”

Christine Griffin: Increasing Employment of People with Disabilities in the Federal Sector

Christine Griffin, Commissioner, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), provided the luncheon keynote on the final day of the Conference. Griffen focused on her initiative, Leadership for the Employment of Americans with Disabilities (LEAD), which is aimed specifically at increasing employment opportunities for people with severe disabilities in the Federal Government. Commission Griffin explained the underlying reason for the LEAD initiative: “While I am interested in getting private employers to pay attention to these issues, I feel strongly that the Federal Government is supposed to be a model employer and must step up and set a good example.”

EEOC: A Unique Opportunity to Ask the Experts

A panel of EEOC experts from the EEOC’s ADA Policy Division provided the final session of the JAN Conference, giving participants a unique opportunity to ask tricky ADA and reasonable accommodation questions. The panel members included Sharon Rennert, Senior Attorney Advisor; Naomi Levin, Senior Attorney and Special Assistant to Commissioner Leslie Silverman; and Chris Kuczynski, Assistant Legal Counsel and Director of the ADA Policy Division. The plenary session was well attended and participants asked many challenging questions, sparking a lively discussion by the EEOC panel.

Highlights

As in years past had a standing-room-only crowd for her session called “How to Handle Psychiatric Disabilities in the Workplace: Balancing Issues of Behavior, Direct Threat, and Reasonable Accommodation.”
Beth Loy and Linda Batiste, also JAN Consultants, worked with CAP Director Dinah Cohen to put together a diverse presentation with humor, simulations, and real-life solutions titled, “3's Company? A Review of the Legal, Policy, and Practical Aspects of Reasonable Accommodation.”
JAN Consultant, Tracie Saab, answered many of the questions employers have regarding medical inquiries under the ADA in “Know When to Hold Em': Medical Inquiries and the ADA.”
Legal Update 2007” and “Adopting Reasonable Accommodation Procedures” with Jeanne Goldberg, Senior Attorney Advisor with the EEOC’s ADA Policy Division, addressed recent court cases and practical ideas regarding how to draft and implement internal procedures for the reasonable accommodation process.
Other sessions covered specific areas of accommodation related to ergonomics, multiple sclerosis, web site design, emergency evacuation, service members, transition from school to work, and assistive technology.

To view an electronic photo album of the event, go to: http://webcast.askjan.org/conf07

- Beth Loy, Ph.D.

- Linda Carter Batiste, J.D.

6 - JAN Exhibit and Training Schedule

JAN on the Road provides updated information on JAN Training Opportunities.

November 3-7, 2007. American Public Health Association Annual Conference in Washington, DC. JAN staff presenting on Personal Assistance Services (PAS) in the workplace. http://www.apha.org/meetings/

November 6-7, 2007. DBTAC Region X ADA Symposium: What's New Now in Portland, OR. JAN staff presenting. http://www.dbtacnorthwest.org/confwork/adasymposium07.shtml

December 5-7, 2007. Perspectives of Employment of Persons with Disabilities Conference, Bethesda, MD. JAN staff presenting and providing a booth. http://register.grad.usda.gov/Conferences/Perspectives/DisabilitiesInfo.cfm

January 30-February 2, 2008. ATIA Annual Conference in Orlando, FL. JAN staff presenting. http://www.atia.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1

January 31-February 2, 2008. ATIA Leadership Forum on Accessibility in Orlando, FL. JAN staff presenting. http://www.atia.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3368

May 12-14, 2008. National ADA Symposium and Expo in St Louis, MO. JAN staff presenting. http://www.adasymposium.org/

7 - Contact JAN

E-mail: jan@askjan.org

JAN Web site: http://askjan.org

Call JAN: 800-526-7234 (Voice), 877-781-9403 (TTY), 304-293-5407 (Fax)

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This document was developed by the Job Accommodation Network, funded by a contract agreement from the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (DOL079RP20426). The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U.S. Department of Labor. Nor does mention of tradenames, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Labor.

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