What Works for Me?
The JAN Blog is an opportunity for you to share with others your workplace accommodation solutions. JAN receives over 45,000 contacts per year – conversations with all of you that help us better understand what’s working effectively in your workplaces. We have a great deal to learn from one another. We encourage you to share your experiences. Your accommodation success stories can benefit many others around the nation.
JAN Situations and Solutions
Last month, Melanie Whetzel, JAN’s senior consultant on the cognitive/neurological team, traveled to Little Rock, Arkansas, to present at the state APSE conference. Her presentation to nearly 125 participants focused on using JAN’s services and the accommodation process. According to Melanie, one of the best parts of traveling for JAN is meeting new people in locations throughout the United States. She commented, “These are people who are on the front lines of the employment scene — helping to prepare individuals with disabilities for employment, working with employers in the hiring process, and determining accommodations that will assist the employees in effectively doing their jobs.”
Many of the conference participants were interested in real accommodation situations fielded by JAN consultants. Here’s a JAN situation and solution discussed by Melanie at the APSE conference:
Situation: A retail employee with an intellectual disability had difficulty remembering when to take his breaks and lunch, and when to return to the sales floor.
Solution: Using a programmable watch, his job coach helped him set the times for his lunch and breaks, and when it was time to return to work. The watch was set to vibrate so the employee knew exactly when it was time to leave for breaks and lunch and when to return to the sales floor.
For information on APSE — Association of People Supporting EmploymentFirst — see APSE’s Website
