Managing Time

Calendars and planners that can be used for keeping track of deadlines and other important information.

Some employees may require a checklist to keep them on task and on schedule due to memory or attention deficits.

Individuals with certain developmental disabilities can benefit from having color coordination applied to their office products and files to help them organize.

Electronic organizers are electronic devices, such as PDA's, that allow an individual to download important information such as names, phone numbers, email address and dates. They might have alarms/cues that will remind the individual of datelines, meetings, and so on.

The modification and/or removal of marginal functions from a position is an example of a reasonable accommodation. Essential functions are those job duties that an employee must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation. From The ADA: Your Responsibilities as an Employer by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - Factors to consider in determining if a function is essential include: whether the reason the position exists is to perform that function, the number of other employees available to perform the function or among whom the performance of the function can be distributed, and the degree of expertise or skill required to perform the function. Your judgment as to which functions are essential, and a written job description prepared before advertising or interviewing for a job will be considered by EEOC as evidence of essential functions. Other kinds of evidence that EEOC will consider include: the actual work experience of present or past employees in the job, the time spent performing a function, the consequences of not requiring that an employee perform a function, and the terms of a collective bargaining agreement.

Personal Data Assistants or PDAs are widely used as portable organizational devices. PDAs for individuals with vision impairments may include features such as voice output, Braille display, planner, calculator, address book, word processor and computer connectivity for e-mail and sharing files. Some even feature a Global Positioning System (GPS) add-on device. In addition, talking or Braille notetakers and laptop computers with voice output and Braille display are portable products with similar features.

A personal on-site paging device transmits a signal from the base transmitter to a receiver (the pager) through vibration and/or a numerical code display. These are local paging systems that work within a specified area.

Individuals with memory deficits may benefit from cueing and reminder devices to help them remember important tasks, daily chores, taking medication, etc.

Watches and other devices with programmable alarms and timer programs.

Some individuals benefit from having directions and other instructions provided in writing. Example of this would include communicating through email when possible, providing transcripts of meetings, using agendas for trainings, and having checklists for tasks that need completed.