Pain

Equipment that can be attached to scooters includes carrying bags/pouches, cane/crutch holders, oxygen tank holders, cupholders, eating trays, writing/reading trays, carrying baskets, trailers, rear-view mirrors, umbrellas and headlights.

Desks and tables that are adjustable allow individuals who use mobility aids, have to alternate between sitting and standing positions, or use various types of chairs to be more comfortable. Adjusting a working surface to meet individual needs increases their comfort and access.

Adjustable / accessible workstations are desks and tables that are adjustable and allow individuals who use mobility aids to access them. They may also allow an individual to alternate between sitting and standing positions or use various types of chairs to be more comfortable.

A person who performs certain job-related tasks for a person with a disability to help overcome limitations resulting from the disability. Examples include a page turner for a person who has no hands, or a travel attendant to act as a sighted guide to assist a blind employee on work-related travel. WPAS may include personal care-related assistance such as helping an employee to access the restroom, eat or drink at work, or travel for business purposes.

Scooters designed to traverse outdoor environments, including sand, soft wet ground, uneven surfaces, curbs and slopes.

Alternative input devices are hardware or software solutions that allow users with a variety of impairments to access a computer in a different way. Alternative input devices allow the user to access a computer in whatever way works best for them such as using his/her feet, head, eye, mouth, breath, thumb, or a single finger. Some devices are activated by motion while others can be controlled with nerve or muscle signals, optical tracking, even brain activity and mind energy.

Alternative keyboards can be used by individuals with various impairments but are especially beneficial to individuals who experience pain and fatigue due to repetitive keyboard use. Because alternative keyboards come in many sizes and shapes, individuals with different body sizes and hand shapes, who are limited in fine motor manipulation, may benefit from using them. Alternative keyboards, sometimes called ergonomic keyboards or adjustable keyboards, may be fixed split keyboards, adjustable split, or contoured. Many increase typing comfort, and several can be positioned to accommodate individual preferences, including negative and positive tilt adjustments.

An alternative mouse is a variation of the "traditional" mouse. Alternative mice usually are designed to help accommodate individuals with various fine motor limitations, spasticity, or other gripping limitation. For example, an individual who cannot grip a traditional mouse due to arthritis, carpal tunnel, or a hand injury may be able to move a cursor effectively with a glidepoint, trackball, joystick, or other device.

Anti-fatigue matting provides a buffer between the floor surface and an individual's body. These mats are available in a variety of sizes and often can be custom made. These mats are designed to relieve fatigue for individuals who have to stand for prolonged periods.

Anti-vibration gloves dampen vibrations at a wide range of frequencies. Individuals affected by hand vibration use anti-vibration gloves with materials that lessens the effects of vibration from power tools, hammers, and other pneumatic devices.

Seat covers designed to reduce stress and strain from vibration and shaking from vehicles.

Tool wraps dampen vibrations at a wide range of frequencies. Tool wraps are ideal for hand and pneumatic tools. Individuals with limitations affected by hand vibration can wrap tools with material that lessens the effects of vibration from power tools, hammers, and other pneumatic devices.

Filing cabinets that have rotating drawers for more organization potential.

Automatic door openers are available for a variety of residential, commercial, institutional, industrial, and transportation applications. Many have emergency egress features and operate on microwave and infrared sensors. There are a variety of door opening mechanisms ranging from fully automated to power assist to entirely manual. For specifics, we recommend you contact the manufacturer directly.

Equipment designed to relieve strain and stress from creating cookie and cake molds and loading them onto a pan.

Carts come in all shapes and sizes. Some of the more common types that are used as job accommodations include: Janitorial Linen Motorized Multi-Purpose Spring-Loaded Stainless Steel Carts and Worktables Vehicle Access Wheelchair Carts/Trailers

Office chairs with high backs for neck support.

Compact material handling devices are small and portable enough to work in office or tight storeroom environments. These lifting and carrying devices have platforms that are variable heights. Activation of the horizontal lifting surface is typically powered by batteries, hydraulic foot pumps, or hand cranks. Ball transfer tables may be added to the horizontal-lifting surface. This reduces the push and pull force needed to move materials to and from the lifting device. Products from this category help individuals with lifting or carrying restrictions resulting from back, neck, shoulder, heart, and various repetitive strain injuries.

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.

Environmental sound machines, also known as sound conditioners, help block out extraneous noises that are often found to be distracting. They can also be used to reduce stress in the work environment. Devices can include those that create persistent masking sound to relieve stress from tinnitus and otherwise drown out unwanted sounds.

Adjustable office chairs provide support for individuals with shoulder, neck, back, and upper and lower extremity impairments. Backrest, armrest, and seat height and pan angles are features that support neutral sitting positions. Because stability is a safety concern for any chair user, the base should have five points, easy to reach controls, and casters that handle a variety of floor surfaces. Several companies offer unique options such as torso and neck support, built-in footrests, and locking casters

Individuals with neck, back, shoulder, and upper extremity limitations may benefit from using ergonomic hand and power tools. Ergonomic hand tool designs allow users to maintain neutral postures while minimizing wrist deviations. Users also have an easier time keeping shoulders relaxed by using lightweight tools. Mechanical stressors such as misaligned finger grooves, sharp edges, and single finger triggers should be avoided. Vibration from the tool should be minimized, and heavier tools can be suspended from tool balancers when possible. Spring loaded returns on tools such as scissors and pliers are also a part of good ergonomic design.

Industrial or office ergonomic assessments can help to maintain the health and safety of employees and may be necessary as part of a reasonable accommodation for an employee with a disability. In some cases, an ergonomic assessment can be performed by an in-house safety or human factors employee who is qualified to perform an analysis on an employee’s work environment and make appropriate recommendations. When this is not available an employer may need to look elsewhere for this type of service or they may want to consider training for future ergonomic assessment needs. JAN provides the following list of organizations that offer ergonomic assessment consulting services, referrals, and training materials. This list is not exhaustive and JAN does not specifically endorse these organizations over others that provide similar services.

Ergonomic office equipment includes copyholders, monitor risers, keyboard trays, keyboard rests, and foot rests. Other equipment characterized as ergonomic are ergonomic or electric staplers, staple removers, scissors, and hole punches. Individuals with handling, fingering, and grasping restrictions resulting from cumulative trauma disorders can benefit from this equipment. Products in this area alleviate the repetitive motion common to many hand-intensive jobs.

Height adjustable multi-purpose chair for examination and screening rooms or for laser procedures

Fans come in all shapes and sizes for various types of environments. An industrial, desk, cubicle, ceiling, corner, oscillating, floor, table, or clip fan may be appropriate.

Employees who experience limitations in concentration may need a flexible schedule in order to work optimally during hours of increased attentiveness. Flexible schedules can also be used to have a period of mental rest in order to refocus and reorient into his/her work. Examples of a flexible schedule would be adjusting starting and ending times of the workday, combining regularly scheduled breaks to create one extended break or dividing large breaks into smaller segments, and allowing work to be completed during hours when the employee is most mentally alert.

Many individuals who work at desks or other types of surfaces may work more effectively with upper body support, particularly support of their forearms.  Forearm support can be provided from a properly adjusted chair’s armrests.  Forearm supports are also products that typically attach to a work surface and are adjustable. Essentially, they are armrests that attach to a work surface. There are several different types that adjust to a variety of heights and positions. Forearm support can alleviate pressure on a worker's neck, back, arms, and wrists.

Gooseneck phone holders eliminate the need to hold the phone one’s ear. They can be attached to a desk or shelf and permits a user to rotate the phone to a comfortable position.

Scissors designed with ease of use and ergonomic design.

A headset is a communication device that is comprised of an ear piece and microphone. Individuals with neck, back, shoulder, and upper extremity impairments can benefit from the use of headsets because they often eliminate the need to hold telephone receivers in awkward positions. Individuals who are easily distracted by extraneous work noise may also benefit from using them to listen to white noise or music. Various options are available: over the head, around the ear, and wireless are a few. Equipment that can be integrated with headsets are telephones, cellular phones, and speech recognition software.

Attachments for light switches that make them easier to use for individuals with physical impairments.

Low task or mechanics chairs are small stools on wheels. Some options are height adjustment and tool trays under the seat. May also be purchased at a local auto parts store.

These devices help support those who work in mechanical or industrial environments and must access areas using awkward posture. These devices help support the worker.

Some employees can benefit from taking their breaks at a different rate than what may be considered standard by their employer to accomodate certain conditions, symptoms and habits they have in order to perform their job at their optimal level.

Small devices used to suck up fluids and contain them.

Assistants or companies that can help an individual with organization or developing organizational skills.

Scooters can be used by people with mobility impairments who do not need a wheelchair but who have difficulty walking for various reasons, such as fatigue or muscle weakness. Scooters come with a variety of options, such as baskets, armrests, plain or plush seats, and all-terrain capability.

A scribe or notetaker writes or types information that is communicated to him by another person. A scribe does not interpret information or perform essential job functions.

Individuals with physical, cognitive, sensory, and learning impairments may have difficulty accessing computers. Traditionally, a computer user accesses a computer with a standard point and click mouse and a QWERTY keyboard (named for the top left-hand side of the rows). The computer takes the information that is inputted and processes it. Individuals with physical, sensory, or developmental limitations may not be able to use these standard input devices effectively and may benefit from using speech recognition. Standard computer input devices are keyboards made for typists who use two hands and ten fingers; speech recognition software is made for computer users with a variety of limitations, including individuals with no hand or finger movement.

Stand/lean stools are available to assist individuals who must stand or sit for long periods of time. Stand/lean stools allow an individual to adjust his/her positioning, relieve standing strain by leaning, and relieve sitting pressure by leaning. Stand/lean stools are useful for brief mini-breaks and allow an easy return to an upright position. Stand/lean stools give individuals the ability to work in an upright position with most of their weight resting on the padded seat. A stand/lean stool helps support the body in a standing position and stabilizes the body in an upright position, reducing back strain and minimizing leg fatigue. Some stools swivel and tilt, some have backrests, and some are made for industrial and office environments.

Strobe lights can be useful as an accommodation to alert workers who are deaf to oncoming vehicles in an industrial environment.

Supine workstations allow individuals the flexibility to work in reclined positions. Various reclined postures may be effective accommodations for neck, back, hip, and circulatory limitations. Manufacturers of supine workstations either have the chair integrated with other products such as keyboard trays and monitor risers or have workstations that stand alone. By not having the seat integrated, an individual can combine a supine workstation with a hospital bed or a recliner, even a “zero-gravity” chair (Based on NASA studies, these appear to place the the least amount of stress on the spine.)

Commercial bar code readers that can read out products scanned in a synthetic voice to assist low-vision users.

Devices that can scan dollar bills and relate their value to vision impaired individuals so they can keep their money in order.

Telescoping cameras allow individuals to transmit video images from high and low areas to eye level via a telescoping pole.

Telework, within certain fields, can be an excellent alternative for employees who have conditions that make it difficult for them to leave their home or reliably travel to a place of work. Employers should consider if a job can be made compatible with telework for their employees and communicate their expectations and requirement for the job to be performed out of home. Allowing work from home during worksite or office construction; extremely hot, cold, or inclement weather; or parking renovations could be a reasonable accommodation.

Products and services offered that can alter vans to make them accessible for individuals with physical disabilities.

Wearable anti-fatigue matting can include a non-slip material that is fitted over shoes to provide a safer and more stable walking surface, and anti-fatigue insoles for your shoes.

Scales which allow for an individual to be weighed without getting out of a wheelchair.

These carts and trailers are attachments that allow their users or their assistants to support carrying objects with them where they go on a following wheel cart.

Mounts that attach directly to the wheelchair that can be used for phones, computers, and many other products.

A variety of manual and power wheelchairs are available for purchase. Many brands come in several types, including large capacity, reclining, and lightweight.

Redesigning a worksite as an accommodation can include moving a workstation closer to a break room, restroom, office equipment, or employee parking lot; duplicating work materials in a workspace; teleconferencing into meetings; having others report to the employee physically; or communicating in an alternative way (instant messaging, pager, texting, or telephone). Modifying a workspace for an employee who experiences limitations in concentration can help limit or even eliminate both auditory and visual distractions. These modifications can include relocating employees to private area away from high traffic areas, reducing clutter in the employee’s work environment, redesigning an employee’s workspace to minimize visual distractions, and providing higher cubicle walls and/or cubicle doors.

Writing aids are products designed to help individuals with limited hand strengths perform writing tasks. Writing aids can transfer the fine motor pinch grip, usually used to write, to gross motor arm movements. A low tech solution is to push a pencil though a Styrofoam ball and use gross motor movements to write. Individuals with cumulative trauma disorders to the upper extremities or individuals with other impairments such as arthritis or quadriplegia benefit from these aids.