Use Cognitive Function

Some employees with various limitations may require additional, detail-oriented training to help them learn to do their job tasks or to enhance their knowledge of their duties. Due to difficulties with memory associated a condition or from medications taken, an employee might benefit from training refreshers, whether given in part of in full, extended time with a trainer, or the use of alternate materials.

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.

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

These aids, often created by the employer, will allow the individual to accurately count or measure when unable to do so themselves. Examples include: Pre-counted or pre-measured guides or jigs Handheld counter (tally counter) also called a ticker/clicker Liquid level indicators Mark the measuring cup with a “fill to here” line Mathematic tables posted at desk or in work area Scratch paper to work out math problems

Programs that list out words and definitions to assist individuals with finding proper words for their needs.

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.

Some employees may need extra time for their projects and tasks to accommodate their mental and developmental disbilities.

People who have deficits in math due to cognitive, intellectual, or learning disabilities may benefit by using a calculator to complete math problems at work. The type of calculator needed will depend on the complexity of the person's job and the complexity of the mathematical calculation being performed.

Job coaches are individuals who specialize in assisting individuals with disabilities to learn and accurately carry out job duties. Job coaches provide one-on-one training tailored to the needs of the employee. They may first do a job analysis to identify the job duties, followed by developing a specific plan as to how they can best train the employee to work more and more on his/her own until completely self-sufficient and able to perform job duties accurately and effectively without assistance.

Line guides can be sheets of paper with bold, dark lines on them that are placed behind the sheet of paper that is being written on to provide guidance for writing is straight lines.  The guides’ lines come is different sizes for varied spacing.  Lines guides can also be plastic forms that are placed over the paper to help guide writing. There are guides for writing on regular sizes of paper, envelopes, and for signatures. Bold line paper can also be provided.  It is printed with bold, raised lines to help with word and sentence spacing

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.

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.

A mentor is a person who not only helps an employee with a disability learn a job, but also helps the employee adjust to workplace culture. For example, a mentor might help an employee develop appropriate social skills, learn workplace rules, and improve problem-solving skills. Often times a mentor is an experienced coworker who has knowledge of the workplace and the job rather than an outside service.

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.

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

Employees who are having difficulties meeting the expectations for a given position may benefit from receiving different work from their employer. There may be personal conflicts with an individual and their disabilities that prevents them performing certain jobs or tasks but that may not affect their performance in other tasks that they may be equally qualified for.

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

Social skill building products, software, and techniques can help a person with a disability learn the appropriate social skills to exhibit at school, at work, or at home.

Some individuals can benefit from having a dedicated person with them to help keep them focused, assist with minor day to day tasks and help them operate in social environments that they may not feel comfortable in alone. Allowing an employee to bring a support person to important meetings such as job evaluation or disciplinary meeting to help him ask questions, remember discussion points, and explain results or the purpose of the meeting can be helpful. Support persons can be co-workers, job coaches, or close contacts outside of the place of employment. For more information on support persons as reasonable accommodations, see: "A Support Person as an Accommodation."

Training modifications can include: receiving materials in alternate formats, such as Braille, large print, audio, and text; receiving materials in advance of training using assistive technologies, such as CART, interpreter, and recording devices; having trainings broken into smaller increments; allowing additional time for training; receiving one-on-one tutoring; seating away from distractions; and  logging in remotely.

Some workers can benefit greatly from staying in a single focused position over a long period of time rather than having interruptions or breaks in their workflow. Employers should negotiate with employees about how their work time can be utilized to see if they could benefit from uninterrupted work time in their work place.