Making Reasonable Accommodations Do Not Always Have to be Complicated or Expensive

Tim O'Brien
Aug 28, 2017 · 4 min read

Sometimes the Simple Solution is in Your Hands

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has been a blessing for many people with disabilities and employers alike, but sometimes that blessing has been mixed, at least for me.

Long after the ADA came into reality I developed my own mobility challenge, which requires the use of a cane. No biggie, one would think. But what I’ve found is that steps without rails are probably my biggest challenge.

This is where the ADA comes in.

A few years back, I was handling public relations on a project that involved improvements to athletic facilities. The owner of the property was prepared to spend well over $1 million on the improvements.

During one of our planning discussions, I mentioned to three of the planners, “You know, it would be nice if you could add some handrails throughout the facility where there are steps. That would make it easier for those of us who have mobility issues to access the whole facility. Right now, I can probably navigate only 20 percent of the facility.”

That led to the predictable discussion about how the legacy facility has already met compliance with the ADA and there are no further plans to do accommodate people with disabilities.

One of the planners told me that if they were to add handrails to all existing steps, they would be compelled to make more comprehensive and off-budget changes for accessibility throughout.

While I had no way of knowing whether his claim was entirely accurate, given that the compliance lawyer was in the room, I trusted that he was at least partially right without delving into the compliance nuances.

The takeaway for me, regardless, was that once ADA compliance was met, project planners are not likely to do anything more to truly make their facilities more accessible.

My discouragement when running into this mindset is that mixed blessing. It’s great that people with disabilities can now expect to see accommodations in most public places. What’s not so great is to see how some project planners make those accommodations.

What this Means to Employers

If you are a reasonably sized employer, chances are your diversity and inclusion people are working hard to attract and retain the best employees they can find, including people with disabilities. Given the changing demographics, employers are starting to realize that some of their best employees may require some form of ADA-related accommodation.

Still, when the word, “accommodations” comes up, it’s also possible that you may see dollar signs, as in the costs associated with making reasonable accommodations.

Stepping away from the compliance mindset, may I offer you one very simple solution that will most certainly make your workplace more attractive to people with disabilities?

Install some handrails.

While installing handrails doesn’t cover all bases, it does cover quite a few. People who use canes and those who have mobility issues who may not use canes could dearly use handrails, usually in places you regard as an afterthought.

Those two steps into the building? Install a handrail. The three steps into the parking garage? Please install a handrail. The staggered walkway into the park next to your building? Sure could use a handrail. That new employee auditorium? Please put a handrail on the steps leading to the stage.

A Trusted Resource Can Help

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) has a much more comprehensive set of resources to help you navigate the entire area of “reasonable accommodation.” JAN is the leading source of “free, expert, and confidential one-on-one guidance on reasonable accommodation in the workplace, the ADA and related legislation, and disability employment issues.” The organization works toward practical solutions that benefit both employer and employee, and helps people with disabilities become more employable. JAN also shows employers how to capitalize on the value that people with disabilities bring to employers.

JAN is one of several technical assistance services provided by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP).

As part of this commitment, JAN has created a simple and easy-to-use “Reasonable Accommodation Toolkit” and embedded videos.

Once you’ve decided to think about accommodating persons with disabilities beyond compliance, you just may find there are many practical and inexpensive ways to make life easier for the very people who can help you take your organization to the next level.

Tim O’Brien is the founder of Pittsburgh-based O’Brien Communications, a corporate communications consulting firm. O’Brien Communications is a USBLN-certified Disability Owned Business Enterprise (DOBE). Tim can be reached at 412.854.8845 or timobrien@timobrienpr.com

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Tim O'Brien

Written by

Tim O’Brien, APR, veteran strategic communications consultant at O’Brien Communications.

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