Evaluating Reasonable Accomodation in the Workplace: A Team Approach

Over the course of the past 4 years, a team composed of an occupational therapist and a rehabilitation engineer has conducted > 75 evaluations of people with disabilities for the California Department of Rehabilitation. These evaluations have focused on providing customized solutions to problems of access and reasonable accommodation within workplace and classroom settings in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act regulations and guidelines. This article discusses the protocols and evaluation techniques used by the team and the underlying philosophy of vocational competence in providing worksite access to people with disabilities.