By Beth A. Loy, MS; D.J. Hendricks, EdD; and Linda C. Batiste, MS
The Job Accommodation Network Getting people with disabilities into the workforce through the power of information. The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a toll-free consulting service sponsored by the President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities (PCEPD). JAN’s mission is to provide information on workplace accommodations to promote the hiring and retention of people with disabilities. JAN’s service was established for use by employers and persons with disabilities, but is especially pertinent to the rehabilitation professional. Knowledge about workplace accommodations, disability legislation, and assistive technology is an essential part of the vocational rehabilitation (VR) process, but rapid changes in technology, the law, and associated regulations make keeping up with them a daunting task for most counselors. As VR has evolved in the past 2 decades, so has the scope of services offered by JAN in providing information to rehabilitation professionals who are working to place a person with a disability into an employment situation. JAN was established in 1983 by the PCEPD. Located at West Virginia University (WVU), JAN started with only two consultants. Initially, JAN’s service consisted of referring employers seeking accommodation information to other employers who had accommodated employees in similar situations. JAN quickly determined that this method was ineffective and that employers needed immediate and direct assistance in determining appropriate potential accommodation solutions. JAN soon changed its approach so that consultants provided accommodation information to employers in a direct and confidential manner. In addition, JAN expanded its services to include rehabilitation and educational professionals, individuals with disabilities, and anyone else interested in workplace accommodations. At the end of the 1980s, rehabilitation professionals accounted for 16% of JAN callers. JAN services experienced a rapid growth period and underwent many changes during the 1990s; many were due to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). At the end of 1991, JAN expanded its services to offer information on the ADA, resulting in a major increase in the number of calls received. Prior to 1992, JAN averaged 630 accommodation inquiries per month. In 1992, that average jumped to more than 1,600 per month and then continued to steadily rise, ending the decade with an average of almost 3,000 requests processed per month. An Evolution of Services Caller questions have become more specific and complex since the passage of the ADA. For the first 3 years after its implementation, the calls to JAN were of a general nature. Approximately 1 year after the employment provisions took effect, the incidence of calls about more specific situations took a dramatic turn upward. ADA-related questions ranged from those about the law itself to inquiries on whether a specific accommodation option was reasonable, whether an individual was covered, or what types of questions can be asked of potential employees during the hiring process. A second major change in JAN’s services was due to developing workplace technology. As computers, fax machines, cell phones, and wireless communication became commonplace, employees with disabilities needed to use the technology in order to effectively compete in the job market. The rapid integration of the Internet into homes and businesses also affected JAN, which prompted its use of the Internet as a way to stay current on products; launched its own Web site in April 1995 (www.jan.wvu.edu). The response was immediate and substantial. In the first 6 months of operation, the site received nearly 70,000 hits. JAN’s Web site now averages almost 1 million hits every 6 months. A final change came in conjunction with a rise in industrial and work-related injuries and illness es. Sensory accommodation inquiries have represented approximately 20% of JAN’s total cases. However, those with a motor limitation focus increased to more than 40% of JAN’s calls. Specifically, as of the close of 1999, JAN had received 3,792 questions related to carpal tunnel syndrome and 6,380 questions related to back conditions since the employment provisions of the ADA took effect in 1992. The Human Factor JAN currently has 28 employees, including 10 full-time human factors consultants. These individuals come from diverse backgrounds, including rehabilitation counseling, vocational evaluation, special education, industrial labor relations, economics, and safety and engineering. Today, JAN’s consultants respond to approximately 3,000 inquiries monthly via telephone and email. These inquiries are related to the full spectrum of disabilities and associated functional limitations. To assist them, the consultants have access to an extensive database containing information on products from more than 11,000 manufacturers and retailers and more than 6,000 organizations, facilities, and service agencies. A current focus in the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities involves the possibility of self-employment through the establishment of a small business. This option may offer many advantages to the individual, such as being able to work out of the home, self-regulated hours, and the ability to fully implement needed assistive devices. In response to the need for information about starting a small business, the PCEPD initiated the Small Business and Self-Employment Service (SBSES) at JAN (www.jan.wvu.edu/sbses). SBSES provides comprehensive information, consulting, and referrals about self-employment and small business ownership opportunities for people with disabilities. This service is available to anyone with questions about how a person with a disability might go about starting a small business. JAN launched its searchable online accommodation resource (SOAR) Web site in May 2000 (www.jan.wvu.edu/soar). SOAR allows users to explore various accommodation options for persons with disabilities in the work setting via the Internet. New information about accommodations for persons with disabilities is added to this site daily. One thing that has not changed at JAN is its focus on service. From its inception, JAN has provided friendly, personal service. JAN consultants interview callers to quickly assess their specific needs. In 2000, the US Department of Labor released its latest version of O*NET, the Occupational Information Network (www.doleta.gov/program/onet/). This online resource provides users with detailed information on the skills necessary to perform thousands of jobs. The hope is that O*NET users who have questions on how to accommodate a worker with a disability into a particular occupation will contact JAN for that information. To contact JAN, call (800) 526-7234. All services are confidential and at no cost. Beth A. Loy, MS, is a human factors consultant for JAN, Morgantown, WVa. D.J. Hendricks, EdD, is associate director of the International Center for Disability Information in Morgantown. Linda C. Batiste, MS, is also a human factors consultant for JAN.
