How assistive devices can make workers or customers with a disability more productive

Assistive technology provided by rehabilitation engineers can also play a major role in realizing the goals of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), which is to make Ontario accessible for people with disabilities by 2025. Accessibility standards are the rules that businesses and organizations in Ontario have to follow to identify, remove and prevent barriers to accessibility in the areas of customer service, employment, information and communication, transportation and the built environment (the latter is not yet law).

Under the AODA, assistive technology can impact how you provide accessible formats and communication supports to a person with a disability, and can also impact reasonable/individualized accommodation for students and employees with disabilities.

What is an assistive device?

Assistive technology includes devices and services that help people in their daily lives at home, work, school and the community. It includes:

• Hearing aids
• Ramps and platforms that help people get in and around buildings more easily
• Wheelchairs
• Computer modifications to increase accessibility
• Electronic devices that make communication possible
• Modified or customized job equipment
• Voice recognition remote devices that turn appliances, computers, lights, radio, etc., on and off
• Magnifiers, talking books, closed circuit television
• Braille note-taking computers
• Speech recognition devices

For the workplace, it is any device that can assist an individual with a disability to succeed on the job.

How can assistive technology help employers and other organizations?

For the purpose of the AODA, the Customer Service Standard requires that all providers of goods or services develop a policy on allowing people to use their own personal assistive devices to access the goods and services provided and on any situations where such use may not be permitted. The policy should also address any measures the organization offers to enable people with disabilities to access its goods and use its services. This may include assistive devices, services or methods offered such as alternative document formats, or assistance by a staff person.

Alternative formats, addressed under the Customer Service, Information and Communication Standards of the AODA, allow users to communicate and access information and library and educational resources. People interact, learn and communicate in diverse ways. Learning opportunities are increased when flexible ways of engaging with learning materials are provided. Considering how people communicate is important for knowledge to be exchanged. Alternative formats take into account these diverse ways of exchanging information.

In addition, the Information and Communication Standard requires that educational institutions and their employees know how to produce accessible or conversion-ready versions of textbooks and printed material and be knowledgeable at interacting and communicating with people with disabilities who may use alternative formats and devices.

In the library context, assistive technologies are used primarily to provide or increase access to library-related goods and services for people with disabilities. Examples include magnification and amplification devices, page-turners, enhancements to computer workstations, text-to-speech software, etc.

The Accessibility Standard for Employment will help Ontario businesses and organizations make accessibility a regular part of finding, hiring and supporting employees with disabilities. This includes knowing what processes will be modified to individually accommodate applicants and employees with disabilities

So it is important to try to understand assistive technology and the services that rehabilitation engineers can provide to meet the needs of your customers, applicants and employees with a disability.

I hope this brief overview on assistive technology has given you something to think about to make your organization or workplace accessible. And maybe you will reconsider passing up on that applicant or employee who has a disability but much ability for lack of understanding.

Please share some thoughts on Assistive Technology.

If you are interested in learning more about Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) or how to make accessibility a natural part of your business through the application of Corporate Social Responsibility, please contact Sandra Broekhof @ 416-579-1035 or sandra_broekhof@sympatico.ca or visit www.accessibilitycompliance.ca