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Web Posted on: February 24, 1998


Integrating Assistive Technologies
in the Work Place

DINAH F. B. COHEN
Director, Computer/Electronic Accommodations
Program Department of Defense
5111 Leesburg Pike, Suite 810
Falls Church, VA 22041
V/TDD/Messages: (703) 681-3976
FAX (703) 681-9075
E-Mail:dcohen@ha.osd.mil

OPHELIA Y. FALLS
Director, Accessible Technology
Program and TARGET Center
Department of Agriculture
14th & Independence Ave. S. W.
Suite 1006-S
Washington, D.C. 20250
V/TDD/Messages:(202)-720-2600
FAX (202)720-2681
E-Mail: ofalls@usda.gov

The Federal government has had a long standing commitment to hiring and employment of people with disabilities. Technology has leveled the play field for many disabled people in the new computer office environment. To successfully hire and place people with disabilities managers must become familiar with the needs assessment process and integration issues. This includes the various types of accommodations and the current technology available in today's environment.

In order for a manager to successfully hire and place people with disabilities a through needs assessment must be completed for successful placement purposes. The steps to a needs assessment process are the following:

Meet with users with disabilities and select the best accommodation solution that enhances performance-- Identify functional requirements

  • type of disability,
  • physical and cognitive skills, and
  • type of essential job requirements;

Identify access requirements

  • hardware and software,
  • applications used
  • communications
  • work station configuration;

Identify available accommodation solutions; and Identify alternative approaches to accomplishing essential job requirements. The presenters have personal experiences managing Federal agencies's (Departments of Agriculture and Defense) accommodations requirements. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) sponsors the Accessible Technology Program (ATP), which supports the Technology Accessible Resources Gives Employment Today (TARGET) Center, and Midwest TARGET Center. The Department of Defense (DOD) established the Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP) and CAP Technology Evaluation Center (CAPTEC).

The ATP mission are to support USDA's work force diversity and the Federal work force 2000 policies. The Center provides technology and information services to assure equal access to electronic technology and automated systems essential to today's jobs. The Centers assists in making information and microcomputer technology accessible to persons with disabilities for career enhancements. The Centers serves as focal points in USDA conducting assessments, demonstrations, evaluations, training, and acquisition support for accommodations and technologies. The ATP staff is available to service employees and the public using agricultural information with sight, hearing, speech, or mobility disabilities. For additional information, contact the TARGET Center on (202)720- 2600 (V/TDD/TTY) or e-mail ofalls@usda.gov.

The CAP mission is to provide adaptive devices to DOD employees with disabilities. The mission also includes accommodating the disabilities of its employees and making its programs and activities accessible not only to employees, but also to other people with disabilities including military retirees, military family members, and members of the public. For example, CAP purchases equipment that helps blind people to access computers and printed materials, allows deaf people to use the telephone, and lets dexterity impaired people "type" without uisng their hands. The CAP services make DOD work environments more accessible to DOD employees with visual, hearing, dexterity and cognitive impairments. The CAP staff is here to assist DOD employees, supervisors, and managers. With the right accommodations, people with disabilities have the power to EXCEL. For additional information, contact the CAP office on (703) 681-8811 or e-mail cap@ha.osd.mil.

Managers also need to be familiar with the various types of accommodations and technologies available for people with disabilities. The following is a list of a very few with a brief definition:

Sight Accommodations:

  • Screen readers - Software packages that allow the computer users to direct screen output to a speech synthesizer so they can hear what is visually presented on the screen. -
  • Speech synthesizers - Hardware devices used in conjunction with screen readers to convert screen contents into spoken words by using synthetic speech.
  • Braille systems - There are different categories of braille systems. Braille printers braille (raised dots) characters rather than printed text characters on paper. Small, portable note-taker devices allow braille code entry for taking notes. Navigator systems have refreshable braille rows of cells that presents information displayed on the computer screen. Other systems translate and speak braille entered information. -
  • Scanner systems - These systems take printed documents and convert them to speech output or as input to a personal computer.
  • TeleBraille - This is a software and hardware telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD) and a braille machine with a 6-dot navigator braille unit attached. - Large format display of computer screen - Hardware or software solutions can present large display images on a computer screen or closed caption TV.
  • Large text display of hard copy material - This hardware can magnify any item under a camera so that a text document, phone message, etc. can be seen in an enlarged format on a closed caption TV. - Large monitor - A monitor that increases character size in proportion to monitor dimensions.
  • Copy machine with enlarging capability - A copier that provides enlarged printed copies for persons with low-vision.
  • Hearing/Speech Accommodations: - Visual redundancy systems - Software that conveys important information by beeps or speech is displayed visually for hearing impaired users.
  • Speech Amplification - telephone - Hearing impaired persons have several methods (e.g tone, pitch, volume, etc.) of amplifying speech being heard over a telephone.
  • Speech Amplification - meeting or conversation - A portable speech amplification device may be easily placed on a table for use in group meetings, training, or lecture settings.
  • Telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) - A TDD permits a hearing impaired or speech impaired person to communicate over a standard telephone with another TDD or through a relay operator to reach a non-TDD user. TDD's come in ASCII or baudot formats.
  • Baudot/ASCII modem with speech output - A PC modem that will accept either a call from a TDD or a PC using standard ASCII communications. This modem allows the user to type a message on the PC that is converted into speech and spoken to an individual on the other end of a telephone line. Using this feature, non- vocal hearing impaired callers could leave a spoken message or question. The hearing caller on the other end could respond by using the touch-tone phone keypad.
  • Signalling system - A transmitter can be attached to a phone that will cause a light to flash or vibrating beeper whenever the phone rings. Transmitters can be used that will activate a visual signalling system for fire alarms and secured door buzzers.
  • Speech systems - Hardware and software packages that captures and analyzes speech or other signals on a PC. Voice input and output packages enhance speech communication skills and word understanding. An augmentative communication speech system includes a battery operated computer, speech synthesizer, and software.
  • TDD telephones - A TDD that is portable pay/public telephones with a pull-out TDD in the lower area of the pay/public telephone.
  • Intelligent modems - Software that allows the PC to operate selectively as a TDD for access to another TDD, and networks. The software permits multiple operations on the PC at one time; other applications may run while the TDD software is active. -
  • Caption systems - These systems allows user to close caption or open caption any pre-recorded video tape.
  • Mobility Accommodations: - Keyboard macros - Software and hardware that allows a few keystrokes to be automatically translated into multiple keystrokes to save on the actual number of keystrokes that must be entered (e.g. initials can be used to actually type an entire signature block on the screen).
  • Sequential keystroke input - Software programs that allows the user to enter keystrokes sequentially that others enter simultaneously and get the same effect. This allows a person that may be using a pointer stick or head stick to access all the available keyboard commands.
  • Alternative keyboards - Alternative keyboards may be easily used by various mobility impaired persons. The standard keyboard can also be re-mapped to be used with one hand, right or left. Miniature keyboards allow someone with limited strength or limited range of motion to access a PC.
  • Infrared pointing devices - A pointing device consisting of a receiver, a reflector, and associated software may be used in place of a keyboard. The individual points the reflector at a picture of the keyboard being presented on the computer screen by the software. Each letter or word selected in this way then appears in a specified area on the computer screen. This device can be used with packages such as WordPerfect, Lotus, etc..
  • Speech recognition - Speech input can be successfully used by many individuals that are unable to access the keyboard or have very limited access to the keyboard. As each word is spoken clearly and distinctly it is recognized and presented on the computer screen.

The growth of computers and technology in today's office environment has provided opportunities for people with disabilities. Developing resource centers seems to be the next part of the information network that is needed to make information easily available to people with disabilities. Technical evaluation centers provide the information to link individuals with needed accommodations and resource information. Evaluation Center maintains successful integration strategies that can expedite the process of accommodating an individual with disabilities. As with any initiative, the success of your Center depends upon the work completed up-front to identify your customer base, determine requirements, solicit management support, and obtain sufficient funding.

The TARGET and CAPTEC Centers displays accommodations and technologies in the office work environment that can aid people with disabling conditions. The services provided by the Centers facilitate the evaluation and assessment of various accommodations and technologies. The staff assist in identifying solutions that will best meet the needs of an individual. The Centers hands-on techniques is a benefit to employees and managers by ensuring the best and most cost effective accommodation are evaluated. Technologies in the Centers have been tested and proven to meet the needs of the documented requirements of the solution. Senior and mid level managers are enlightened on the capabilities technology can provide to a persons with disabilities. The benefits include a decrease in resources (time and dollars) for a manager to accommodate an employee, improved productivity, and assist in career enhancements. The managers of the Centers are working to incorporate techniques in their Departments for information system designs to include accessibility that will provide the environment for universal design of information systems. Universal design ensures information systems design include features to provide solutions for a variety of limitations for people with disabilities and those who will become disabled in the future.