Job Accommodation & Assistive Technology

Would you pay $500 for an employee that is more likely to have a higher retention rate than other “typical” job candidates? As you know, turnover is very costly.

Would you pay nothing for the same employee? There are many agencies that place individuals with employers at no cost recruitment cost to the employer. In addition, there are countless resources to ensure a successful placement.

Companies that employ people with disabilities find that most accommodations cost nothing but if they do pay, most of those do not exceed $500.

If you did pay $500 for an accommodation for a job candidate with a disability, did you know there are Federal and sometimes state tax credits and deductions to make those accommodations and for wages paid? Contact us for more information or visit www.irs.gov

Health Insurance:

For Maryland Small Businesses with 2 - 50 employees, employing a person with a disability will not affect rates.

Accommodation Examples:

Back issues: Individuals need to move around more often.
Solution: Allow the individual more frequent but shorter breaks to equal the total for other employees.

Wheel Chairs: Use bricks or wood blocks to lift the desk higher off the floor.

Assistive Technology

Assistive Technology (AT) is any item needed to live, work or learn more independently.

Assistive Technology Equipment Exchange Link
You may have an employee in need of assistive technology who can use this site. The Equipment Link connects people who have disability-related equipment to sell, lend or donate with people who need it. The Link is a free service. The program is for use by private individuals, not vendors or distributors; however, agencies may list equipment they want to donate or lend for free, not sell.

Assistive Technology Resources on the Eastern Shore

TTI Mobility Products

800 576-4323, Fruitland and Mardela Springs, MD
Products include hand controls, pedal extensions, wheel chair lifts, scooters, ramps, lowered floors, raised-roof vans, in-home stair lifts.

Low Vision Specialist, Inc.

Salisbury, MD 1 866 LOW-VISN

HCI, Inc.

Salisbury, MD 21801
The Maryland Assistive Technology resource on the eastern shore (see below).

National/State Links

Job Accommodation Network

Welcome to JAN, a free consulting service designed to increase the employability of people with disabilities by: 1) providing individualized worksite accommodations solutions, 2) providing technical assistance regarding the ADA and other disability related legislation, and 3) educating callers about self-employment options.

Maryland Technology Assistance Program (MD TAP)

www.mdtap.org

Regionally HCI, Inc. 443 860-0822 www.hollycommunity.org

“To build a better life, you need the right tools.”

The Maryland Technology Assistance Program (MD TAP) provides tools to help people who are disabled or elderly enjoy the same rights and opportunities as other citizens. These tools are called “assistive technology” or AT. Assistive Technology (AT) is any item needed to live, work or learn more independently.

AT ranges from simple, homemade fixes (such as tape on utensil handles to support better gripping), to complex, high-tech products (like computerized communication systems).

AT includes low-tech aids for daily living, vehicles with wheelchair lifts, special keyboards and software to operate computers, blindness and low vision aids, assistive listening devices, adapted telephones, ramps and other home modifications, wheelchair and scooters, and many other products.