Aging in the Workplace: Issues Surrounding Disability Dory Sabata Cocontributors: Carrie Bruce, Mich

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Aging in the Workplace Issues Surrounding
Disability Dory SabataCo-contributors Carrie
Bruce, Michael Williams, Jesse Zolna
Work RERC
National Institute on Disability and
Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), U.S. Department
of Education
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Work RERC

• Supported by Grant H133E020720 from the National
  Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation
  Research (NIDRR)
• U.S. Department of Education

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Workers are Aging!

• 1 out of 5 people, age 65-74, are working
• From 2000-2012, the annual growth rate of the 55
  labor force will be nearly 4 times that of the
  overall labor force
• By 2012, 19 of employees will 55 or older

(Toossi, 2004 BLS, 2004)
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Reasons Older Workers Work

• The need to contribute
• Appreciation from others
• Desire to create something
• Poor financial planning
• (Stein, Rocco, and Goldenetz, 2000)

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Employment Labor Force Participation

• Persons with a work-limiting disability
• Employment rate 20.7
• Labor Force Participation 24.3
• Persons without a work-limiting disability
• Employment rate 78
• Labor Force Participation 82.2
• (Source Current Population Survey calculated by
  Cornell ILR)

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Workplace Accommodations (WA)

• WA are changes to the work environment or job
  tasks to facilitate participation in employment
  activities
• Types
• General Access to Facility
• Access to Individual Work Environment
• Job Set Up / Adaptive Strategies

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Workplace AccommodationsMandated Contextual
Solutions
workplace accommodations are more like home
modifications than access to public facilities
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ADA Overview Title I - Employment

• Private and state/local government employers with
  15 employees
• Ensures that individuals
• have an equal opportunity to apply for jobs and
  to work in jobs for which they are qualified
• have an equal opportunity to be promoted once
  working
• have equal access to benefits and privileges of
  employment that are offered to other employees
• are not harassed because of disability.

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ADA Overview Equal Opportunity in Employment

• Recruitment, application process, hiring (e.g.,
  Are your web job postings accessible?)
• Job assignments, promotion
• Training (e.g., Are training materials
  accessible? Can the employee travel to the
  training session?)
• Pay, benefits, leave
• Firing, lay-off
• All other employment-related activities

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ADA Eligibility

• ADA definition of disability
• Has, has a history of, or is regarded as having,
  a physical or mental impairment that
  substantially limits one or more major life
  activities
• Qualified Individual
• Individual satisfies the requisite skill,
  experience, education and other job-related
  requirements
• Can perform, with or without a reasonable
  accommodation, the essential functions of the job
• Essential Functions
• The employer decides which functions in any given
  job are essential (vs. marginal functions)
• Such functions are generally found in a job
  description

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Reasonable Accommodation

• Any change in the work environment or in the way
  things are customarily done that enables an
  individual with a disability to enjoy equal
  employment opportunities. (Source EEOC)
• Must be provided unless it causes undue hardship
  or direct threat

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ADA Title I Impact..

• ADA is making a difference in big business
• Small Business exempt from ADA
• Reasonable accommodations
• Big business less likely to have financial
  hardship
• Formal procedures for accommodations in larger
  businesses
• (Blanck, 1996 Kaye, 2000)

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Importance of the Issue

• Many Boomers want to work in retirement
• (Roper ASW, 2002)
• Workplaces have not been designed for aging in
  the workplace
• Unclear whether older workers with functional
  limitations are using similar WA as younger
  workers with disabilities

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Workplace Accommodations (WA) as PRODUCTS

• Research Questions
• What WA are being used by people with various
  functional limitations?
• What WA are older workers with disabilities
  using?
• Are there differences in the types of WA used by
  age groups, even if the functional limitation is
  similar?

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Survey of User Needs

• Survey people with disabilities on their
  employment experiences
• Determine what accommodations are used
• by whom with particular interest in older
  workers
• Determine gaps in providing accommodations

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510 People Surveyed (Online)

• Working age group (18-54) n320
• Pre-retirement age group (55-64) n123
• Retirement age group (gt64) n49

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Frequency of Functional Impairments by Age of
Those Surveyed
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Top Accommodations for Seeing Difficulties

• Working age
• screen reading software, electronic formatted
  documents, and scanners
• Pre-retirement group
• enlarged print materials, screen magnification,
  and scanners.
• Retirement age group
• reading guides and custom lighting

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Top Accommodations for Hearing Difficulties

• Hearing aids
• Written communication
• Communication device
• Similar across age groups

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Top Accommodations for Memory Difficulties

• Reminder
• Checklist
• Computer (except those gt65)
• Similar across age groups, except the retirement
  group did not report computer use as a frequent
  accommodation for memory

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Top Accommodations for Mobility Difficulties

• Accessible transportation/parking/ramp
• Accessible restroom
• Flexible schedule
• Similar across age groups

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Top Accommodations for Coordination Difficulties

• Alternative mouse/keyboard
• Voice recognition software
• Similar across age groups

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Reporting No Accommodations for Functional
Limitation
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Reporting No Accommodations for Functional
Limitation
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Applying a Process to Determine Products
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Activity Goals Office Settings

• Create electronic documents
• Manipulate files and correspondence
• Use a telephone
• Communicate with coworkers and/or customers

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ExampleCreate Electronic Documents

• Keyboarding
• Using mouse
• Viewing monitor

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Usability FactorsKeyboarding

• Motor
• ROM Reach the keys
• Strength Press the keys
• Accuracy Select the keys
• Speed Key select rate
• Endurance Length of time
• Inability to use Alternative forms

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Keyboarding ROM Minimize Travel

• Size

• Layout

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Keyboarding ROM Minimize Travel

• Shape

• Location

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Keyboarding ROMEliminate Travel

• Layout/Shape

• Onscreen Keyboard

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Accuracy Minimize Precision Required

• Target size/spacing

• Cursor speed

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Accuracy Minimize Precision Required

• Movement Mechanism of Cursor Control

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Accuracy Eliminate Travel

• Movement Mechanism of Cursor Control

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Usability FactorsViewing Monitor

• Vision
• Acuity See the objects and text
• Visual Field See all of the objects and text
• Tracking/Scanning Locate or see all the objects
  and text

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Viewing Monitor Acuity Improve Visibility

• Enlarge

• Enhance

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Viewing Monitor Acuity Minimize/Eliminate
Visual-Only Info

• Audio

• Tactile

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Activity Goals Production Settings

• Positioning the material or work
• Lifting or transporting materials
• Using hand tools or manipulating small parts
• Using measurement and packaging tools

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Activity Goals Food Service Settings

• Preparation of food and cooking areas
• Cooking
• Serving food
• Cleaning equipment and utensils

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Common Usability FactorsCoordinating Whole Body

• Maintaining position
• Sitting
• Standing
• Lying
• Changing position
• Kneeling
• Stooping
• Sustaining position
• Ambulating
• Climbing

• Improve position of worker
• Improve position of work surface
• Improve position or work materials

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Improve Position of Worker Seating Height

• Provide seating that is appropriate for the
  height or that can be adjusted

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Improve Position of Worker Seating Angle
Provide seating that is appropriate for the angle
or that can be adjusted
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Improve Position of Work Surface Surface Height

• Change the height of the surface by lengthening
  or shortening support

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Improve Position of Work Materials Surface Area

• Adjust surface area for easy access, safety,
  space requirements, etc.

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Common Usability FactorsMoving Body Parts

• Handling materials
• Lifting
• Lowering
• Pushing
• Pulling
• Carrying
• Moving body parts
• Gripping
• Pinching
• Reaching
• Pressing

• Minimize or eliminate carrying
• Minimize or eliminate hands use
• Improve position of work materials

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Minimize or Eliminate CarryingTransport Devices

• Provide transport devices that make carrying or
  moving equipment, tools, etc. easier and safer

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Minimize or Eliminate Hands Use Clamping Devices

• Use clamping devices or jigs to hold equipment.

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Improve Position of Work Materials
Storage/Retrieval
Create alternative ways for storing and retrieving
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Common Usability FactorsVision

• Movement
• Tracking
• Scanning
• Sensation/Perception
• Acuity
• Color discrimination
• Visual field
• Contrast
• Light

• Improve position of lighting
• Increase the visual size of work materials
• Minimize or eliminate visual-only information

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Improve Position of Lighting Task lighting
Lighting can be mounted or worn by individual.
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Increase the Visual Size of Work Materials
Magnification
Magnification can be used for objects, text, and
graphics.
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Minimize/Eliminate Visual-Only Information
Auditory Output
Audio output can provide speech or non-speech
sounds.
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Common Usability FactorsHearing

• Minimize or eliminate audio-only information
• Increase loudness of audio information

• Sensation/Perception
• Localization
• Acuity
• Speech discrimination
• Environmental sound discrimination

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Minimize/Eliminate Audio-Only Information Visual
Information
Visual information may be through lights, text,
sign language, or pictures.
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Increase Loudness of Audio Information
Amplification
Amplification may be built-in or added on.
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Common Usability FactorsSpeech and Voice

• Increase loudness of verbalizations
• Provide alternative method

• Articulation
• Fluency
• Voicing
• Loudness
• Pitch
• Car

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Increase Loudness of Verbalizations
Amplification
Amplification may be personal or built-in.
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Provide Alternative Method Augmentative
Communication
AAC may be no-, low-, or high-tech.
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Provide Alternative Method Computer
A computer can enable multiple methods for
communicating with co-workers and customers
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Common Usability FactorsCognition

• Minimize or eliminate text-only information
• Minimize cognitive load

• Language
• Memory
• Math
• Attention
• Executive function
• Learning
• Car

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Minimize/Eliminate Text-Only Information Audio
Audio information may be recorded voice or
synthesized voice.
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Minimize Cognitive LoadAutomate Tasks
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Resources Are Available

• One Stop Centers
• Vocational Rehabilitation Services
• Industrial Rehabilitation
• Ergonomics

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One Stop Career Centers

• Assists people in finding employment
• Provides career resources for businesses, job
  seekers, students, and workforce professionals
• Pre-vocational assessment
• Training
• Job bank

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Vocational Rehabilitation

• Employment-related services for individuals with
  disabilities
• Eligibility
• Physical or mental impairment which results in a
  substantial impediment to employment
• Can benefit from Vocational Rehabilitation
  services in terms of an employment outcome
• Requires services to prepare for, secure, retain
  or regain employment.

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Industrial Rehabilitation

• Services to prepare for return to work after an
  injury
• Develop physical tolerances for work
• Regain flexibility, mobility, strength and
  endurance
• Learn safe work techniques
• Assess tools or job modifications for safe return
  to work
• Explore career options
• Understand their injury and ways to self-manage
  pain

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Workplace Wellness/Ergonomics

• Services to prevent injury and promote fitness
  and health in the workplace
• Musculoskeletal protection
• Safe postures, joint protection, efficient use of
  muscular strength
• Pain Management
• Stress management
• Promotion of physical activity nutrition

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Technical Assistance

• Work RERC- Research Center on Workplace
  Accommodation
  http//www.workrerc.org
• Job Accommodation Network (JAN)- Federal project
  that provides consulting services for
  accommodations http//www.jan.wvu.edu/
• Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive
  Technology Society of North America (RESNA)-
  professional organization related to AT
• http//www.resna.org/
• Assistivetech.net- CATEA online AT database
  http//www.assistivetech.net
• Disability Business Technical Assistance
  Centers (DBTACs) ADA information centers
• http//www.adata.org/

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Many Professions Assist with Workplace
Accommodations

• Occupational Therapists
• Ergonomists
• Industrial Hygiene
• Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
• Human Resource Managers
• Facility Managers
• Speech Language Pathologists
• Physical Therapists
• Rehabilitation Engineers
• Assistive Technology Providers

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Occupational Therapists

• Assess and analyze the physical, cognitive and
  emotional demands of the job within the context
  of the particular workplace environment
• Plan interventions for maximizing occupational
  performance in the workplace
• Address barriers on an individual
  and/or organizational basis

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Ergonomists

• Consider aspects of the human workplace
  interaction
• Design equipment to maximize productivity by
  reducing operator fatigue and discomfort and
  reducing risk of injury

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Industrial Hygienists

• Evaluate and control health hazards in the
  working environment
• Protect worker health and well-being
• Safeguard the community at large

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Vocational Rehabilitation Specialists

• Provide services to help persons with
  disabilities prepare for, start, and maintain
  competitive employment
• Accessibility and assistive technology
  assessments and recommendations
• Training, job coaching, education
• Assists people with disabilities and employers

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Human Resource Managers

• Recruit and train quality employees
• Ensure high performers
• Address performance issues
• Ensure personnel and management practices conform
  to various regulations

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Facility Managers

• Plan, provide and manage efficient, humane and
  productive work environment
• Responsible for integration of
• telecommunication,
• information management systems, maintenance,
• security and general administrative services
• the total facility work environment
• from the chairs workers sit in to the air they
  breathe

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Speech Language Pathologists

• Assess and treat speech, language, cognitive
  communication, fluency, voice, resonance and
  swallowing disorders

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Physical Therapists

• Assess and provide services that help
• improve mobility
• prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities
• relieve pain
• Restore, maintain and
• promote fitness

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Rehabilitation Engineers

• Apply science and technology to improve the
  quality of life of persons with disabilities
• Assess clients
• Custom design and fabricate devices
• Modify existing devices
• Test and evaluate products
• Fit and repair assistive technology

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Assistive Technology Practitioners (ATP)

• Specialized providers who are certified through
  RESNA
• Analyze needs and provide training in the use of
  assistive technology devices

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Determining Workplace Accommodations Needs

• Utilize a workplace accommodation process
  including adequate assessment
• Access available resource services and
  professionals
• Focus on possible solutions to addressing
  functional needs while avoiding age-related
  biases

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Summary

• Older workers are using WA
• The types of accommodations used are similar
  across age groups with a few exceptions.
• People of different ages with vision difficulty
  appear to be using different types of
  accommodations
• Also older adults are not using computer
  accommodations for memory cueing
• People with functional limitations, regardless of
  age appear to not have needed accommodations

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Limitations Future Directions

• Limitation of this study
• Homogeneous group due to Internet based survey
• Did not consider age of onset extent of
  functional limitation (e.g. blind vs. low vision)
  
• More studies are needed to better understand
• aging in the workplace
• if accommodations continue to work overtime with
  aging

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Implications

• People with disabilities, regardless of age need
  to be aware of available resources for WA
• Providers need to offer WA options to older
  adults based on functional needs rather than age
• Good design in the workplace can benefit both
  younger and older workers

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Contact Information

• Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on
  Workplace Accommodations
• Georgia Institute of Technology
• Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental
  Access
• www.workrerc.org
• www.catea.org