Some, but certainly not all, employees with an intellectual disability may need accommodations in the workplace in order to become and remain productive and efficient workers. Accommodations are often depended on the individual hired and the requirements for the job to be done.
Defining what is needed is the first step of the job accommodation process. Answering the following questions may be helpful:
- What in the workplace might make it difficult to the new employee to be as effective and productive as possible?
- What can be done, what changes or accommodations can be made to reduce or eliminate any causes of the difficulties identified?
Very often, accommodations are simple changes that are not costly. Accommodations may include:
- Restructuring a job by reallocating or redistributing job functions
- Altering when or how an essential job function is performed
- Part time or modified work schedules
- Obtaining or modifying equipment or devices
- Providing extra time to learn the job tasks
In addition, an employment specialist can help you identify reasonable accommodations within your workplace. For additional information about accommodations, see the links in the resources section of this module.
