Workplace Solutions

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Any job can be carried out efficiently, if you have the right skills and aptitude. But, another important aspect of it, especially if you are a person with disability, is to find ways to overcome the limitations posed by your disability to carry out the job. There are various tech aids that help you improve your functional capabilities. There are alternative methods to do the same job. This section focuses on providing information about workplace solutions and finding those that you can use.

Understanding Limitations:

Understand the functional limitations posed by your disability with respect to the job. Each job has multiple aspects: working on the computer, talking on the phone, taking down notes in the meetings, going to different company locations, etc. Identify the aspect that is specifically challenging because of your disability.

Deepa has severe muscular dystrophy and has very limited mobility in her hands. She can move only her wrist and fingers. This makes it difficult for her to use the regular keyboard. The solution is to use the onscreen keyboard that can be operated using the mouse. This is what Deepa uses in her job as a graphic designer that makes her as efficient as others working on the external keyboard. Read Deepa's story

One Size Does Not Fit All:

Understand that each individual is different and so are their needs. Solutions that work for one person may not necessarily work for another person with the same disability.

Jayalakshmi found the solution for her low vision in a binocular magnifier to read the computer screen. Another person with low vision, K R Nagaraj finds the external magnifier that attaches to the monitor as a better solution for the same disability.

Assistive Tech Aids:

Look for technologies and assistive aids that help you and learn to use it effectively.

If you are a hearing impaired person who does not know sign language and need somebody to train you on the process you will be working on. Ask for one-on-one training, if possible. Ask your trainer to use dictation software such as Dragon naturally speaking while speaking with you. The trainer will have to practice using the software and will have to speak slowly and effectively into a good microphone to train you effectively.

If you are a late blind person who does not know Braille and do not know how to take notes effectively in a meeting, you can use a recorder or walkman. Learn to use the recorder well : rather than recording the whole meeting, you could keep the recorder on pause, listen to what is being said, un-pause the recorder, and speak the gist of the conversation in a low voice quickly, and again pause the recorder. This will help you to be efficient when you want to read (or hear) your notes later!

A visually impaired customer service representative had a challenging job. She had to listen to the customer's queries on the phone and at the same time use her talking computer to find answers for the queries. How does she listen to both customer's voice as well as computer's voice at the same time? An interesting solution is to use a hands free headset, with phone connecting to one headphone plug and computer voice to the other plug! She could now hear both the voices and whenever required even control their amplification.

Simple Low Tech Solutions:

Workplace solutions need not be hi-tech all the time. Think of simple solutions!

Some petrol attendants in Shell petrol pumps are hearing impaired. They use a simple low tech communication device - a wipeable board that lets the customer fill in his requirement. Watch how they work in this video.

Effective Usage of Workplace Solutions:

We now know how useful these assistive devices aids are. The key is its effective usage!

A visually impaired employee creates and reads this excel sheet with the help of screen reader. Everything seems fine.

excel sheet

But it is not readable in the sighted world!

With the effective usage of Assistive Technology - using the mouse pointer (JAWS cursor), the visually impaired employee is able to "see" what the sighted world sees.

Discipline to Errorproof:

You have the right workplace solution. The next thing you need is to error-proof it. It does take a lot of discipline to make sure the process is error-free.

Examples of Workplace Solutions

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