Telework and employees with disabilities: Accommodations and funding options. | Knowledge Translation for Employment Research Center

Authors:	Westerlund, D., Granucci, E. A., Gamache, P., & Clark, H. B.
Year Published	2005
Publication	Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation
Volume	23
Number	2
Pages	115-122
Publisher	IOS Press
Background	Telework or telecommuting are alternative work arrangements that employers are using to meet the changing needs in of the workforce. Some typical telecommuting occupations include: sales representatives, claims adjusters, computer programmers, and customer service representatives.Telecommuting allows organizations to be better meet business needs including more flexibility in meeting the changing expectations of employees. It also increases the labor pool by allowing companies to pursue the non-traditional employee, such as disabled people, retired individuals, older workers, and part-time employees and does not restrict employers or employees to geographical locations. Research is needed about how telework can serve as an accommodation for employees with disabilities.
Purpose	The paper reviewed the literature on telework as an accommodation for individuals with disabilities.This included an examination of the barriers to telework and funding options. Two case studies were presented to illustrate how telework could be used as an accommodation to facilitate return to work of three individuals.
Setting	The interventions (telework) took place in the employees homes.
Sample	A total of 40 students participated in the study. Sixteen students were assigned to the control group and 24 were in the treatment group. The two groups were equivalent on a number of demographic variables including gender, race, medical diagnosis, and Individualized Education Plan category. There was a significant difference between the ages of the treatment and control groups. The age range for both was between 18 and 21.5 years old.
Data Collection	Case study information came from a key informant. Participants were referred to this organization by the state vocational rehabilitation agency for telework skills training and job placement.
Control	Case study information came from a key informant. Participants were referred to this organization by the state vocational rehabilitation agency for telework skills training and job placement.
Findings	The woman in the first case study received training on teleworking and computer skills. Afterwards she went to work for a non profit at 20 hours a week. Initially, she typed and edited reports. Eventually she received more hours to manage a database and mailings. She has worked for 14 years.In the second case study a husband and wife teleworker. The husband was was hired by a non profit to work 20 hours a week as a customer service representative to handle calls during traditional business hours. Nine months later his wife was employed by the same organization doing the same type of work.The jobs also the team to maintain health and manage fatigue.
Conclusions	Telework provides another work option for individuals with disabilities. However, it is not a panacea. More research is needed on how to increase this work option for individuals with disabilities whose interest, life situation and work personality match this work arrangement.
URL	http://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-vocational-rehabilitation/jvr00301
Disabilities	Orthopedic impairments
Populations	Male & Female
Outcomes	Employment acquisition \| Return to work
NIDILRR Funded	Yes
Research Design	Case reports
Peer Reviewed	Yes

Year Published

2005

Publication

Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation

Volume

23

Number

2

Pages

115-122

Publisher

IOS Press

Background

Telework or telecommuting are alternative work arrangements that employers are using to meet the changing needs in of the workforce. Some typical telecommuting occupations include: sales representatives, claims adjusters, computer programmers, and customer service representatives.Telecommuting allows organizations to be better meet business needs including more flexibility in meeting the changing expectations of employees. It also increases the labor pool by allowing companies to pursue the non-traditional employee, such as disabled people, retired individuals, older workers, and part-time employees and does not restrict employers or employees to geographical locations. Research is needed about how telework can serve as an accommodation for employees with disabilities.

Purpose

The paper reviewed the literature on telework as an accommodation for individuals with disabilities.This included an examination of the barriers to telework and funding options. Two case studies were presented to illustrate how telework could be used as an accommodation to facilitate return to work of three individuals.

Setting

The interventions (telework) took place in the employees homes.

Sample

A total of 40 students participated in the study. Sixteen students were assigned to the control group and 24 were in the treatment group. The two groups were equivalent on a number of demographic variables including gender, race, medical diagnosis, and Individualized Education Plan category. There was a significant difference between the ages of the treatment and control groups. The age range for both was between 18 and 21.5 years old.

Data Collection

Case study information came from a key informant. Participants were referred to this organization by the state vocational rehabilitation agency for telework skills training and job placement.

Control

Case study information came from a key informant. Participants were referred to this organization by the state vocational rehabilitation agency for telework skills training and job placement.

Findings

The woman in the first case study received training on teleworking and computer skills. Afterwards she went to work for a non profit at 20 hours a week. Initially, she typed and edited reports. Eventually she received more hours to manage a database and mailings. She has worked for 14 years.In the second case study a husband and wife teleworker. The husband was was hired by a non profit to work 20 hours a week as a customer service representative to handle calls during traditional business hours. Nine months later his wife was employed by the same organization doing the same type of work.The jobs also the team to maintain health and manage fatigue.

Conclusions

Telework provides another work option for individuals with disabilities. However, it is not a panacea. More research is needed on how to increase this work option for individuals with disabilities whose interest, life situation and work personality match this work arrangement.

URL

http://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-vocational-rehabilitation/jvr00301

Disabilities

Orthopedic impairments

Populations

Male & Female

Outcomes

Employment acquisition | Return to work

NIDILRR Funded

Yes

Research Design

Case reports

Peer Reviewed

Yes