ABSTRACT
Keywords: Communication plans, natural supports, statement of integrity, ergonomic
interventions, reasonable accommodation
Many disability rights advocates consider the passage of the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) to be the most sweeping civil rights legislation passed since 1964 (Olsheski &
Breslin, 1996). This legislation provides access to programs, goods, services, and
employment that were previously inaccessible for approximately 49 million Americans
with disabilities. Through the process of “reasonable accommodation,” adjustments or
modifications are made to the physical environment, job descriptions, or the performance
of the job for persons with disabilities (West, 1996). Not only has the ADA required
changes in the physical environment, it also necessitates adjustments in organizational
cultures. The ADA directs businesses and government agencies to take proactive steps
toward offering equal opportunities to persons with disabilities and to cease
discriminatory practices. Changes in routines and the development of new methods of
communication are changing the way work is done.
