Linda Potts, Assistive Technology Specialist

Assistive Technology Newsletter Tech Talk Volume 5, No. 2 Helping children learn to their full potential

Funding for this publication made possible with a grant from the MN Dept. of Education. The ISD 199 source of the funds is federal award Special Education – Programs to States, CFDA 84.027A. Linda Potts, Assistive Technology Specialist AT and Transition to a Workplace altern Laws Regarding ate keyb Postsecondary oard Transition: and mous Under the e can Individuals with make Disabilities a Education comp Improvement Act

Using AT at uter (IDEA, 2004), local Home acces education agencies sible Workplace are responsible for providing assistive Tools technology (AT) to students with Visu disabilities who could Environmen al benefit from it. Once tal Tas students finish Controls school, local k education agencies Anal Switc are no longer ysis hes responsible for can providing AT. be Pict Legislation guiding used accommodations in ures to the workplace is not and acces as strict as that wor s and provided through ds contr IDEA. bre ol objec ak The 1990 Americans ts dow with Disabilities Act and n appli (ADA) requires that the ance employers with 15 or step s in more employees s of the provide “reasonable a work accommodations” to wor place help employees who k . self-identify as having disabilities task perform the essential

. functions of their jobs, provided that the accommodation Computer does not pose an “undue hardship” to Access the employer. Undue hardship may An relate to the expense or app ploy provide the exact their strengths and client needs, make diffic rop er is accommodations limitations is key. matches with employers, ulty riat not requested by employees. and offer support for of e req Employees may suggest State vocational success. If AT is required impl AT. uire accommodations; the rehabilitation (VR) for success at identified eme The d to employer may suggest services help adults and jobs, devices and training ntin em pro alternate youth with disabilities find may be funded through g plo vide recommendations, which and succeed in the VR office. AT; yer the the employee must employment. Vocational it is has acc consider. For employees Rehabilitation services To learn more about dete the om with disabilities, may be included in high how your child might rmin righ mo understanding what they school Individualized benefit from transition ed t to dati need in order to be Education Plans. VR AT tools, contact your on a bot ons. productive, and being offices work within the child’s IEP team leader. case h creative and honest about community to evaluate by req AT in  assistive Workplace case ues Parent technology tools; Supports / Apps basi t the s. “me Workpl Question dic ace:  job tasks; Docum al” Who can provide and  Functional Skills entatio doc AT assistance to um n solutions individuals requiring  managing Systems ent are job AT tools in the schedule changes, videos/iOS Requir atio accommo workplace? new supervisors, (Conover ements n dations and promotions and non- Company) : that In Minnesota, every high refu work/life activities enable school has an assigned se that affect work  Video It is people vocational rehabilitation lett the with counselor who can help performance Scheduler ers resp disabilitie students with substantial -iOS (MDR) fro onsi s to limitations due to m bility improve disability get and keep a  Coinulator edu of job job. Services are cati (PCI the performa individualized and may  Postsecondary Resource ona Education) indiv nce or include assistance with l Guide: Successfully idual perform job placement, spe Preparing Students with s activities counseling, education,  Choicework ciali Disabilities for The with they employer education, job s - iOS (Bee sts. Postsecondary disa might not skill training and AT. Visual, LCC) biliti If otherwise Environment by the es be able MN Vocational Minnesota State em  Visual to to do. AT Rehabilitation Services Colleges & Universities plo Routines – discl solutions has a Community yee (Pg, 38-40) ose are Partners Program that iOS ( Megan s http://www.mnlowinciden their mechanis offers long-term job Holstein) do ceprojects.org/pitechnical disa ms to supports to students TrainingMaterials.html biliti accommo with disabilities by  First Then es date the partnering with local not Schedules – to needs of community rehabilitation pro iOS/Androi an employee providers. These job  Job Accommodations vid emp s with supports may include a Network (JAN): d (Good e loye disabilitie job coach, an https://askjan.org Karma the r s so that employment specialist req Application and they can who assists people with ues s) initia realize disabilities after they get  Ticket to Work Program ted te their true jobs by providing one- doc https://mn.db101.org/mn/  ChorePad the potentials on-one training at job um situations/workandbenefit proc . sites. If needed, the HD - iOS ent s/managing/program2a.h ess support can be ongoing (Nannek atio of Employer and include training on: tm n, iden s are not  Menu tifyin the required Planner – g em to i t o udget 3  accessibility O i - iOS features on tablets S C d (SVT Parent and computers; a Softwar ( l ( e) Question  text and screen I l R readers; n , o  Moneyw What are some AT ise – n u supports used in the  speech-to-text, o I t Android workplace? word prediction v n i (Everyo and note-taking a c n ne) Assistive technology software; and D ) e supports used by e individuals with disabilities  scheduling and in the workplace range v i 1 organizational from low-tech supports for software , O Informational accessing work equipment S S Transition to high-tech devices and L / o Resources software that increase work C A f productivity. Specific  C n t  Minnesota examples of AT supports include: The Reality of ) d w Workforce Centers:  switch access to Workplace r a http://mn.gov/deed/ Technology: It’s All work equipment  M o r job- About the Task: and appliances; e i e seekers/workforce- http://www.ncatp.org/r d d ) centers/ esources/reality_of_wo  environmental rkplace_assistive_t.ht C controls; m o  S  Q  Family Roles a i u in Post Secondary  adapted driving  Disability c m i Benefits; Planning: controls; h p c https://mn.db101. https://www.youtub l k org/mn/situations e.com/watch?  adjustable-height M e /worandbenefits/s v=W4XHj1v7ApI desks; upports/program e C 2h.htm d G u  ergonomic chairs; i r e  c o s Assistive  materials moving  a c Technology and carts and lifts; Assistive t e – Transition Technology in the i r i (Canfield. T &  assistive listening Workplace o y O Reed, P., WATI devices; (American n S 2001): Foundation for the L http://www.transitio  telephone Blind) R i ( ncoalition.org/wp- headsets; http://www.afb.org/ e s F content/originalSite info/living-with- m t r Assets/files/docs/at  augmentative vision-loss/for-job- i a transitionpacket122 communication seekers/for- n – s 4259340.pdf devices; employers/accom d e modations- e i r   ergonomic forworkers-with- r O ) AbleData: keyboards; vision- S http://www loss/assistive- ( /  A .abledata.  trackball mice; technology- G A c com/ 2870/12345 r n e e d a r B