Perspectives of people with disabilities who use workplace personal assistance services

Some people with disabilities who work can only do so because they receive personal assistance services (PAS) at their job. These workplace personal assistance services (Workplace PAS) include task-related assistance at work, such as readers, interpreters, help with lifting or reaching, re-assignment of non-essential duties to co-workers, and other help related to performing work tasks and may include personal care-related assistance such as helping someone with eating, drinking, or getting to the restroom while at work.

This session will report on the findings of interviews with 59 employed people with disabilities about their use of workplace PAS. Interviewees had a range of disabilities and worked in a range of jobs around the United States. Findings to be presented include the hours of PAS used at work and at home, costs for PAS at work and home, who pays for the costs, how long it takes to arrange PAS at work, who does the PAS, the amount of paid and unpaid PAS people received at work and at home, and what people with disabilities feel is needed for a successful PAS at work arrangement.