An analysis of accommodation information requests regarding personal assistance services made to the Job Accommodation Network

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) and the Law, Health Policy, and Disability Center at the University of Iowa conducted follow-up interviews with employers who had used JAN's services to determine, among other things, (a) accommodations implemented following the consultation with JAN, (b) costs and benefits associated with implementing those accommodations, and (c) demographics regarding the individual who was accommodated. One of the categories of accommodations reported by these employers is personal assistance services (PAS). These include the provision by the employer of a reader, interpreter, job coach, or other individual to assist in performing either work-related or personal care-related tasks. Of the slightly more than 1,800 employers who participated in these interviews, 69 (3.8%) reported having provided PAS as an accommodation. This session will report on the analysis of these 69 cases, in terms of such variables as the effectiveness of the accommodation, the costs associated with implementing the PAS accommodation, the benefits realized by the company as a result of the accommodation, and the characteristics of the individual for whom the accommodation was made (e.g., type of disability, employment status, and gender). In addition, these findings will be compared with those from the general population of interviews from all employers to examine potential differences in effectiveness, costs, and benefits.