Welcome

The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Workplace Accommodations identifies, develops and promotes new assistive and universally designed technologies that maximize independence and participation of people with disabilities in the workplace. A primary focus of the Workplace RERC is the use of universal design concepts -- the design of products and environments to be usable by all workers, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.

Accommodation in Action

Man who is quadraplegic using an adaptive computer workstation in his daily tasks as a construction manager.

Work RERC News

• Subjects Sought For Survey On Accommodation Costs And Benefits
  As part of a Work RERC project, the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University is conducting a study to look at the long-term costs and benefits of providing accommodations to employees. This research will help us to assess the costs, benefits, and utility of workplace accommodations and understand what organizational policies, practices, and cultures lead to successful use of accommodations. We are seeking both employees and employers to share their experiences via an online survey.
  
• Workplace Accommodations R&D Digest: July-September 2010
  Periodic electronic update on project activities and useful resources.
  To subscribe, send e-mail to sympa@lists.gatech.edu with a SUBJECT of "subscribe workrerc-news".
  
• Workplace Accommodations for People with Disabilities: Results of a Policy Delphi Study
  This white paper presents the results of policy research conducted by the WorkRERC to support efforts to develop policy initiatives for addressing the key issues critical to the implementation of successful workplace accommodations.
  
• National Engineering Design Challenge (NEDC) Starts
  Registration and Round I for this year's NEDC begins on September 1, 2010. The NEDC challenges high school students from across the country to design and build a workplace accommodation device to help a person with disabilities from their community. The Work RERC will once again be sponsoring an award for "Best Application of Universal Design Principles" as part of this competition. Last year's award went to Bishop Kelly High School for their design of a Portable AT Writing Device.
  
• Visit the AT Wiki
  Learn more about specific workplace accommodations on the AT Wiki and share your own tips or feedback about accommodations. The numerous articles include information about workstations, computer access, funding of AT, etc.
  

Upcoming Events

• ICADI
  Work RERC researchers will be sponsoring a track on "Work and Aging" at the upcoming ICADI conference in Newcastle, UK, that runs from Sept. 8-10, 2010.
• Continuing Education Courses
  CATEA will be offering several professional education courses this Fall. These courses can be taken for CEUs, and they cover topics related to workplace accommodations, home modifications, aging in place, computer access and web accessibility. Several of the courses are available online.
• Workplace Accommodations State of the Science Conference 2011
  The call for papers for our state of the science conference has been posted. Abstracts are due December 3, 2010.

Participate in our Research

• Please Complete Our Survey: Workplace Features that Aid Function
  The Work RERC is still collecting responses from a survey that will provide a picture not only of what workplace accommodations are being used by employees, but also of the effectiveness of the accommodations. However, in order to represent a wide range of jobs and accommodation needs, we need your help. Click on the link for this article for more information and to continue on to take the survey.
  
• Join the CATEA Consumer Network (CCN)
  Provide feedback and participate in studies, such as the Work RERC's research on workplace accommodations. If you are interested in being part of the CCN, please take a moment to tell us about yourself in the sign-up survey. Membership is free, and some studies may provide payments for participation. Click Here to Join the CCN!