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# JAN’S ACCOMMODATION FACT SHEET SERIES

**Job Accommodations for People who Use Wheelchairs**

People use wheelchairs for a variety of reasons, the most common reason being paralysis from spinal cord injuries. Other conditions that may cause people to use wheelchairs include muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, polio, cerebral palsy, and arthritis.  People who use wheelchairs have a wide variety of limitations. 

The following is a quick overview of some of the job accommodations that might be useful for people who use wheelchairs in office settings. For a more in depth discussion, access JAN's publications at http://askjan.org/media/atoz.htm.  To discuss an accommodation situation with a consultant, contact JAN directly.

**Activities of Daily Living:**

· Allow the person to have a personal attendant at work to assist with toileting, grooming, and eating

· Allow periodic rest breaks for repositioning, toileting, or grooming needs

· Provide flexible scheduling and allow use of sick leave for medical care

· Allow the person to bring a service animal into the workplace 

**Workstation:**

· Height adjustable desk or table or a stand-up wheelchair so that a person who uses a wheelchair can work comfortably 

· Accessible filing system for a person who cannot reach upper and lower file drawers in a vertical file cabinet

· Office supplies and frequently used materials on most accessible shelves or drawers for a person who cannot reach upper and lower shelves and drawers

· Page turners and book holders for a person who cannot manipulate paper

· Writing aids for a person who cannot grip a writing tool

· Accessible office machines, such as copiers and faxes, so a person using a wheelchair can access them from a seated position

· Voice activated speaker phone, large button phone, automatic dialing system, voice mail system, and/or headset, depending on the person's limitations and preferences

· Alternative access for computers such as speech recognition, Morse code entry, trackballs, keyguards, alternative keyboards, and/or mouthsticks, depending on the person's limitations and preferences

**Work-site:**

· Flexible scheduling so a person who cannot drive can access public transportation

· Accessible parking for a person who does drive

· Accessible route of travel from the parking lot into the building

· Accessible restrooms, lunchroom, break room, etc. 

· Accessible route of travel to the person's workstation

· Work from home if transportation to work is not available

**Travel:**

· Accessible transportation

· Accessible lodging

· Accessible meeting/training site

· Medical supplies/wheelchair repair at travel destination

· Personal attendant care at travel destination

**Resources Specifically for People Who Use Wheelchairs**

**ALS Association**

27001 Agoura Road, Suite 250

Calabasas Hills, CA 91301-5104

Toll Free: (800)782-4747

Direct: (818)880-9007

http://www.alsa.org

**Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation**

636 Morris Turnpike Suite 3A

Springfield, NJ 07078

Toll Free: (800)225-0292

http://www.christopherreeve.org

**National Center on Accessibility**

Indiana University Research Park

501 North Morton St, Suite 109

Bloomington, IN 47404

Direct: (812)856-4422

TTY: (812)856-4421

nca@indiana.edu

http://www.ncaonline.org/

**National Spinal Cord Injury Association**

1 Church Street #600

Suite 300-9

Rockville, MD 20850

Toll Free: (800)962-9629

info@spinalcord.org

http://www.spinalcord.org

**Spinal Cord Injury Network International**

3911 Princeton Drive

Santa Rosa, CA 95405-7013

Toll Free: (800)548-2673

Direct: (707)577-8796

spinal@sonic.net

Updated 3/23/10. 

This document was developed by the Job Accommodation Network, funded by a contract agreement from the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (DOL079RP20426). The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U.S. Department of Labor. Nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Fact Sheet Series

Job Accommodations for People who Use Wheelchairs