Accommodation: There’s an App for That!

A Mobile Accommodation Solution (MAS) application, developed by the Center for Disability Inclusion (CDI) in partnership with IBM and the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), will be released for iOS by the end of 2017 and for Android in the first quarter of 2018.

Other proprietary, enterprise-level accommodation case management and tracking software programs exist, but this will be the only mobile accommodation case management application available for broader use by professionals. The application has also been designed to be accessible and interoperable with technologies for people with disabilities. It will work on iOS and Android smartphones and tablets.

While many leave management functions can be performed from the office, accommodation, perhaps more than any other function, requires “boots on the ground” in the work environment of the employee being supported. In addition, accommodation requests sometimes pop up unannounced, unscheduled, and outside the leave manager’s office. Documentation of the interactive accommodation process is very important for the employer and the individual to manage and track the process, and defend against complaints. For all these reasons and more, a mobile app like the MAS is needed to facilitate and document all the details that a leave manager may encounter at a moment’s notice.

The MAS application recently had a favorable review by information technology accessibility executives at the M-Enabling Conference held by the G3ICT Group, an organization promoting accessible technologies for people with disabilities, said said Lou Orslene, MAS Project Manager and JAN Co-director. “No one questioned the premise of a case management tool,” he said, and no one knew of a similar app. Most of the discussion touched on how to enhance current features, such as the capability to output reports — a feature that CDI is now discussing with IBM, Orslene said.

Internal testing of MAS is being conducted in July, with external testing in August and September. The app will provide users with a suite of fillable, accessible forms and the capability to store, print, and export records.

“It has considerable functionality for a mobile application; we really pushed IBM on this product,” said Orslene. “It incorporates many of the best accommodation practices developed over the years.” After the very thorough and positive review by IT executives in the M-Enabling session, “our IBM partners were saying, ‘it really hit the mark,’” said Orslene.

IBM already has an enterprise-level “Workplace Accommodation Connections” tool for large organizations. The MAS app targets professionals in all size companies but is particularly relevant for small to mid-size organizations, with federal contracts required by Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to create workplaces inclusive of people with disabilities. “This was grassroots-driven by listening to the people who provide accommodations,” said Orslene. The addition of exporting functions will help expand its usefulness for professionals in very diverse organizations and environments.

The MAS app is being designed to help increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities and streamline the disability accommodation process at various phases of the employment cycle. Potential users include corporate talent recruiters, absence managers, or employees themselves. Examples for use include:

• For a new hire, recruiters can use the app to document and forward an accommodation request to the appropriate program.
• A current employee can use the forms built into the app to initiate a request for an accommodation.
• Absence management staff can provide case management and tracking capabilities, while guiding an accommodation specialist through best practices for providing a specific accommodation.

JAN’s guidance is built into the MAS app to provide resources helping ensure the most inclusive accommodation process, while also providing the case management capability to capture any accommodation efforts being made. In addition, the app will provide functionality to contact JAN for coaching on the accommodation process or a specific accommodation solution.

Funding for MAS was provided by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. The MAS development process was informed by members of DMEC, the US Business Leadership Network, the National Business and Disability Council at the Viscardi Center, American Association of People with Disabilities, and the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation.