Strategies for employers: assistive technology

This section will discuss devices that help some disabled employees secure and succeed at their jobs. They increase ability and productivity for people with disabilities regardless of limitations. Simple examples are electric staplers for people with poor dexterity and complicated examples are voice activation for computer use and braille writers (for people who are blind). There are many items some are even create by individuals. They can help people with disabilities get, keep, and advance in employment. Pennsylvania's Initiative on Assistive Technology (PIAT) offers the training needed to use this technology. Employers should have a staff person who can teach and fix the equipment because if it's broken that costs the company an entire day of work. Some items may be borrowed and other costs may be defrayed through tax credits like the IRS 190 which covers architectural barrier removal. In general for every $1 spent of devices $23 is earned by that specific employee's work.