Garrison employees learned about reasonable accommodation and resources available to support workers with disabilities during a Disability Employment Forum Feb. 28, at Fort Belvoir's Army Management Staff College, Thurman Auditorium.
The Fort Belvoir Equal Employment Opportunity Office sponsored the event which featured presentations by representatives from the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Computer/Electronic Accommodation Program. CAP specialists also hosted a display table featuring reasonable accommodation items such as alternative keyboards and pointing devices.
U.S. Army Garrison Fort Belvoir Commander Col. Gregory D. Gadson said the forum continues the discussion on ways to improve rights for disabled Soldiers and civilians.
"People with disabilities and challenges can make contributions," Gadson said. "This is really an ideal that we, as Americans, stand for."
Chris Kuczynski, ADA Policy Division, assistant legal counsel, started the forum with a discussion about reasonable accommodation in the work place. Reasonable accommodation is any modification or adjustment to a job or the work environment that will enable a qualified applicant or employee with a disability to participate in the application process or to perform essential job functions, according to the U.S. Department of Justice ADA question and answer booklet. Employers are not required to lower quality or quantity standards as an accommodation. Accommodations include sign language interpreters, modifications to equipment, modified work schedules and assistive technology, Kuczynski said.
An employee can ask for a reasonable accommodation at anytime during his or her employment with an organization. Kuczynski said the employer must engage in an interactive process with the employee requesting reasonable accommodations.
"This means it could involve determining whether the requester has a disability, what possible accommodations are available, or both," Kuczynski said. "Communication is the key in any accommodation discussion."
The CAP program is one resource workers can use, after establishing a need for reasonable accommodation, according to Jerome Lyons, CAP program analyst.
Following the National Defense Authorization Act of October 2000, Congress granted CAP the authority to provide assistive technology devices and support services, free of charge, to federal agencies that have a partnership agreement with CAP.
CAP aims to ensure people with disabilities and wounded servicemembers have equal opportunities in the Department of Defense and throughout the federal government.
The organization provides alternative keyboards, voice recognition software, Braille terminals, hearing loss assistive listening devices and captioning services, and other resources, to help employees with disabilities attain reasonable accommodation.
In fiscal year 2012, CAP assisted 5,920 civilian employees and 5,504 wounded servicemembers Lyons said. Employees and servicemembers can submit a request online, through email or fax. Gadson, the first bi-lateral amputee to command an Army installation, uses CAP products and approves of their quality.
"I live it every day," Gadson said. "I can attest that they do make a difference and ultimately allow me to be effective in my duty."
Lyons believes the forum is a great help to workers with disabilities to attain reasonable accommodations.
"The reasonable accommodation process is a journey of a thousand miles," Lyons said. "But, in order to begin that journey, you have to take the first step. I believe this is the first step."
Stephen Brooks, deputy to the garrison commander, presented Lyons and Kuczynski with awards for their presentations at the conclusion of the forum.
Brooks called the forum "news you can use" because it's important for each Soldier and employee within the garrison to understand their rights.
"Reasonable accommodation and CAP are programs that allow people to reach the full potential of their contributions. When they do that, the whole organization is stronger," Brooks said. "Everybody should feel comfortable, if they feel like they need some assistance, with getting assistance."
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