Operationalizing workplace accommodations for individuals with disabilities: A scoping review

Article type: Review Article

Authors: Sundar, Vidya

Affiliations: OTR/L Occupational Therapy Department, University of New Hampshire, 4 Library Way, Durham, NH-03824, USA. Tel.: +1 603 862 0284; Fax: +1 603 862 0154; E-mail: vidya.sundar@unh.edu

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The provision of workplace accommodations is a proven strategy in supporting individuals with disabilities at work. Accommodations include a wide range of supports and strategies that are not very well defined beyond the Americans with Disabilities Act in the United States. Understanding the landscape of accommodations is important to measure the impact of programs that support employment of individuals with disabilities. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a scoping review and thematic analysis of research literature to identify how workplace accommodations are operationalized and to identify knowledge gaps in its conceptualization. METHODS: Keywords searches were conducted in seven electronic databases. Title, abstract, and full text screening was conducted followed by a thematic analysis of the content to identify how workplace accommodations are operationalized. RESULTS: Overall, 47 studies were selected for review. 433 different types of accommodations were identified, of which assistive technology and specialized equipment represented the most frequently reported type of accommodation (40%). A very small percentage of studies included policy changes (9%) and human assistance (5%) as an accommodation strategy. CONCLUSIONS: This scoping review aims to clarify how accommodations are operationalized in the research literature. Key knowledge gaps identified include the systematic exclusion of certain types of supports or disability types.

Keywords: Job accommodations, work adjustment, employment, disability, work, ADA

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-162472

Journal: Work, vol. 56, no. 1, pp. 135-155, 2017