Assistive Technology Service Delivery

A Practical Guide for Disability and Employment Professionals

Anthony Shay

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN: 9780128129791
• eBook ISBN: 9780128129807
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Biomedical Science
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Assistive Technology Service Delivery: A Practical Guide for Disability and Employment Professionals provides professionals working in vocational rehabilitation with the guidelines and methodologies they need to carry out their daily work at a high standard. Crucially, the techniques and tools described in the book are based on evidence gathered in rigorous research. Chapters cover an introduction to the accommodations system, the role of assistive technology as an accommodation and evidence-based practice in vocational rehabilitation, the service delivery process, from referral, through technology procurement and implementation, to the monitoring of outcomes.Drawing on their extensive experience, the authors then present techniques, tools and tips for assistive technology service delivery, with illustrative case study examples. Written with practicing assistive technology professionals and students in mind, this book translates technical knowledge into content that professionals can understand and readily apply.- Presented in a highly accessible style that translates technical knowledge into content that practicing professionals can understand and readily apply- Based on evidence-based practice, giving the reader the evidence to support the application of assistive technology in vocational rehabilitation- Written by highly-regarded assistive technology professionals who share their hands-on experience of applying the techniques, tools and tips covered in the book

Part 1

The accommodations system model

Outline

• Part 1. The accommodations system model
• Chapter 1 Accommodation System
• Chapter 2 Accommodation System
• Chapter 3 The accommodation System
• Chapter 4 Accommodation System
• Chapter 5 Accommodation System

Part 1. The accommodations system model

What Is the Accommodation System Model?

Talking about effective task engagement at home, work, in school, for sports, or to do any kind of activity can be difficult. When we need accommodations to do this, it can be even more difficult. The accommodation system (AS) model helps us organize our thoughts around basic need areas. We consider all the areas which give rise to the need. Determining need goes much further than simply deciding what assistive technologies to use. There are many things to consider. Even when we find what seems like a very good match to an individual’s needs, the technology may still go unused. We must consider the person, the environment, the task engagement activity, social integration, effective accommodations and how all these elements come together. We call this our situated experience.

Why Is the Accommodation System Model Important?

Being employed is one of the primary ways in which we find meaning in life (Haworth, 1997). As a result, we need a better understanding of how to obtain, maintain, or improve our work situation when we are or become disabled. We can

• • use the AS model as a guide;
• • work toward our goals without giving up;
• • anticipate and plan for as many needs as possible;
• • avoid spending money on things we do not need or will not use;
• • consider how other people will see us and how we will feel when we use accommodations; and
• • overall, we can consider whether we will be satisfied with how the accommodations should help us on the job.

Because we are all different, the AS model may also offer us insight into areas we may not have otherwise considered.

What Is the Structure of the Accommodation System Model?

The AS comprises five core domains: Self, Others, Environment, Accommodations, and Situated Experience. The domains are placed in a large inner circle within a circle (an inner circle within an outer ring). The self is in the inner circle at the center of the model. The outer ring is divided into four equal parts each of which represents Others, Environment, Accommodations, and Situated Experience. Each of these domains is separated by a broken line between the elements. This illustrates how closely each domain interacts with each of the others. The Self is in a large circle at the center of the model to illustrate that people are the central focus in the AS. The domains in the outer ring (i.e., Others, Accommodations, Environment, and Situated Experience) interact with each other but all find meaning in the Self. In other words, each of these domains is important, but we as individuals make sense of them. We are working to achieve our goals when these domains are aligned. We find satisfaction and meaning in our work lives. See Fig. 1A for an illustration of the accommodation system model.

Figure 1 (A) The accommodation system model.

Accommodations as Activity Enablers

The enablement model is another way to view the AS model. By using accommodations, we are able to work to the greatest extent possible (Stephens, 2009). As a result, we can more fully participate in community life. This gives us a sense of hope, self-reliance, and true enablement (Elliott, Kurylo, & Rivera, 2005). With true enablement, or true rehabilitation, we are able to

• • be as independent as possible in all aspects of our lives throughout our lifespan;
• • improve the quality of our lives;
• • be connected with others in a meaningful way;
• • better understand our accommodation needs, how they may change, and how well they have met our needs.

We can expect accommodations to facilitate practical outcomes allowing us to better navigate the environments and engage in the tasks that are expected of us in employment (Stephens, 2009).

We present the Accommodation and Enablement models side-by-side for an easy comparison (see Fig. 1B): each domain of the AS (on the left) reflects the corresponding enablement domain (on the right): Self (intrinsic enablement), Others (interpersonal enablement), Environment (environmental enablement), Accommodations (extrinsic enablement), and Situated Experience (autotelic enablement). We discuss each of these domains in the following chapters (Fig. 1C).

Figure 1 (B) Elements of the accommodation system model.

Figure 1 (C) The accommodation system and enablement domains.

References

1. Elliott TR, Kurylo M, Rivera P. Positive growth following acquired physical disability. In: Snyder CR, Lopez SJ, eds. Handbook of positive psychology. New York, NY: Oxford University Press; 2005;687–699.

2. Haworth JT. Work, leisure, and well-being London: Routledge; 1997.

3. Stephens D. Living with hearing difficulties: the process of enablement West Sussex, England: John Wiley & Sons; 2009.

Chapter 1

Accommodation System

Self

Anthony Shay, Capacity Building Specialist, Assistive Technologist, and Rehabilitation Specialist, University of Wisconsin-Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute (SVRI), Menomonie, WI, United States

Abstract

A domain within the accommodation system (AS) model, the Self represents the innate qualities an individual brings to employment. The Self is one of five domains comprising the AS which also includes Others, Environment, Accommodations, and Situated Experience. Each of the domains reciprocally interacts with the others. The Self is delineated in relation to employment task engagement using the conceptual frameworks of the Great 8, vocational competence, disability, and functional limitations that provide an overview of what a person with a disability brings to the employment process. The AS sets the stage for the provision of accommodation services within the context of the employment of people with disabilities.

Keywords

Self; accommodation system; vocational competence; identity; Great 8; disability; functional limitation; impairment; activity limitation

What is the Self?

The self is who we are. It is all the individual pieces by which we recognize ourselves as being different and yet the same as everyone else. Our sense of self or “I” is dependent upon an “elemental consciousness” we derive from an “immediacy” and “‘certainty’ of experience” (emphasis in the original) (Erikson, 1997, p. 86). The Self is central to the accommodation system (AS) model primarily due to the central nature of the “self-observing I” and its fundamental importance to the study and understanding of the interplay and ramifications of task engagement on the other AS domains (Erikson, 1997, p. 87). It is these aspects of self which must be accounted for when we decide to find or change employment. The self is the first of the five domains of the AS we will be discussing in Part 1 of this text. Each of these domains (i.e., Self, Others, Environment, Accommodations, and Situated Experience) interacts with and influences the others. The AS model offers a framework for understanding the role of the self in relation to other core domains of Other, Environment, Accommodations, and Situated Experience in the provision of accommodations in employment.

The Self in the Context of Employment

The more we invest of ourselves in the job development process the more meaning and satisfaction we derive from the subsequent job we find. We can define satisfying and meaningful work as such when it reflects our primary employment factors: strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests, and informed choice (Giesen & Hierholzer, 2016, p. 175; Vocational Rehabilitation, 2016) or, in other words, our Great 8. Using the Great 8 as a guide we ensure we take an individualized, person-centered approach to making employment-related decisions which leads to job satisfaction (Cobigo, Lachapelle, & Morin, 2010). These decisions are also influenced by mental processes both of which we are aware and of those of which we are not fully aware (Feuerstein, Feuerstein, & Falik, 2010, p. xvi).

The Great 8 in More Detail

The Great 8 represents aspects of the self which are helpful considerations in making work-related decisions whi...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• List of Contributors
• Editor′s Biography
• Authors Biographies
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Part 1: The accommodations system model
• Part 2: The assistive technology service delivery process
• Part 3: Assistive Technology Toolkit
• Index