WISE Ticket to Work Webinar
Ticket to Work and Reasonable Accommodations
July 25, 2018

Speakers: Sarah Hyland (Moderator), Sarah Small, Brittany Lambert, & Tyler Venable (Presenters)

SARAH H>> Good afternoon, and welcome to today’s Ticket to Work webinar: Ticket to Work and Reasonable Accommodations. 
My name is Sarah Hyland, and I am a member of the Ticket to Work Team, and I will be your moderator for today’s webinar.
Just to get started, I would like to review some items that will help you get the most out of today’s webinar.
First, to access the webinar, you can manage your audio using the audio option at the top of your screen. The audio option is an icon that looks like a microphone or a telephone. All attendees will be muted throughout today’s webinar. In fact, we encourage you to attend by choosing “Listen Only” which appears at the bottom right in the audio menu. This will enable the sound to be broadcast through your computer so, if you have not already, please take a moment to make sure your speakers are turned on and your headphones are plugged in.
If you are unable to connect to audio with your computer, or if you prefer to listen by phone, please dial 800-832-0736 and enter access code 418 914 8#.
The next thing we would like to share with you deals with webinar accessibility. 
Real time captioning is available and can be found in the captioning pod which appears below the slide that is on your screen right now. You can also access captioning online by going to http://bit.ly/WISE_june2018. This link can also be found in the web links pod in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen.
We look forward and encourage your participation today. Questions that you have during the webinar can be submitted by typing them into the Q&A pod, and we will direct those questions to the appropriate speaker during the Q&A portion of the webinar. We do have a large number of participants today, which we are thrilled about. We will do our best to answer as many of the questions that you send in as possible.
If you are listening via phone and you are not logged in to the webinar, you may ask questions by sending an email to webinars@choosework.ssa.gov. 
At the bottom right-hand corner of your screen, you will find a web links pod which lists all of the links to the resources presented during today’s webinar. If you would like to access any of these resources, highlight the topic you would like to connect to, and select Browse To button at the bottom of the pod, and you will be taken to the website requested.
In the event that you are listening by phone and not logged in to the webinar, you can always email webinars@choosework@ssa.gov for a list of available resources as well.
Also, today’s webinar is being recorded, and a copy of it will be available in about two weeks on the Choose Work website, which can be accessed at http://bit.ly/WISEarchives. This link, as well as others mentioned, can be found in the web links pod that we were just talking about in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen.
We hope you all have a great experience on today’s webinar, however, if you run into technical difficulties, which is always possible, please use the Q&A box to send us a message or you can email us at webinars@choosework.ssa.gov. This link can also be found in the web links pod.
As I mentioned earlier to you, my name is Sarah Hyland, and I am a member of the Ticket to Work Team. I am excited to be here with you today moderating this webinar.
We’re delighted to have you with us and to have three individuals who will share information about Social Security, Ticket to Work, and reasonable accommodations.
Our first speaker, Sarah Small, joined the Cognitive Neurological Team as a consultant in 2015 where she fields questions from employees and employers regarding their rights and res – excuse me – responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA, and assists in identifying accommodation solutions for employees with cognitive and mental health impairments.
Before coming to JAN, Sarah worked providing services for clients with intellectual and development disabilities in addition to completing a graduate internship providing vocational rehabilitation services to a variety of clientele.
The second speaker we have today is Brittany Lambert, also joining us from the JAN staff. She is a consultant on the Sensory and Cognitive Neurological Team in August 2017. As a member of both teams she fields questions related to low vision, hearing impairment, learning disabilities, mental health impairment and more.
Prior to her work at JAN, Brittany completed a graduate internship providing a mental health counseling to individuals with addiction and their families. She also has experience working in crisis intervention.
And the third speaker we have today is Tyler Venable. He is a Community Work Incentive Coordinator, CWIC, with Walton Options Legacy Project 2020 in North Augusta, South Carolina. He has worked within the field of independent living for a little over five years now.
As a CWIC, he assists beneficiaries in understanding how their benefits might be affected by work through providing beneficiaries with the information needed to confidently and securely make informed decisions about their employment.
Okay. And some of the topics that we will be covering in the webinar today through our speakers. We’re going to start off with the Americans with Disabilities Act as well as the Accommodation – the Job Accommodation Network. Reasonable Accommodations. Disclosure and Accommodations. As well as Interview and Accommodations.
Pertaining to Social Security, we will be covering Social Security Disability Benefits and Social Security Ticket to Work Program.
And, as we noted earlier, we welcome your questions and will conclude with addressing your questions on today’s topics.
Okay. With that being said, it’s my pleasure to introduce to you our first presenters. Sarah Small and Brittany Lambert will start the discussion. And Sarah and Brittany, it’s over to you.
SARAH S>> Thanks, Sarah.
So, let’s start out by talking a little bit about the Americans with Disabilities Act. Or as you’ll hear us refer to it, the ADA. Tomorrow, July 26th, will mark the anniversary of the ADA. It was signed into law on July 26, 1990, and is a civil rights law that functions to prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability. There are different titles of the ADA that pertain to areas such as employment, public entities, and transportation, public accommodations, telecommunications, and more.
Today we will focus on Title I of the ADA. Title I prohibits discrimination in the workplace and helps individuals with disabilities have equal access to employment opportunities and benefits. Title I also allows for individuals with disabilities to seek accommodations in the workplace if they are needed. Employers have an obligation to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees to help perform the essential functions of a job or to help receive those same benefits and privileges of employment equal to those without disabilities.
Now I’m going to go ahead and turn it over to Brittany so she can talk a little bit about Job Accommodation Network.
BRITTANY>> Thanks, Sarah. 
So I want to tell you all a bit about the Job Accommodation Network and the services we provide. 
The Job Accommodation Network, better known as JAN, is the leading source of free, expert and confidential information on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues. We’re funded by a contract with the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, or ODEP. Working towards practical solutions that benefit both the employer and the employee, JAN helps people with disabilities enhance their employability and shows employers how to capitalize on the value and talent that people with disabilities add to the workplace.
We provide technical guidance on the employment provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as individualized ideas for accommodations.
We can answer specific questions and give targeted technical assistance based on the needs of the caller. We provide comprehensive services. All calls are confidential so callers can freely explore their options.
JAN is very easy to use and offers numerous way to obtain personalized assistance at your convenience. You can speak with a consultant via phone using our toll free number, as well as TTY. You can also visit our website for more than 200 disability-specific publications.
JAN’s on-demand online email service provides customers with individualized email responses to questions about accommodations and the ADA. You can connect with us on social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. We also have an online chat service which is a pretty popular option. We also offer live and archived training just like you’re receiving today through this webinar.
Just a bit more information for those of you who may not be as familiar with JAN and what we do. 
JAN was established in 1983 as a free national service and continues to function that same way today. While we’re located on the campus of West Virginia University, we’re a national service and provide assistance to users across the country.
Consultants can assist callers at any point in the interactive process, from explaining what the process includes to helping pinpoint and solve difficulties at specific steps.
Consultants at JAN can answer questions and offer assistance to employers, individuals, service providers, and others, including a parent who might call with questions about a son or a daughter, an adult child calling for ways to assist a parent, other family members, union representatives, as well as medical professionals, and attorneys. From Fortune 500 companies to entrepreneurs, JAN has served customers across America and around the world for over 25 years.
Consultants at JAN specialize in specific areas and work on teams. When you call, you will speak to a Program Assistant who will direct you to the appropriate team and team member for the particular disability and situation you’re calling for assistance with.
The Motor Team assists callers with disabilities such as back, neck, shoulder, and leg impairments, as well as other mobility issues, arthritis, heart conditions, and multiple sclerosis.
The Sensory Team works with individuals who have hearing, vision, and speech impairments, as well as allergies and other respiratory impairments.
The Cognitive Neurological Team consults with callers on mental health impairments, such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety and panic disorders, as well as learning and intellectual disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, attention deficit disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and epilepsy.
And finally, our Entrepreneurship Team assists those callers who need information and resources on small business and self-employment options. We’re going to talk about this option a bit more next.
Individuals looking to start their own business can gain a lot of great information from JAN’s Self-Employment Team. Callers can expect individualized consultations, including resource materials tailored to their specific needs. The support provided is ongoing. Callers are free to contact the team for assistance at any stage in the process. 
Self-employment consultants can connect users with information on self-employment and small business programs available to people with disabilities as well as low-cost marketing strategies and guidance regarding different types of legal structures.
If you have an interest in self-employment, this is definitely a resource to consider looking into.
JAN has a pretty comprehensive website that can be a valuable resource. You will find over 200 publications as well as our searchable online accommodation resource known as SOAR, our A-to-Z of Disabilities and Accommodations that includes information by disability, topic, and limitation. Our ADA library with resources on laws and terminology. And JAN On Demand which is our easy email system. You can also access resources in Spanish as well as the JAN updates with the latest news.
And you can connect to us online at askJAN.org.
Now speaking of the website, I do want to mention that our site is undergoing a bit of a makeover, so we hope to launch the new and improved askJAN.org very soon. And when that happens, just be aware that some of your favorite resources will now have new links.
And now I’m going to turn it over to Sarah for some information on reasonable accommodations.
SARAH S>> Thanks, Brittany.
What is a reasonable accommodation? Under the ADA, a reasonable accommodation is any change or adjustment to a job or workplace to allow an applicant to participate in the application process and employees to perform the essential functions of the job. Or to allow an employee to enjoy the same benefits and privileges of employment as those without disabilities.
If there is a cost associated with a particular accommodation, typically that obligation is going to fall to the employer to pay for it. However, there are a lot of accommodations out there that are free and low-cost adjustments.
The following are some of the common accommodations that we see. Accommodations are very case-by-case and individualized, so these are sort of the broad categories.
The purchase of equipment or modifications to existing equipment may be an effective accommodation for people with many types of disabilities. Many forms of assistive technologies make it possible for people to overcome existing barriers to performing functions of the job. This can range from simple solutions, such as things such as even rubber bands and paper clips to high-tech equipment. 
JAN can help explore various types of products. To give you some examples really quick, task lighting might be used for those who are sensitive to overhead lighting. A watch might be set with alarms to vibrate and help with reminders for those who might have memory issues. A smart pen could record as you write to help capture the best notes. Speech recognition software could help someone who has difficulty typing dictate their documentation that’s needed. Noise-cancelling headsets may help with office noise or distractions. Or someone may need a certain type of chair or cushion because of a back impairment. There are so many different products and equipment out there.
Making the worksite accessible would include things such as access to a building, to the workstation, to needed equipment, and to all other facilities used by employees. This could be adjusting the height of a workstation for someone who uses a wheelchair. Providing handrails, or grab bars, ramps. Having clear pathways around the office. Anything that will help the person access what is needed. 
One example of this that we had was an employee who was having a lot of balance and mobility issues due to a brain injury. The employer had witnessed her falling a couple of times while trying to make it down the hall, and so they were able to help modify her workspace to allow her easier access to files and materials she needed as well as provided her her own printer so she would not have to make as many trips down the hall.
Job restructuring is another form of reasonable accommodation. Job restructuring may involve reallocating or redistributing the marginal functions of a job. Although the employer is not required to reallocate essential job functions, it may be an accommodation to modify the essential function by changing when or how they are done. One example might be a member of a cleaning crew with epilepsy who is restricted from using a ladder. One of his job duties was to change the overhead lights, but there was also a second crew member who had one of their responsibilities of cleaning a small kitchen. As job restructuring, they were simply able to switch those two tasks. 
Modifying a work schedule could include things such as flexibility in work hours, including arrival and departure times, lunch and break schedules, the structure of the work week, or even part time work. 
Flexible leave policies can also be considered as an accommodation when the employee needs off from work due to their disabilities. 
And employer is not obligated to provide additional paid leave but should consider allowing the use of accrued leave, advanced leave, or a leave without pay if needed.
All right. Modified policies. While employers are free to set policies, there are some policies that may need to be modified for an employee with a disability. This could include dress code, rules about eating at a workstation, attendance policies, and rules about animals in the workplace.
Another form of accommodation could be providing readers, interpreters, or coaches if needed. Readers are often used for individuals with vision impairments or individuals who may have difficulty reading due to a disability. Providing a reader for someone might be considered, depending on the extent of the reading that would be required for that position. The reader must read well enough to enable the employee to perform their job effectively. And it can be helpful if the reader knows the different terminology for that particular field of work. This type of accommodation we frequently see in testing situations.
Also sometimes interpreters might be needed. Providing an interpreter on an as-needed basis could be an accommodation in some employment situations. When an employee communicates with sign language, this could be helpful. Frequently, this may mean providing interpreters for work trainings or conferences as a way to help communicate and obtain information.
A job coach is somebody who comes in from the outside and can help an employee learn the tasks or develop strategies to help with performing the job. Traditionally, job coaches come to mind when thinking of supported employment or intellectual disabilities. However, they can help with a wide range of disabilities and medical conditions.
And lastly, reassignment. Reassignment to a vacant position the employee is qualified for could be an accommodation and may be provided to an employee with a disability who can no longer perform the essential function of his or her current position even with accommodations.
So I’m going to go ahead and turn it back over to Brittany.
BRITTANY>> Thanks, Sarah.
Next we’re going to talk about disclosure and reasonable accommodation.
There are several reasons why someone with a disability may choose to disclose to their employer. The first and probably foremost reason would be to ask for accommodations in the workplace. The employer has a right to know if a disability is involved when an employee asks for accommodations. 
The next reason might be to receive benefits or privileges of employment. The ADA requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation so that employees with disabilities can enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment equal to those enjoyed by similarly-situated employees without disabilities. This could include things such as utilizing services available to employees, such as an employee assistance program, accessing company perks such as using a company gym or lounge, and attending company-sponsored trainings and social functions, just to name a few.
If an employee with a disability needs a reasonable accommodation in order to gain access to, and have an equal opportunity to participate in, these benefits and privileges, then the employer must provide the accommodation unless it can show undue hardship. 
An example of this might be in a school where a PA system is used to make announcements. In order to make this information accessible to a deaf employee, the principal arranges to send an email in advance conveying the information that will be broadcast.
Lastly, the third reason an individual might disclose is to explain an unusual circumstance. For instance, someone with temperature sensitivities due to multiple sclerosis may want to explain to their employer that it would be helpful to work from home while the office air conditioner is being repaired.
Disclosure can be very simple. You can tell your employer that you need to speak with him or her about an adjustment or change that is needed for a reason related to a medical condition. Either verbally or in writing, you can tell your employer, your supervisor, an HR representative, a union steward, or other appropriate person, that you need an accommodation or change in the workplace.
After a request has been made, the employer may have some follow-up questions regarding the nature of the disability, the limitations involved, and how your disability affects your ability to learn or perform essential functions successfully. Ideally, an open and interactive dialogue between the employee and employer should follow an accommodation request.
Again, asking for a reasonable accommodation shouldn’t be a complicated process. To request an accommodation, you can use plain English.  You don’t have to mention the ADA, nor do you need to use the phrase “reasonable accommodations.” It can be as easy as saying to your supervisor, I need to talk to you about a problem I’m having with getting to work on time because of a medical condition.
While it’s not required under the ADA, here at JAN we recommend that you place your requests in writing. If you have a verbal conversation with your employer, you can easily follow it up in writing as well. 
Many employers use accommodation forms to help standardize the process, so they may ask you to complete some paperwork upon receiving your initial request. Accommodation requests are often handled by HR, so checking with an HR representative may be a good place to start if you’re unsure how to start the process.
Here we have an example of disclosure. Ronisha, who has severe depression, has been written up after several verbal warnings for inappropriate conduct. She is placed on a 30-day plan of improvement and warned that if the behavior does not stop within the stated time period, she will be let go.
She decides to disclose and ask for accommodations to assist her in responding more appropriately to coworkers. This is a good example of disclosing before it might be too late. We say this because an employer would not have to rescind disciplinary action, including termination. If you feel you are having difficulty and running into issues with performance or conduct, you might disclose and see if accommodations might help to improve the situation.
Before moving on, let’s look at one more disclosure example. 
Estelle is having difficulty sleeping due to a new medication she is taking. She’s been late for work three days in a row but is not comfortable disclosing her medical condition to her employer for fear of disciplinary action. In order to receive a reasonable accommodation, such as a flexible schedule during the adjustment period, Estelle would need to disclose her disability and make the employer aware of the need for accommodation.
In this case, while Estelle wasn’t in quite the situation that Ronisha was, she realized that her sleeping difficulties could lead to excessive tardiness, which could lead to disciplinary action. By disclosing and requesting accommodation, Estelle can begin a dialogue with her employer to find an appropriate solution.
And now I’m going to turn it back over to Sarah for some guidance on interviews and accommodations.
SARAH S>> Thanks, Brittany.
Under the ADA, job seekers are able to ask for accommodations if they might be needed with the application process. This could be for the interview, pre-employment testing, anything that may come with that application process.
Some employers may ask if accommodations are needed, or you may need to initiate the request. While according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission an employer can technically ask if accommodations are needed, we generally recommend from a practical standpoint that the employer explain the pre-employment process and procedures, such as how the interview will be conducted, if testing is involved, and so on. And then offer the information as to who to contact if accommodations are needed.
So some employers may ask at the beginning. Others may make you aware of how to go about requesting accommodations. And if you find yourself in a situation where they do not say anything, then the employee, or yourself, may need to initiate the conversation.
Requesting early can be extremely helpful. Sometimes employers may need advance notice in order to make arrangements to ensure that accommodations are implemented. We see this a lot with the testing-type accommodations.
When a request is made, the employer has an obligation to provide an effective accommodation. What that means is it doesn’t always have to be the preferred accommodation but would need to be effective. Let’s say someone requests a reader for a test they must complete. But the employer already has screen reading software downloaded to the computers that are used for the testing. They may be able to implement and help the person use the software on the day of the test as opposed to bringing in a reader as long as it will be effective for the person.
When it comes to pre-employment, employers should not ask disability-related questions. But if an accommodation is requested, they may be able to ask for some information to help support the need before implementing the accommodation.
Some helpful tips that you might keep in mind when applying for jobs. Take a look at the job posting. Make sure that you are qualified for the position you will be applying for.
Think about if you need any accommodations for the interview. Paperwork, or even access to the facility.
Also, if not informed, ask about the interview process. And there may – or if there is any testing involved or anything about the process to help you know if you may end up needing to ask for something. 
We find that for some things, you may not even have to disclose a disability. For instance, sometimes with certain disabilities or medical conditions, people may have a best time of day, so they may be more alert or feel that they would do their best at an interview in the morning or in the afternoon. And sometimes you might be able to simply ask if there are any morning time slots, or request that you could have an afternoon time slot, in which case the employer might be able to work with you even without making that a formal accommodation request.
I mentioned that employers should not ask disability-related questions in the pre-employment phase. A disability-related question is one that is likely to elicit information about your disability. Generally, an employer would want to steer clear of any disability-related questions before a job offer is made. However, there are some things an employer may be able to ask. If you are applying for a job with the federal government or a federal contractor, they may be able to ask if you would like to self-identify as a person with a disability. This is voluntary and typically for affirmative action purposes.
Once there is a job offer made, an employer would be able to ask medical questions about the ability to perform the job as long as these questions are asked of all employees.
We’ll wrap up our portion for today here by leaving you with a link to the JAN website, which is askjan.org/indiv/index.htm, and it provides some information geared towards employees and job seekers. Some of those resources you will find are some documents such as finding a job that’s right for you. Some pre-employment do’s and don’ts of disclosure, as well as some different legal resources. And all of those links – you can also find the link to it in the – the web links pod there, may be helpful as you are trying to apply for jobs, but also mainly when you are in a job if you find that you are in need of asking for accommodation.
SARAH H>> Okay. Thank you, Sarah and Brittany. That was great information about the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Before we move on, let’s go ahead and take a look at some of the equally-great questions we had coming in from our participants so far.
And I will just go ahead and float them out. Sarah and Brittany, you can – you can choose who you feel more comfortable to answer as we go, if that works for you?
BRITTANY>> Yeah, that works for us.
SARAH H>> Awesome. 
Okay. Can an employer refuse to allow an employee’s job coach to provide assistance?
SARAH S>> You know, that’s a tricky question. A job coach can certainly be a form of reasonable accommodation. And I know I mentioned that, you know, sometimes employers might be able to choose among effective options. But we do typically encourage that if a job coach is being requested, that they be allowed to come in because the whole idea is that they are going to be there and be able to assist to help the person to be able to perform their job to the best of their abilities.
I know one thing you might try if that were to come up where you were to receive pushback is really just trying to explain what the job coach is there for, and explain that the job coach is not going to be doing the job for the person, per se, but just there to help them learn those tasks and be able to do that. Sometimes we do see situations where maybe the employer just hasn’t had a job coach in there before, or isn’t quite sure. So I think any clarification you can give them on that might be helpful.
SARAH H>> Okay. Great. And just a reminder for all the participants today, if you have any questions on your mind, please put them into the Q&A area and we will get to them if possible.
Our second question for you. How can I find out if my employer is supposed to provide accommodations for my disability?
BRITTANY>> So, if the employer is a covered entity under the ADA, and the employee is someone who meets the ADA’s definition of disability and is a qualified employee, the employer may have an obligation, then, to provide reasonable accommodation under the ADA. 
So this can sometimes become an issue if it’s a small business that has less than 15 employees because the ADA is only going to apply to employers who have 15 or more. So that might be something to be aware of if you are working for a smaller company. But if that’s the case, there can still be state or local laws that might apply. And that would definitely be something I would suggest checking into if you do find yourself in that situation.
SARAH H>> Okay. Great. And as a follow up to that, how can – the question was, how can I talk to my employer about needing an accommodation? What is a good approach to doing that?
SARAH S>> Typically with that, if you do feel like you’re in need or you’re trying to prepare to talk to your employer, you can think about who – who you want to go to first. Some people tend to have a good relationship with their supervisors, so they might want to go talk to them first. But typically we recommend trying to figure out who it is that processes the ADA requests. Oftentimes you’re going to find that that is Human Resources. If you have an employee handbook of any sort it may tell you if there is a specific person or an ADA coordinator. Other times it truly just may be anybody within the Human Resources department. 
So, from there you could kind of decide if you wanted to go talk to them in person, if you wanted to give them a phone call, if you wanted to submit an email. I know typically here at JAN we recommend just from a practical standpoint trying to submit something in writing so that way you have that documentation that you are making an ADA request. But I know Brittany mentioned earlier oftentimes employers do have forms that they use as a way to standardize that process. So I think once you decide how you want to actually make that, whether it’s in person, an email, whatever that is, you could either simply make your request if you know what it is. Or you could start out by inquiring about the process and see if there is going to be some paperwork that HR would give you.
SARAH H>> Okay. And what do I do if I make that request and my employer refuses an accommodation?
BRITTANY>> There are a few things you can look at in that situation. As a starting point, we would suggest finding out why the employer has denied the request. So, an employer isn’t obligated to provide an accommodation that would pose an undue hardship. And like we talked about before, the employer is able to choose among effective options. So, if the employer is saying no to one particular accommodation, do they have an alternative in mind that they can discuss with you if it’s something that either would pose an undue hardship or if it’s something that the employer has an idea for an effective alternative for. 
Ultimately, if the employee feels that the employer does not have a sufficient reason to deny the accommodation, and they’re not working with them to find an effective alternative, another thing you could consider doing would be going up the chain of command. So, is there anyone else maybe with more authority within the organization that you could talk to, to maybe step in and help mediate the situation? And ultimately, sort of the top of that chain of command, would be the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. They’re the federal agency who enforces the ADA. And anytime an employee feels that an employer has acted in a way that may be discriminatory under the ADA, the EEOC is who you would want to contact to file a formal complaint.
SARAH H>> Excellent. Thank you for that thorough answer.
Next question is, when a job seeker completes an application online, the application may ask if a person has a disability. How can I answer this question while not disclosing disabilities and/or misinformation on the application?
SARAH S>> That’s a great question. So, as I had mentioned earlier, with pre-employment, really employers want to avoid asking any sort of disability-related questions. So when you do see something like that on an application, more than that you’ll find that that is the question to allow you to self-identify if you would like to. So what that means is typically they’re looking at affirmative action. They’re trying to look at numbers. You know, so really, that question itself likely would not have anything to do with the actual accommodation process. So with a question like that, you know, if you want to self-identify, you could say yes. Again, you know, that wouldn’t mean that they should assume you need an accommodation or that that would necessarily initiate an accommodation process because that is going to be something separate. 
From a practical standpoint, you know, I think typically we would recommend either, you know, choosing to disclose, or if there is an option that says that you wish not to – to answer. Or even sometimes they might allow you to leave it blank. I know we’ve run into situations where it says you like can’t move on with the application if you don’t click something. So I think it’s – if you really don’t want to say yes but you have to answer in some way, if there is that third option, that may be better than saying no. Because like I said, really it should be completely separate from any sort of accommodation process. But, by choosing that, it may help to avoid running into any issues where if you were then to later disclose and need an accommodation, them coming back and saying, oh, well, you put no on your application. Really that shouldn’t happen because it shouldn’t be the same. But, you know, just to try and help avoid any situation like that, that would be kind of our – our practical advice for it.
SARAH H>> Great. Okay. Thank you.
Just a reminder to the participants today, we have a lot of time for questions, so please continue to put any questions that you have into the Q&A pod as we go.
Another question for you, Brittany and Sarah. Can you talk more about the types of accommodations that people can ask for during the interview process? So, very early on in the stages. What are the accommodations that can be requested?
BRITTANY>> An applicant can ask for any accommodation that they think might be helpful. And that goes for any stage of employment. The individual with the disability is always able to make any requests that they think would be beneficial, and then the responsibility is going to shift to the employer to determine if what’s requested can be provided.
Now something we do see frequently with interviews as well as applications and things like that could be interpreters. If someone is an American Sign Language user, they might need an interpreter or a communication access device to help facilitate communication. Another type of accommodation could be giving the individual interview questions in advance. Sometimes this can be helpful for someone who has a condition like an anxiety disorder, or someone who has a speech disorder could benefit from this as well if it allows them to kind of prep their answers in advance. And it really just depends on the needs of the particular person, but anything you think would be helpful, you’re welcome to ask the employer for.
SARAH S>> Yeah. And just to give you a couple more examples I was thinking about as Brittany was talking, really it could be anything from an online application but you would really benefit from having like a paper copy, you might be able to ask for something like that. Asking for, you know, just for an interview to possibly over the phone, again if that would help with anxiety or anything, if you could do that first one over the phone. Or if you could limit the amount of people. So, if you know the interview is a panel of people, seeing if maybe it could be limited to – to one or two, something like that. So really, just anything you feel might be helpful. And – and oftentimes we – we see a lot of accommodations that might be needed for that pre-employment testing phase.
SARAH H>> Okay. Thank you, Sarah. And off of that question, how is the best way to bring up that question during the application and interviewing process? Do you have any recommendations for how to ask that question or find out the answers?
BRITTANY>> So ideally that would be something that – what we talked about earlier. It’s really helpful if an employer explains the pre-employment process and designates who to contact if you do have questions regarding reasonable accommodation. What I would say if that’s not the case, if you don’t have any idea what to expect or who you should contact, maybe getting in touch with the contact number available on the application, or on a job flyer, wherever you’re getting your information, letting them know you’d be interested in applying and you’d like to find out how you can ask for a reasonable accommodation for the pre-employment process. 
SARAH H>> Okay. Excellent.
If having a job coach is an accommodation, does the employer have the right to know my disability when a job coach is needed?
SARAH S>> I think with something like that, despite the accommodation, so whether that’s a job coach or some other type of accommodation, really it’s all going to come down to if the disability is – is known or obvious. If something is known or obvious, or that need is obvious in some way, then they really wouldn’t want to ask too many questions about it. But if a condition is – is not known or obvious, so let’s say someone with ADHD is bringing in a job coach, or any of those kind of hidden disabilities, so to speak, really any type of accommodation, the employer would be entitled to some limited medical documentation. And really that’s just to help establish that ADA coverage, meaning that you meet that definition of disability. And also just to give them some information to help show how that accommodation is going to be helpful. So in this case, anything to help them understand why the job coach is needed and how that’s going to be the most helpful to you.
SARAH H>> Okay, great. Is it a requirement to disclose my disability?
BRITTANY>> You generally don’t have an obligation to disclose a disability unless you need to request accommodation, need to explain an unusual circumstance. Some of those reasons we talked about a bit earlier. But let’s say you don’t need an accommodation. If you don’t need an accommodation, there’s really no obligation for you to disclose a disability. It’s really something that is kind of a personal choice for the individual. If you want to disclose that information even if you don’t need an accommodation you certainly can. But generally, those are the circumstances where there might be a need to do so, is if you need an accommodation, you need to be able to access a benefit or a privilege of employment, or if you need to explain an unusual circumstance.
SARAH H>> Great. Okay. So during the interview process, can an employer ask the question, do you need any accommodations to meet the core requirements of this position?
SARAH S>> Usually I would say that would come more after like a conditional job offer has been made. I think in some cases I have heard of that sort of question of, you know, do you feel that you can perform all the duties of this job with or without accommodation, you know, in which case I think for most people that’s going to be yes. And that’s kind of unclear, you know, because it’s sort of that vague, with or without. But typically the employer would really want to try to – to shy away from any sort of disability questions at that phase.
SARAH H>> Okay. And also that if – if I am asked that question about accommodations, how should I respond to that?
BRITTANY>> It depends on the circumstances. And there’s actually a really helpful guidance from the EEOC on pre-employment disability-related inquiries. And it has a section that talks about when an employer might be able to ask if someone can be asked during an interview or the pre-employment stage if they’ll need an accommodation for the job itself rather than the pre-employment process. And generally that’s only going to be appropriate if the employer has a reasonable belief based on a known disability that the person will need accommodation to do the essential functions of the position. So, let’s say, for example, the individual has already disclosed a disability, already requested an accommodation for the interview process, and that leads the employer to believe that the person may need an accommodation in order to perform the essential functions of the job. In that situation they may be able to ask. But it depends on the circumstances, again. So if that’s not really the case, then that might be something that you want to be aware of and sort of be cautious of.
Another thing that can be helpful to keep in mind is that wording can be tricky. If an employer says, can you perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation, that’s not really intended to be an either/or response. What that essentially means is can you do the job one way or another. If you can do it, you don’t need to say, yes, with accommodation, you can just say yes because it should be a yes or no question, not an either/or question.
SARAH H>> Okay. That makes perfect sense.
Should I include my disability and needed accommodations on my résumé or is there another time you feel is more appropriate to disclose that?
SARAH S>> Yeah, I would recommend not putting it on your résumé. I think it is a personal preference, so if somebody really wanted to do that, there is nothing that would prohibit it. But I think in the situation where you were to do that, then I think that just opens the doors for a lot of questions. You know, sometimes if you were to not get selected, let’s say, or not get an interview, or something like that, I think then that’s going to kind of posit questions of, well, was that something that they discriminated because I listed a disability. And those questions, it – it can be really hard, if at all possible, to find out an answer to that, you know, whether it was something that they did discriminate, or just you didn’t have the proper qualifications, or weren’t the most qualified for the position. So I think to avoid any situations like that, I would recommend, you know, sticking your résumé to the typical education, work experience, those types of things. And then later on, if you do feel that an accommodation might be needed for any part of the employment process, then that might be an appropriate time to disclose.
SARAH H>> Excellent.
Can an employee do – an employer, excuse me – can an employer do a check in with an employee to see if their accommodations are still effective or needed at any time during employment?
BRITTANY>> Yeah, so we usually refer to that as monitoring the accommodation. And that can just be as simple as checking in with the employee to see how things are going. You could check in and say, you know, is there anything else we can do to support you. It’s something that, you know, it probably shouldn’t be done in a way that’s making the employee uncomfortable or, you know, is really getting to a point of pushing and asking too many unrelated questions and things like that. But just to simply check in with the employee and make sure the accommodation is working, see if there is anything else that might be needed, that’s probably something that’s fine for an employer to do periodically.
SARAH H>> Okay. Great. Thank you.
If I have a visible disability and I’m applying for a job, can an employer ask me how I can perform the job? For example, if I’m blind and the job has to do with data entry, how should I try and explain how I’ll perform specific tasks within my job?
BRITTANY>> That’s a great question. If there is a specific piece of assistive technology that could let you perform that function, that could be something to follow up with.
Another thing that employers have the option of doing here is requesting a demonstration of how you could perform those job duties. So, if you know going into this position that you’re qualified, you could do it if you just had the right equipment, and the employer has that kind of question, that could really be helpful to just say, here’s an accommodation I could use. Here’s a piece of equipment I could use. Here’s another method I could use to perform this task. You basically just want to be prepared to explain the way that you might be able to perform that task, either with or without accommodation. How could you get the job done?
SARAH H>> Okay. And for everyone listening today, Sarah and Brittany have referenced the EEOC a few times. What that is, is the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, just so you’re aware. That’s what they’ve been referencing with EEOC.
Also, that’s the – also the Commissioner Feldblum of the EEOC joined the webinar in May and discussed how the EDOC may be able to help address discrimination. And you can look in the web links pod for the event archives to reference that. And that’s at http://bit.ly/WISEarchives as well.
Okay. Another question for Sarah and Brittany. What age ranges are eligible to use JAN?
SARAH S>> Really anyone can contact us. I think most commonly we see employees, you know, so whether that’s, you know, it could maybe be somebody who’s still in high school but is – is working. It could be somebody who’s transitioning from high school to the workforce and looking for ideas or resources. So, really, it’s – there’s no set age range, it’s just, you know, anyone who’s working. But that also could mean, you know, somebody’s parent who is contacting. Maybe they have a child who is still in school but getting ready to try and look for employment. So really, I – I wouldn’t say as much of an age range as it is just within that realm of employment.
SARAH H>> Excellent. 
Can I request assistive technology without disclosing my specific disability?
SARAH S>> I think you – you could always start out just making a request and kind of seeing how the employer responds or if they – they ask. Sometimes if something is truly an easy fix, or it’s something that maybe they already have, such as screen-reading software or something that maybe the company already has available. I think there are times where an employer might just sort of implement because it’s an easy fix and they might not need to know any more information. So I think if there is something that you feel you need, you could always start out just by asking for it and seeing what they say. But I think if they were to come back and say, okay, we need to process this as an accommodation, here are these forms. Or they might ask, you know, why that’s needed. Then I think that is something they potentially could do as long as the condition is – is not known or obvious.
SARAH H>> Okay. And one last quick question. Can JAN assist me with wording a reasonable accommodation request?
BRITTANY>> Yeah. So if you are not sure how to put your request into writing, we actually have a template available for that on our website that can sort of help guide you through that process, the type of terminology that you might want to use. And if you’re putting together your own letter, you can also get in touch with us and sort of run it by us, and if there’s any language that we think, you know, might be helpful, or something that’s not clearly expressed, we can definitely help sort of give some pointers on that.
Now something important to keep in mind is we’re not able to give any kind of legal advice. We’re not a legal agency. So it wouldn’t be something that we could advise on in that way. But just in terms of, you know, what should an accommodation request letter contain, what kind of language might I want to use, we can definitely help with that.
SARAH H>> Excellent. Sarah and Brittany, thank you so much. Although we have more questions for you, we are going to stop here and hear about Social Security’s Ticket to Work program. Any additional questions that were received today will be addressed at the end of the presentation. So thank you for all of your questions.
Just a reminder, again, that today’s webinar is being recorded and a copy of it will be available in about two weeks on the Choose Work website. That can be accessed at http://bit.ly/WISEarchives. 
Okay. And now I’m going to turn it over to Tyler Venable who will share with us information on Social Security’s Ticket to Work program. Over to you, Tyler.
TYLER>> All right. In getting started we’re going to talk a little bit about the two main types of Social Security disability benefits and then we’ll move into discussing the Ticket to Work program.
There are two main types of Social Security benefit – disability benefit programs. And those programs are Social Security Disability Insurance, more commonly known as SSDI, and Supplemental Security Income, more commonly known as SSI.
Social Security Disability Insurance is a Title II benefit and comes from a Social Security trust fund that you have – that you have paid into. Criteria for this program is based upon whether or not an individual meets Social Security’s definition of disability and upon one’s ability to perform substantial gainful activity, or SGA.
Supplemental Security Insurance, on the other hand, is means tested and has financial and resource restrictions. It is meant to supplement a beneficiary’s other income and to cover basic food and shelter needs. The amount of SSI that you receive will depend upon the amount of earned income that you receive, your marital status, and can vary if you receive assistance from someone else, someone else is paying for basic living and shelter needs.
The Ticket to Work program provides beneficiaries with additional services and supports that are needed to substantially obtain and maintain employment. In order to be eligible for Ticket services, an individual must be between ages 18 and 64. If you are receiving SSI, you must be eligible for benefits under the adult disability standard and must be receiving a federal cash SSI benefit.
Only you can decide if – if work – excuse me. Only you can decide if work is right for you. When it comes to pursuing employment while receiving disability benefits, there is no one set standard. Each beneficiary’s situation is going to vary. It is important to understand that – that the way in which your benefit is affected will vary depending upon the type and amount of your benefit as well as the amount – as well as how much you intend to earn. However, (inaudible) coordinators are available to assist you in analyzing your specific situation and can help you understand how your benefits might be affected by work.
Why choose work? While increasing your income is a goal for most beneficiaries who are pursuing employment, it is important to understand that work is about more than just – just bettering your financial situation. Work can serve as a means of meeting new people, learning new skills, and can increase your overall self-esteem and well-being.
Services that Ticket to Work offers may include job coaching, job counseling, training, benefits counseling, job placement, and various other services. We encourage you to head to the website to find resources to help you choose a service provider that’s right for you, job tips, facts about Social Security, Social Security’s work incentives and programs that may help you to be on the right path for financial independence, and more. And, again, that website is choosework.ssa.gov. 
All right. And one of the great success stories that we’ve recently had involves James. James experienced chronic pain from a gunshot wound and later experienced a car crash. Due to the pain he stopped working and started receiving SSI – SSDI benefits and needed to focus on his health full time. When he was ready, James wanted to find a job where he could work with his hands while handling his symptoms of pain. His Ticket to Work employment network helped him find a job that fits his goals and his skills. And I really encourage you guys to – to read that story. He was actually able to – to work his way off of benefits and has a full-time job. So it’s really very inspiring.
All right. And getting started, we encourage you to call the Ticket to Work help line. And that number is 866-968-7842. And TTY is 866-833-2967. And you can also visit the website at choosework.ssa.gov. 
If you received an invitation from Social Security to participate – to participate in Social Security’s Ticket to Work program, you can assign your ticket to an employment network, or an EN. An EN can be an organization, individual, or group of individuals collaborating to find resources, to coordinate services, or to provide services to Social Security beneficiaries. State vocational rehabilitation agencies typically serve as Ticket providers, but there are also numerous other ENs that you may assign your Ticket to. To find a full list of employment networks providing services in your area, you can visit choosework.ssa.gov\findhelp\. 
Once you are on the webpage, you can choose to conduct either a direct search or a guided search. The direct search will provide you with a list of all of the ENs providing services within your area, while a guided search will provide you with a list of providers that best fit your specific needs and this is based upon your answers to 20 – to 20 questions.
SARAH H>> Tyler, thank you so much for all of that information. We did have some questions come in for you. Sarah and Brittany, there will be some for you as well, but we’re going to start off with Tyler.
What is the difference between the Ticket to Work program and getting services from DVR, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation?
TYLER>> Well, vocational rehabilitation can provide you with additional services while the Ticket to Work is, of course, a Social Security program. And, you know, the Ticket is going to open you up to a lot more resources as well. So VR just kind of – is going to provide a different set of – different set of resources.
SARAH H>> Okay. Great. How much does Ticket to Work cost?
TYLER>> Ticket to Work is a free program. It’s free of charge.
SARAH H>> Excellent. Okay. You had mentioned some of the services offered including coaching and job counseling. What types of training are included that you could discuss and go over?
TYLER>> Training would involve on-the-job training (inaudible) various combinations are available as well. Job coaching and things of that nature to – to help you to perform your job. And VR, as we mentioned earlier, also offers a lot of training. So you can find what specific training that your EN offers, it’s just going to be based on which – which EN you go with.
SARAH H>> Great. And what about job placement services?
TYLER>> Job placement services will be more helping you to locate resources for finding employment, providing you with job leads, and things of that nature. You know, helping you to kind of find the – the right fit for you.
SARAH H>> Okay. What – what type of Ticket to Work service provider do you work for, personally, Tyler? And what does this provider do?
TYLER>> I actually – I’m a Senior Work Incentives Coordinator, and so I work for the – for WIPA. So I’m actually – I actually don’t – we don’t provide Ticket services here in South Carolina. We actually provide them on the Georgia side of (inaudible), and so – so I’m actually not a Ticket provider. But the services I do provide – 
SARAH H>> Okay.
TYLER>> Oh.
SARAH H>> No, go ahead, Tyler. Thank you.
TYLER>> Yeah. Services that we provide at CWICKS are helping beneficiaries to understand how benefits might affect their work. So – or how work might affect their benefits, excuse me. And doing so, we provide beneficiaries with work incentives counseling. If needed, we can provide a benefit summary and analysis, which would break down of how work might affect your benefits. Plus a breakdown of things such as how SSDI would be affected, how your health insurance might be affected, any state or local benefit – any other state or federal or local benefit programs that you might be involved in as well. So we just kind of provide you with that overall overview so that there’s no surprises later on once you begin your employment.
SARAH H>> Great. Thank you so much, Tyler.
We still have some questions coming in for Sarah and Brittany for JAN, so I’m going to jump back into that. 
Are emotional support dogs considered a reasonable accommodation under Title I of the ADA?
SARAH S>> Yeah, so that’s a tough one. So with the ADA, everything that is formally written in regulations at this point in time regarding service animals and emotional support animals is written for Title III, which is those public access situations. So that’s where you’re going to find those different definitions of service dog and emotional support animal. That’s where you’re going to find the two questions that people can ask if you have a service animal, and so on.
So with Title I, with there not being any formal regulation at this point in time, it defaults to being a request for accommodation. So what that means is whether it is a service animal or an emotional support animal, you would want to ask for that as a reasonable accommodation. And really, either way, because there aren’t those varying definitions of Title I, then it is something that even if it is an emotional support animal, the employer would still want to consider that as an accommodation and engage in that same interactive process.
SARAH H>> Okay. What if, within your job, it requires lifting items that you can only lift less than the required weight?
BRITTANY>> This is actually something that we hear about frequently, specifically the consultants on our Motor Team. So there are some positions where there might be a requirement to lift a certain weight, but an employee might have a lifting restriction due to a disability.
What the employer would want to look at in this case is, is the essential function the actual physical lifting or is it to move something from one place to another. Because when the essential function is to simply move something from Point A to Point B, there can be other ways to do that aside from physically lifting. So that’s what I would encourage the employer to sort of look at is what is the specific task being done here? Is there a different way that we can do this? So that might involve some type of assistive technology such as a lifting aid. But, really, the important part with any accommodation is to look at what’s the essential function that’s being performed here, and can we do it in a different way?
SARAH H>> Okay. How long should I wait after receiving a job offer to disclose my disability?
SARAH S>> I think that’s going to depend on if you need an accommodation or not. So, if you do get a job offer, and you know that you’re going to need an accommodation going in, you already know that. You know probably what it’s going to need to be. So I think really at any point after that you could start that conversation.
From a practical standpoint, we typically recommend getting in there. So unless there was something you absolutely needed, you know, day one, I think you could get in there and then be able to figure out if you actually do need an accommodation or not, and then disclose from there. 
So I think it’s important to remember that accommodations can be asked for at any point. So let’s say someone were to go into a new position and really not need any accommodations, and then ten years down the road something changes with their disability, and now they are going to need an accommodation, they can go ahead and ask at that point. It wouldn’t be something that the employer could say, oh, well you didn’t tell us ten years ago when you started, because really it could be at any point. So I think the true answer to that is really dependent upon when you need an accommodation. So I think if you do need something absolutely up front, then you probably could try to initiate that conversation any time after that job offer is made and accepted.
SARAH H>> Excellent. Where can I find resources of examples of accommodations by disability?
SARAH S>> On our website you can find all kinds of resources related to the ADA and workplace accommodations. I know in the web link pod there, there was a link to our website. And one of the – the easiest ways that I find to do it is to go through the A-through-Z of Disabilities and Accommodations, which is a link at the top right of our Home page. And really, if you go to that link, you can search three different ways that Brittany had mentioned earlier. You can search by disability, by topic, or by limitation. And so if you go by disability, that’s where you’re going to find your list of back impairment, mental health. It’s all going to be in alphabetical order. So I think that would probably be my go-to. And with each of those impairments you’re going to find some resources, you’re going to find our main publication that does list out some common accommodations that we have seen by limitation. So you’re not necessarily going to find an exhaustive list, but it definitely gives you a lot of things to think about and a lot of things that we commonly see based on each individual condition.
SARAH H>> Okay. Another question we had come in. How should a potential employee respond to the question, do you have any disabilities? What are your recommendations there?
BRITTANY>> So is this question for during pre-employment?
SARAH H>> Yes, any time during the interview process, any time during the hiring process in general, I believe is the question.
BRITTANY>> So, during that time, that’s really when the employer is most restricted in terms of what they can ask about disability and medical information. Any time during pre-employment that an employer is asking someone to disclose disabilities, it needs to be voluntary. So if an employer is just, you know, kind of asking without any kind of context, do you have any disabilities, it’s probably not something that should be handled in that way. If an employer is asking for disability-related information like that, so that kind of disclosure, it would really need to be something that they have specified is voluntary.
SARAH H>> Okay. Excellent. Thank you.
What kind of documentation can an employer request in order to verify an employee’s disability?
SARAH S>> With that it’s all going to come down to, again, looking at, you know, okay, are they asking because this is a condition that’s not known or obvious? If so, then they would be entitled to information to help establish that coverage. So oftentimes that does mean some sort of diagnosis, or something that’s going to indicate that there is a disability involved. That information should be kept confidential. And one thing I would encourage is if the employer is asking for a specific diagnosis, you might also check on your state laws because I know in California, for instance, the employer would not be allowed to ask for a specific diagnosis. So that’s always something just to kind of have in the back of your mind if you’re not sure in regards to the state, if that’s something they can ask or not.
But as far as the ADA goes, they would be able to ask for a diagnosis just to help establish that the condition is involved. And again, like I said, you know, it is something that this should be kept confidential.
The second piece to that would be looking at the limitations involved. So we always tell people that really the limitations are going to be the most beneficial information. And we say that because really with any condition, two people could have the same diagnosis, but it affects them in very different ways. And so any information that your provider, whether it’s on the form that the employee uses, or the provider writing a note themselves, those limitations are going to help try to explain, or be that piece that helps to support, the accommodation that you’re asking for. So I think really it’s just whatever is going to help establish that that condition is involved and then also support the need for accommodation.
SARAH H>> Okay. Can an employer refuse to provide me with an accommodation because it’s either too difficult or too expensive? Is there a certain – certain rule for refusal of accommodations?
BRITTANY>> Yeah, so we mentioned this just briefly, but an employer is not going to be obligated to provide an accommodation that would be an undue hardship. An undue hardship is something that goes beyond just being an inconvenience or something that is, you know, slightly costly. An undue hardship is something that is substantially costly, disruptive. Something that would fundamentally alter the nature of the business. Basically something that it is just not feasible for the employer to provide.
Now, if the employer is saying that something would pose a financial hardship, that’s something that can be a pretty high threshold to meet. So, for example, if an employer is saying, you know, we don’t have the resources for this, we – we don’t have the finances for this particular accommodation, that doesn’t mean that they no longer have any obligation to provide an accommodation. If what the person is asking for would pose an undue hardship, the employer would still want to work with the employee to identify effective alternatives. So there can be situations where a particular accommodation might not be feasible based on the undue hardship limitations.
SARAH H>> Okay. A question from the entrepreneurs listening today. Does JAN provide assistance with developing a business plan if I want to start my own business?
SARAH S>> Yes, that is something that JAN helps with. At JAN, the Self-Employment Team, JAN doesn’t provide any, like, funding, but they do provide resources and services such as, as you mentioned, putting together a business plan. The Lead Consultant on that team is great, and she does an awesome job with putting together packets of information, and trying to help look at resources in your local area. So that’s definitely an opportunity that you could look into if you were wanting to pursue something like that.
SARAH H>> Okay. And we’ve had a bunch of questions on how to find a Ticket to Work service provider. Just a note that the Choose Work website offers a Find Help tool, and that’s to assist you in locating a provider in your area. To find this, please visit https://choosework.ssa.gov/findhelp/. And that link, of course, can also be found in our web links pod.
Another question for you, and I believe this will be our last one. What should I do if an employer removes my accommodation as a disciplinary action or because they feel I no longer require accommodation without discussing it with me?
SARAH S>> I think that’s something that would likely result in first trying to any sort of clarification that you can. But also potentially moving up the chain of command, if that were truly what were to happen.
Really with performance and conduct, they really want to try and keep that separate from accommodations. And we say that because oftentimes accommodations can – can help people improve with performance and conduct.
I think in the situation you described where if you already have an accommodation in place and you were in some way being disciplined, I think they – they likely would not want to make the decision to remove your accommodation as a punishment. While employers can hold everyone to the same performance and conduct standard, it likely would not be something that, you know, they would want to remove that as a punishment.
Now sometimes it may come up that there is a change based on business needs or something like that becomes apparent and so there’s a need to make a change. Really, we always encourage employers to – to talk to the employee, and to kind of go back and look at that, and see what’s going on, see what other types of accommodations could help if there is an adjustment that is needed.
So sometimes there is, you know, that – that piece of change that may come up with the employer. Or it’s the same with the employees. You know, they also have that ability to – to kind of go and talk about if they were to actually need a change. So I think, with that, I think just try to get any clarity you can if an employer were to do something like that. And then I think if you did feel that they were completely removing something as a way to punish you, then I would definitely encourage in those cases likely trying to move up the chain of command. And if it really came down it, and you really felt that you were being discriminated against, or something was violating your rights under ADA, that’s when you also have those opportunities to – to go to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or to file some sort of ADA complaint.
SARAH H>> Okay. Thank you so much Tyler, Sarah, and Brittany for all of your great information today.
In case we were not able to get to any of your questions and you would still like them to be addressed, please feel free to call the Ticket to Work Help Line. You can do so at 866-968-7842. Or for TTY, 866-833-2967. And that’s another great way to get started on your journey. Or, you can always visit us at Ticket to Work website at choosework.ssa.gov.
You can connect with us by liking us on Facebook: @choosework. Following us on Twitter: @chooseworkssa. Subscribing to our YouTube channel: @choosework. And/or you can always follow us on LinkedIn: @ticket-to-work.
Okay. Another option is to contact JAN, the Job Accommodation Network. There are many ways to contact JAN. You can contact us at – via phone: 800-526-7234, or for TTY: 877-781-9403. You can reach JAN online at AskJAN.org. By email at jan@AskJAN.org. Text message: 304-526-8189. Or you can Skype: janconsultants.
Okay. And please join us for our next WISE webinar: Understanding Ticket to Work: How to Help Your Clients and the People you Serve, which will be held on Wednesday, August 22, 2018, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. This is a nontraditional WISE webinar, and it will focus on how human service organizations can provide Ticket program information to the people they interact with on a daily basis. The audience for this webinar will be including organizations that serve beneficiaries.
If the August webinar does not apply to you, we encourage you to explore previous webinars that are available on the Choose Work archive page at http://bit.ly/WISEarchives.
To register online, go to choosework.ssa.gov/WISE. Or, you can call 866-968-7842. Or for TTY, 866-833-2967.
Okay. And once again, you can go to the website to address any of your questions. We don’t have any more time for any today.
Make sure you tell us what you think because – what you think because your feedback is very important to us. Please provide your feedback and tell us what you think about the webinar by taking our survey. To take the survey, you can follow the link that will pop up after the webinar. Or visit the Ticket to Work website to complete the survey at choosework.ssa.gov/surveys/WISE.
Thank you again for attending today. Please take an opportunity to reach out for – reach out and use any of the many resources we’ve discussed today to take your next step on your career path.