It’s October, and that means it’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month in the U.S. It’s also time for my annual dissertation about what this means to an IT department. Today we’ll talk about the role of IT and Web accessibility, employee accommodations, procurement laws and a few other things.

First, some background information. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 54 million Americans (18.1% of the population) have some type of disability. The number of people with a disability is increasing due to an aging population and the number of people experiencing accidents or injuries. Disabilities become more prevalent as we age. According to the University of Wisconsin Trace Center, by the time a person reaches age 65, they have close to a 45% chance of having a functional limitation that will make it difficult for them to perform routine tasks.

Assistive technology: Why and where to buy

With people staying in the workforce longer than ever, aging employees (as well as younger people who have a physical or cognitive disability) are quite likely to need some sort of accommodation to do their jobs. Accommodation might come in the form of a wheelchair ramp or an adjustable work surface, or it could be some form of assistive technology like an alternative input device or a screen magnifier that complements the computer on a worker’s desk. By federal law, employers must provide reasonable accommodation for employees who have a disability. In most cases, accommodation costs $500 or less (sometimes free) and it keeps a valued employee on the job.

Accommodations regarding computers and information technology are plentiful. Hundreds of innovative assistive technology products are available today to address a wide range of disabilities and limitations. Here are some helpful links to help you select and purchase accessible computers or assistive technology solutions. These Web sites have plenty of links to products and solutions designed for people with visual, hearing, dexterity, speech and cognitive impairments or other limitations.

* Enablemart
* EVAS
* Microsoft accessibility
* HP accessibility
* IBM accessibility
* Apple accessibility

Web accessibility

The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that public places and places of commerce be accessible to people with disabilities. We usually think about physical places, such as office buildings, stores or restaurants. But what about the World Wide Web? It is now a “place” of commerce on a grand scale.

Linda Musthaler is a principal analyst with Essential Solutions Corporation.