What Really Happens Inside a Workplace Accommodation Assessment
Some people have never seen one. And most employers think they already know what one looks like.
They imagine a form. A checklist. A short meeting where someone asks what software is needed and
then files the paperwork.
What I actually do looks nothing like that.
We Start With the Person, Not the Problem
When I arrive for a Workplace Accommodation Assessment, the first thing I do is set every
assumption aside. I am not there to confirm what the organization already thinks the solution is. I am
there to understand the whole picture.
That means sitting with the employee and having a real conversation. Not a clinical intake. A genuine
conversation about what their day actually looks like. What tasks they do well. What tasks take far
longer than they should. What they have already quietly tried on their own to work around a barrier.
What they stopped attempting because it felt impossible.
Most of the time, nobody has ever asked them these questions before. And the answers change
everything.
We Look at the Environment, Not Just the Individual
One of the most common things I find inside a Workplace Accommodation Assessment is technology
that already exists and is simply not configured correctly. A screen reader that was installed but never
properly set up for that specific software environment. A magnification tool that was activated but
never calibrated for that employee's specific vision needs. A keyboard shortcut that would save twenty
minutes a day that nobody knew existed.
The accommodation was technically provided. But it was never made functional. And in the gap
between provided and functional is where most employees silently struggle.
We Build a Plan That Actually Works
By the end of an assessment, the employer has a clear, specific, actionable plan. Not a general
recommendation. A step-by-step roadmap that addresses the exact barriers that exist in that specific
role, with that specific employee, inside that specific system.
And then I provide the training to implement it. Because a plan without training is just another piece of
paper.
What Changes After an Assessment
The employers I work with consistently tell me the same thing after an assessment. They say they did
not realize how close the solution actually was. The barrier felt enormous from the outside. From the
inside, it was often a handful of adjustments and one honest conversation.
That is what 55 years of lived experience and 31 years of professional expertise make possible. Not
just identifying the problem. Knowing exactly where to look for the solution.
If you have an employee who is blind or has low vision and you suspect something is not working as
well as it should, I would love to talk with you. The assessment might surprise you with how
straightforward the path forward actually is.
Remember to be grateful, and just as important, remember to be kind, because kindness is
contagious. Stay blessed and empowered.
Book your Free 20-Minute Accommodation Readiness Call with me here:
