Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), companies with 15 or more employees must make reasonable accommodations to ensure any employee with a disability can succeed.
Companies are sometimes concerned about hiring people with disabilities because they fear the cost required for these accommodations. And in fact, shortly after the ADA became law in 1990, companies employed fewer disabled people than before the law. That number has since bounced up, demonstrating that companies can be scared of accommodations and job protections.
And while accommodations for someone in a wheelchair can seem quite obvious, accommodations for neurodivergent employees can seem daunting. It doesn’t have to be. I spoke with Anthony Pacilio, VP of Neurodiverse Solutions at CAI Neurodiverse Solutions. Pacilio is neurodiverse and has experience not only creating solutions but using them himself.
Pacilio gave me ten inexpensive ways to help your employees (or yourself!) succeed.
Noise-canceling headphones.
These headphones, Pacilio says, are common in any workplace-for the neurotypical and the neurodiverse. They can cost less than $100 a pair. They help people block out ambient noise and can allow people to concentrate better even in an open office situation.
Desk placement
This accommodation is free! If someone works better by a window, great! Some folks who are neurodivergent find windows distracting. If you have television monitors in your office area, having someone’s desk face away from them can help the person concentrate and work.
Look at your traffic patterns.
If a neurodivergent employee struggles with people constantly in their area, let them move away from a high-traffic area. (Hint: working from home also works!)
Replace harsh lighting.
While most businesses use LEDs, some buildings still have fluorescent bulbs that can make an environment overstimulating. Replace them. Pacilio suggests a visor to block direct light if that’s not possible. But change the lightbulbs.
Red, yellow, and green light indicators.
Pacilio learned about this accommodation from a coworker with anxiety. She kept three lights on her desk-although pieces of paper would also work. People could approach and talk with her when she turned on the green light. If yellow, coworkers knew to stay away, and red? She had stepped away from her desk to get her anxiety under control. No need to question where she was or what was going on-easy to understand and use.
Rearview mirrors
You can buy a cheap little stick-on mirror and hang it like you would a rearview mirror. Some people don’t like people going behind them-it causes anxiety. But with the mirror? They can see what is going on and can continue concentrating.
Talk and listen.
This is a huge part of the interactive process you must go through if someone requests an accommodation, but it should be part of every manager-employee relationship. Ask your employees (and your manager) how they best like To communicate. If cameras make them uncomfortable, don’t require them. If they need time to process complex information, send it via email or text before the face-to-face conversation. Are instant messages too jarring? We live in an age where there are options for communication. Figure out which works best.
Use closed-captioning.
Your video conferencing software most likely comes with closed-captioning. Turn it on. It can help people with difficulty processing verbal information. It’s not just for the hearing impaired.
Record meetings
Not everyone gets the information they need the first time around. Make it a habit to record meetings and make the information available to whoever needs it.
Use an agenda.
Some neurodiverse people have anxiety about the unknown. Creating agendas for meeting help them (and everybody) prepare. Plus, a bonus is that it keeps the meeting on track.
These easy suggestions can make a difference to your neurodiverse employees and make your office more inclusive. Plus, it can keep you compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act-all at a price any business can afford.
Suzanne Lucas
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