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Client studies2 Client Studies - Visual Impairment; Client Study: Adaptations to Premises Client Study: Mrs B: Ergonomic Client Study L: Dyslexia/technical
Client study 1.R 3 years in post; R was a builder prior to this, but gave up due to his vision deteriorating. R works on the shop floor and warehouse of a large DIY store. He assists customers with their enquiries, and finds / replaces stock on the shelves. Main problem: R needs to use a computerised RF gun, to scan barcodes, and relay information to the stores PC network. R cannot see the display or controls on the guns. The employer was considering redeploying R to an office-based job, which he did not want. R used a very old portable video magnifier to read bar-code numbers and other items of small print; but this does not communicate with the PC network. There was no accessible RF scanner on the market, therefore Access Made Easy Disability Consultants had to commission a new device to be made; which consisted of a USB pen scanner, connected to a PDA with magnification and screen-reading software. This enabled R to remain in a post he enjoys.
Age: 54 W was unable to accurately read the display on the wall-mounted fire and safety alarm display boards. His hand magnifier did not help with this, due to the height of the boards. (which could not be lowered or moved). The employer was considering making W redundant, and was very concerned about H&S issues relating to safety. Solutions The solution was to have a video magnifier modified so that the camera unit was attached to the ceiling in a similar way to a projector, connected to a 19 inch monitor, that allowed W to accurately read the safety display boards. A.M.E. Disability Consultants assessed and solved the issues raised.
Client Study: Adaptations to Premises X has Muscular Dystrophy, diagnosed when he was17 years old, this is a progressive condition and it is this aspect that affects the level of premises alterations required, to allow X to function as independently as possible. X will be able to work effectively in his new workplace once alterations are made to the premises. He has the assistance of a support worker to undertake some care related duties but must be able to function as independently as possible, listed below are modifications that will need to be undertaken urgently to allow X to work effectively. • The main entrance door and two side doors to the building presently open manually, these will all need to be powered to allow independent wheelchair access. • The existing male toilet although fully compliant with accessibility requirements is too small, and also the WC is located in an unsuitable position to suit X's particular requirements. • Although X has a portable stand up aid to allow him to use the toilet, there are days when due to the fluctuations in his condition he is unable to effectively use this device. At home he uses a powered ceiling mounted hoist to access the toilet, and a similar solution will be required at his office base. • Leading to the entrance of his office there is a level concrete path with a ramp at the car park end, the gradient of this ramp is 1 in 10 which is too steep for X to use unsupervised. • It is planned to have a training room in the self-contained front public office of the complex. Although this building meets access requirements in the public areas, there is no wheelchair accessible entrance from the car park. Challenges faced : • Travelling up the ramp leading to the main entrance of his office. • Opening the main door of his office independently from his wheelchair. • Being able to open the two internal doors that lead into his section and use interview rooms independently. Solutions • Door Actuators to be installed to main entrance door and the two side doors. • Enlargement of the existing male toilet. • Ceiling Mounted Hoist • Alteration of existing concrete ramp to office entrance • The construction of a new ramped entrance into the training room located in the front building.
X is an accountant she has 10 percent of her vision remaining. She is 44 and although she has had a generally good track record of work, she had experienced long-term unemployment, after having to take maternity leave. Challenges Faced:
Solutions
A.M.E Disability Consultants assessed this client in the workplace. They assessed the actual level of X's functional vision, arriving at solutions as a result. One of the assessors was also an associate of the Institute of IT Trainers so specialist software and network compatibility were easily resolved. A second assessor (qualified State Registered Physiotherapist) was also present. This enabled a multi-disciplinary approach to be adopted so that solutions were identified to solve all the issues that the client presented. X completed a 14 month fixed term contract successfully.
Client Study: Mrs B: Mrs B is a young Laboratory Technician, who was involved in a RTA (Road Traffic Accident) when she was 15 years old and as a result lost her left leg, right up to the socket. She has a prosthetic limb, which is secured to her by means of a strap around the waist. She finds walking distances of 200m or more causes pain and this increases during the course of the week at work. In addition, her hands and wrists ache due to the pressure taken through them when using crutches. Challenges Faced: • Collecting samples from a reception area located on the same floor as the laboratory; she is required to do this task 4 times a day. • Allocating the samples to various processing points around the laboratory. • Preparing samples when seated at her laboratory bench (usually 20-40mins at one time). • Taking a stack of prepared samples to different incubators at different points in the lab. • Inputting data onto the computer regarding patient's details and sample reports. The client felt very reliant on the goodwill of her colleagues to fetch and carry for her and this was affecting her independence, confidence and self-esteem in the work place. The main challenges she was experiencing are as follows: • Mrs B parked in the Disabled Bays at the work place, and is a Blue Badge Holder. One bay is 100 yards away and if that was full she had to park at another Bay, which was 300 yards away. She found the extra distance quite tiring to cover with her prosthetic limb and crutches. • She was struggling to carry the specimen box from the Reception area and use her crutches, at the same time. • She found it difficult to carry the rack of prepared specimens to the incubators and to carry things from and to the store cupboards. • The lab chair on which she sat had gliders. Mrs B worked at one bench and then had to reposition herself at an adjacent bench to use testing equipment and bespoke PC applications. A lot of effort was required to move the chair from one position to the other and this movement, when repeated throughout the day, was putting a lot of strain on her right side and causing severe pain at stump site. • Sitting for longer than 20 minutes caused her pain in her stump as the prosthetic limb socket started digging into that side and the strap into her stomach. She had to move around to reduce the discomfort. • After 3-4 days of using the crutches she felt quite exhausted. Solutions: • Laboratory Chair with lock castors and extra memory foam on seat. The chair was fitted with: • An extended height gas lift, suitable for laboratory work with high work surfaces. • A foot ring that ensured that her feet were comfortably supported whilst sitting. • No arms as they would restrict movement between workstations and getting on and off the chair, an action that she did constantly. • Castors, which would make it much easier for her to move between the different workstations, greatly reducing the effort required and decreasing the pain and discomfort she was experiencing. • A swivel mechanism of the chair would make it easier for her to get on and off the chair and rotate between workstations. • A locking mechanism - this is a separate ring with feet attached to it, situated within the standard legs (with castors) of the chair. A battery operated control box of approximately 3"x 2" operates the lever which will put down the ring with the stationary feet and raise the castors at the same time. This box can be located anywhere - wherever it is most convenient for the client. In summary, with an easy to operate 'push of a button' Mrs B was able to change the chair from moving to stationary. • Extra memory foam on the chair seat to ease the discomfort from sitting. • Backpack with one strap Mrs B was relying on the goodwill of her colleagues to carry the specimens, in a plastic box, from the reception area to the lab, a task usually performed 4 times a day. She was very aware that it was not ideal and a point may arise where her colleagues were unable to assist due to their workload and time constraints. It appeared that the samples did not have to be kept upright as they were contained and sealed in vials, swabs etc. The box was fairly light. A backpack was suggested, as she was able to use it and have stability with the crutches. It would give her the independence to enable her to fulfil her job requirements and thus improve her confidence and self esteem. • Petra Plate Carrier with a Handle One of Mrs B's tasks was to prepare samples on Petra plates, stack them in a tray and then transport the tray to a special incubator. This task was particularly difficult since she did not have a hand free to carry them, as she was reliant on two crutches. She did it only if there was no help available A Petra tray with a handle was suggested as this would make the task a lot easier and simpler as she could hang the tray from one of the crutches - the distance was quite short so it was unlikely to affect her walking, posture or balance. It was a specialised piece of equipment and the Employer was happy to source it. Further suggestions were given such as: • Placing a piece of foam on the handles of the crutches which would provide extra cushioning on her hands and open up the grip of her hands on the crutches to ease the strain on the muscles of her hands and wrists. • A backpack for home use which would help her feel more independent as she would be able to carry a few essential items with ease and still use her crutches. By the end of the assessment Mrs B felt far more positive about her situation and the solutions to overcome her disability and increase her independence within the work environment.
K has paraplegia i.e. he is paralysed from the waist down, following a road traffic accident when he sustained severe damage to his spinal cord. He uses a manual wheelchair to mobilise. He works full time with some desk based and some outreach work taking place occasionally. Challenges Faced:
A.M.E Disability Consultants has access to all UK wheelchair suppliers, although we do not supply ourselves our experienced Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists ensure that suggested products completely meet client need, the suppliers are there to trial not sell.
Client Study L: Dyslexia/technical L has Dyslexia; she is employed on a full-time basis, working mainly in the office. Problems Experienced • Spelling is a major problem area for L; she has difficulty seeing how the word should be spelt. • L finds typing to be slow work - it sometimes takes her two or three minutes at a time just to find one letter on the keyboard, and after 30 minutes or so she gets very frustrated. • Background noise, bright lighting and movement exacerbate L's Dyslexia, making it harder to use a PC. • L has to rely on her assistant to get work typed up, however she is only there during term time. This makes L's job extremely hard when she's not around to help her out. L stated that she desperately wanted full responsibility for her own work. • L finds it difficult to read full pages of text on her PC. She stated that she responds better to images or smaller amounts of text on the screen. Solutions • TextHelp TextHelp Read and Write is software that is aimed at people with Dyslexia who need to read documents they have written, read other documents, such as long e-mails and letters, and improve spelling and grammar accuracy. It allows the user to read aloud text on screen and has proof reading tools (dictionary, Thesaurus etc). • Inspiration • Dragon Naturally Speaking • Digital Dictaphone • Two (2) days Dragon NaturallySpeaking Training • One day Access Technology Training (Read and Write Gold Dictaphone etc) Suggesting these appropriate solutions after conducting a needs based assessment enables L to do her job well and efficiently. Suggesting an appropriate level of training and ensuring that it is delivered by a suitably qualified technical consultant from A.M.E ensures that all software options afford maximum benefit to the client.
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