Job Accommodations Have Low Cost and High Impact

The Americans with Disabilities Act requires employers to offer accommodations for employees with disabilities who request them in order to enable them to do their jobs. Some employers push back against these requests, saying that they will be too expensive or probably won’t be effective. Both arguments are false, as shown in a recent report published by the Job Accommodation Network.

The report surveyed employers from 2019 to 2023. Results include:

• Almost half (49.4%) of accommodations incurred no cost.
• The one-time median cost for 43.3% of accommodations cost $300.
• 68.4% of employers felt the accommodations were extremely or very effective; 18.3% of employers felt the accommodations were somewhat effective.
• Effectiveness was defined as leading to direct or indirect benefits such as improved employee retention, productivity and morale, reduced workers’ compensation costs, and improved workplace diversity.

Consider sharing these results with your employer when asking for ADA accommodations.

Let’s Participate in Research

Isn’t research done by … researchers?

Well, yes, research is designed and conducted by researchers, but research subjects are an important part of a research project.

Why would anyone want to be a research subject? None of the healthcare advances we rely on would have been possible without people volunteering to be part of research studies of the safety and effectiveness of new medications and therapies. While research subjects may not personally benefit from the research findings, others will.

All legitimate research studies are carried out under the review and approval of an Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB is responsible for ensuring that the rights and welfare of all research subjects are respected in the design and during the conduct of the study.

Before participating in a research study, you will be fully informed about the purpose of the research, what your participation will be, and any risks or benefits of the study from your participation. This is called informed consent.

Studies vary widely. Some are simply questionnaires. These you can usually do from home via your computer. Other studies involve working with medical professionals to try out newly developed medications or therapies. You may need to commit to going to a laboratory or doctor’s office a certain number of times. Because this type of study is more time intensive, you will most likely be compensated for participating.

You will want to weigh the risks and benefits as you decide whether to participate. If you do decide to participate in a study, remember, you can leave at any time during the process.

Once you have decided that you’re willing to be part of a research study, how do you find one to volunteer with?

Many research studies are disability-specific. Perhaps the simplest way to find out about these opportunities is to consult the national organization that supports your particular disability. Most of these large organizations maintain lists of current research studies that their members might wish to assist with.

For instance, the Amputee Coalition publishes this list online:

https://amputee-coalition.org/research/volunteer-research-opportunities/

The type of studies listed ranges from a survey about amputees’ experiences with showering and bathing prostheses (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AC_bathingprostheses ), to a 4-visit laboratory study of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on persons with transtibial amputation ( https://amputee-coalition.org/research/volunteer-research-opportunities/ ).

Other organizations maintain databases of research studies. A few are listed below. The World Health Organization maintains an International Clinical Trials Registry Platform:

https://www.who.int/clinical-trials-registry-platform

The US government maintains a similar international listing here:

https://clinicaltrials.gov/

The European Union maintains a list of clinical trials here:

https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ctr-search/search

For clinical trials in Africa, please see:

https://pactr.samrc.ac.za/GIS_Viewer.aspx

For more examples of research studies you might qualify to participate in, check out the posters in the Research Pavilion on Healthinfo Island. Click the poster to find out about the study and how to apply.

Here is the SLURL:

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/119/203/30

You will also find information about the design and operation of clinical trial studies in the Research Pavilion here:

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/130/217/30

Federal Evidence Agenda on Disability

All federal governments need high quality data in order to understand people with disabilities and disability communities. The data will help policy makers identify barriers faced by people with disabilities, design strategic programs that will address these barriers, and evaluate the effectiveness of the policies and programs they initiate.

In January 2025, the Disability Data Interagency Working Group of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology issued a document titled “Federal Evidence Agenda on Disability.”

People with disabilities and their families are often a neglected demographic during policymaking. There are currently too many evidence gaps to ensure appropriate understanding of people with disabilities and their needs. This document offers ten guidelines to collect the data necessary to ensure that the disability community is adequately represented in the federal decision-making process.

You may want to add this document to your advocacy toolkit. To obtain a 55-page PDF of the document, please contact info at virtualability dot org and request the Federal Evidence Agenda on Disability.

Barley is February’s Grain of the Month

The Whole Grains Council has declared BARLEY to be the grain of the month of February.

You know barley as that grain floating in canned vegetable beef soup. It’s been a common and healthy part of the human diet since prehistoric times.

Ashnan, the Sumerian Goddess of Barley, was worshiped lest the population starve. Barley was the main food in ancient Mesopotamia and a large part of Roman gladiators’ diet. Although it was one of the earliest domesticated grains, barley is now most often grown as animal feed or to produce malt for alcoholic beverages.

Barley is an important crop in dry, high-altitude areas, particularly in highly saline poor soils where other grains are difficult to grow. It is raised as a human food crop in north Africa, the Near East, the Andes, and the Baltic States.

To prepare barley seeds for cooking, the tough husk around the seed is removed, leaving the bran. The grains may then be malted, a process that involves soaking in water until the seeds germinate, then drying them with hot air. Malted barley is the source of the sugars that are fermented into beer and other alcoholic beverages. When the bran is removed and the interior kernel polished, it is called pearl barley.

Barley has a large amount of fiber, including the solublefiber that helps control blood sugar and reduces the risk of heart disease. Barley can help reduce blood pressure as well as lower plasma lipids (cholesterol).

Barley is firm and chewy; it tastes somewhat nutty. It can be used in place of rice in dishes such as curries, pilafs, risottos, salads and stir fries. You will find it packaged near the rice in the grocery store. Why not cook some up today?

Displays and Exhibits for Healthinfo Island for February 2025

You can teleport to any of the eight displays and exhibits in Second Life using the SLURLs in this post. Click on the poster with the same name as the title of the poster set, and you will get a notecard that contains all the text of the posters plus descriptions of the images.  If you click each poster, you will get a private message with additional information and live links.

FEBRUARY is Heart Health Month. All of this month's poster sets relate to heart health!

Central Pavilion of Healthinfo Island
Check out the calming breathing exercise on the back wall!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/128/126/24

Heart Attack
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/195/158/22

Heart Arrhythmias
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/188/181/24

Cardiac Rehabilitation Week
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/172/155/22

Cardiovascular Professionals Week
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/114/79/24

Congestive Heart Failure
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/98/40/26

Atrial Fibrillation
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/50/28/28

Angina
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/24/23/30

Is Alcohol Good For Your Heart?
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/21/63/32