[HumanSer] Work Accommodation Concerns

Mon Jun 2 12:40:27 UTC 2025

Good morning Justin,
Thank you for your thoughts. I did try reaching out to an advocate at the center for independent living where I actually worked in the past; I also happen to know her through my Nfb Chapter. Unfortunately, I have not heard back yet. And I’ve been trying to get help from Indiana disability rights for the past year and without going into too much detail let’s just say they have been far less than helpful so I have been struggling, but trying to find other legal guidance.
Sent from the  iPhone of Sarah Meyer (Please forgive any dictation errors)

> On Jun 2, 2025, at 2:29 AM, Justin Williams via HumanSer <humanser at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> It sounds as if you may possibly need some legal help at this point, =
> especially with  bas health.
> 
> But, that is why I suggested the CIL, because you can review everything =
> with an advocate.
> 
> You can also call your protection and advocacy agency to see if they can =
> help  you.
> 
> It is difficult to fight battles and be a professional on your own.
> 
> After while, it is good to get some help.
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: HumanSer <humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Sarah Meyer =
> via HumanSer
> Sent: Sunday, June 1, 2025 11:10 PM
> To: humanser at nfbnet.org
> Cc: sarah.meyer55 at gmail.com
> Subject: [HumanSer] Work Accommodation Concerns
> 
> Hello,
> 
> I have been employed at a community mental health agency for 2 years now =
> =3D as a therapist and it has been the most challenging experience of my =
> life =3D in terms of not having effective reasonable accommodations to =
> do my job. I =3D will try to keep this as brief as possible because it =
> has become such a =3D complex situation but apologize in advance for the =
> length. I will share some of =3D the major issues and my questions =
> below. This is honestly a very vulnerable message for me so I just ask =
> for grace and some gentleness in responses.
> 
> =3D20
> 
> Problems:
> 
> *    Despite having discussions prior to my hire and ongoing advocacy
> efforts, as well as reassurances from the agency for months that they =
> =3D were prioritizing accessibility to the EMR because they recognized =
> that our work-arounds would not be sustainable/effective, I have never =
> had access =3D to use any aspect of our EMR (NextGen) with JAWS or any =
> other screen =3D reading options. I believe some of the issues are that =
> NextGen is housed on a =3D Remote Desktop, but most notably that the =
> agency has never used the latest =3D version of the EMR which NextGen =
> has indicated would be most likely to be compatible/accessible with JAWS =
> because that is where their developers =3D have invested their efforts =
> to meeting accessibility guidelines/requirements.
> *    The agency has indicated JAWS scripting is too expensive. They never
> engaged with me or VR when trying to reach out to explore if VR could =
> =3D help with some of the cost.
> *    I had to fight to get them to consider work-arounds for months
> because they insisted they were "so close" to providing accessibility =
> =3D for me to independently access NextGen. Eventually I got them to be =
> willing to =3D try using Word templates for me to do documentation, =
> which I then sent to my supervisor and other leadership to upload into =
> the database. The =3D templates have had a lot of accessibility barriers =
> themselves, and it has been challenging, to say the least, to acquire =
> information from client charts =3D in accessible formats. Additionally, =
> I can't access the calendar, =3D scheduling features, notifications of =
> client arrivals, communication intra-professionally with members of =
> other teams involved in clients' =3D care, etc. Other staff indicated =
> repeatedly that they knew our work-arounds =3D were short-term and not =
> truly sustainable (for me, for them, for quality =3D client care).
> *    I've proposed other options including Aira, Seeing AI on work cell,
> installation of my own provided Kurzweil 1000 and Duxbury Braille =
> Translation software onto work laptop to try to make various materials =
> =3D more accessible, and several other accommodations proposed. I also =
> use a =3D Focus 40 Braille Display which has had a lot of problems not =
> pairing via =3D Bluetooth. I have requested permission to transfer =
> documents via SD card between =3D Focus display and laptop but have =
> never received a solid response though they =3D have previously been =
> very hesitant to allow use of flash drives or anything =3D that could =
> potentially cause concerns about privacy, which I understand from their =
> perspective. Wired connection with laptop works better, though =3D still =
> has issues, and JAWS has had other issues as well.
> *    The toll of chronic inaccessibility and having to work so much extra
> to compensate for these barriers, which also apply to trainings and =3D =
> other aspects of the job beyond the EMR accessibility barriers, have =3D =
> repeatedly exacerbated symptoms of multiple other chronic health =
> disabilities. I eventually had to go on an extended medical leave last =
> year. I =3D continually have tried advocating and have frequently =
> received no response, =3D inaccurate follow-up, dismissiveness, and have =
> faced an often hostile and =3D intimidating work environment when I have =
> tried to speak up and advocate.
> *    When I returned from my leave last Fall, I truly hoped there would
> be improvements; however, the agency has actually doubled down and =3D =
> indicated that the supposedly temporary work-arounds, which failed =
> miserably =3D before, are now the ongoing "accommodation system." They =
> have come up with some =3D new methods for notifying me of client =
> arrivals, and there has been some improvement in support staff notifying =
> me of scheduled client =3D appointments and cancellations, but this has =
> been inconsistent. The client =3D documentation I've requested to =
> prepare for sessions and help with pre-filling my templates has at times =
> been missing crucial information, not provided, =3D and is filled with =
> accessibility problems in their efforts to convert inaccessible PDFs =
> into Word files. The templates I am using for =3D completing =
> documentation are still in process of being revised for accessibility =
> =3D and the burden has been placed on me to provide written narratives =
> of the =3D issues so they can "fix them". Until recently, leadership =
> would not meet with =3D me, and this has been inconsistent.
> *    I've requested having a visual assistant and have yet to receive a
> response.
> *    The agency has been through significant transitions with "merging"
> under a larger umbrella parent company which has also caused a lot of =
> confusion and worsened miscommunications. I also have had issues with =
> getting clear, accurate, timely, accessible information and =3D =
> determinations of my leave time accommodation requests to manage my =
> other health =3D concerns, especially during the transition to new leave =
> management entities. I was allowed to work remotely in the past when =
> seeing clients, and during the training refresher/catching up upon my =
> return to work, but I was =3D recently informed that I am only allowed =
> to conduct client sessions from the =3D office and only when team leader =
> coverage, support staff, and crisis staff are =3D on site. (Never mind =
> that many other staff are working hybrid due to =3D limited office =
> space, work modified schedules including seeing clients past 5PM, etc.).
> *    I have been told I've been provided all the necessary accommodations
> to fulfill the essential functions of my job, despite my and my medical =
> providers' statements that this is not accurate. I have received =3D =
> corrective action notices/statements and discussions which place all the =
> blame/responsibility on me for problems with note timeliness, session =
> =3D length (running over on time), running late to sessions, etc., =
> without acknowledgement of how the accessibility barriers play a =
> significant =3D role.
> *    I am burned out but I care so much about my clients and believe I
> have unique assets and skills to support them and the mission of the =3D =
> agency, plus I am not fully licensed and need the supervision (I am =
> close to =3D being able to apply for full LMHC licensure which would =
> open more options).
> 
> =3D20
> 
> Questions:
> 
> *    I know several folks here have shared about work-arounds to
> compensate for inaccessibility; I am wondering where you draw the line, =
> especially in community mental health where the service delivery and =
> documentation expectations/demands are so high and able-bodied staff =3D =
> even say they struggle to keep up with all of the expectations? I have =
> never =3D been able to reach a full case load and service delivery =
> because of the accessibility barriers and how much I've struggled to =
> keep up as a =3D result.
> It's hard to not internalize and beat myself up for not being able to =
> =3D put in all of the extra time and energy to compensate, especially =
> because of =3D the toll this has taken on my own physical and mental =
> health.
> *    If you have worked in a community mental health or otherwise
> fast-paced, high demand setting, and had either very limited or no =3D =
> access to the EMR, how did you keep up with service delivery and note =
> timeliness standards? How much work-life balance has been realistic? I =
> understand =3D this can vary for each person. What accommodations have =
> been non-negotiables =3D for you?
> 
> =3D20
> 
> There's unfortunately more but I have already shared quite a lot here.
> Please feel free to ask questions if you need additional clarification. =
> =3D I readily admit I do have areas I am constantly needing to improve =
> in, especially when it comes to time management and being more concise =
> (I do have ADHD which I am still learning to navigate and again I know =
> there =3D is overlap with the impact of my other chronic health =
> disabilities; I was =3D so much better at pushing past my limits in =
> school and college/grad school =3D but chronic override of self-care is =
> never sustainable).
> 
> Thanks in advance for taking the time to read and share any feedback.
> 
> =3D20
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> Sarah
> 
> =3D20
> 
> Sarah K. Meyer, MA, LMHCA (she/her)
> 
> (317) 402-6632
> 
> <mailto:Sarah.meyer55 at gmail.com> Sarah.meyer55 at gmail.com
> 
> =3D20
> 
> "Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the =3D =
> overcoming of it. My optimism, then, does not rest on the absence of =
> evil, but on a glad belief in the preponderance of good and a willing =
> effort always to cooperate with the good, that it may prevail." =3DAF =
> Helen Keller
> 
> =3D20
> 
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