[HumanSer] Work Accommodation Concerns

Mon Jun 2 13:45:31 UTC 2025

I wonder if calling the national NFB office or calling the job accommodation network might be helpful? Also, while I realize this would be quite the process, I wonder about filing with the EEOC?
Sent from my iPhone

> On Jun 2, 2025, at 8:44 AM, Sarah Meyer via HumanSer <humanser at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi Aimee,
> Thank you so much. I am so sorry that you had to go through that as well. I w=
> as planning to reach out to you and appreciate your willingness to speak.
> I=E2=80=99ll be in touch and hope you have a great day!
> 
> Sincerely,
> Sarah
> Sent from the  iPhone of Sarah Meyer (Please forgive any dictation errors)
> 
>> On Jun 2, 2025, at 4:23=E2=80=AFAM, Amy ruell <aruell at comcast.net> wrote:
>> =20
>> =EF=BB=BFHi Sarah,
>> So sorry you=E2=80=99re having these difficulties. I worked for a business=
> organization which implemented an inaccessible database system and did noth=
> ing to provide accommodation other than to tell me that I could not do half o=
> f my job and deprive me of the opportunity to have access to the materials, I=
> needed to professionally complete tasks. I don=E2=80=99t want to say much p=
> ublicly here, as I went to court to fight this after making numerous attempt=
> s to request that they make their programs accessible. Happy to talk with yo=
> u off-line if you like. Unfortunately, this is not something where legal pre=
> sidents are clear. I believe you know how to get in touch with me. Please fe=
> el free to call.
>> So sorry you are having these difficulties.
>> Amy.
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> =20
>>> On Jun 1, 2025, at 11:11=E2=80=AFPM, Sarah Meyer via HumanSer <humanser at n=
> fbnet.org> wrote:
>>> =20
>>> =EF=BB=BFHello,
>>> =20
>>> 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.
>>> =20
>>> =3D20
>>> =20
>>> Problems:
>>> =20
>>> *    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).
>>> =20
>>> =3D20
>>> =20
>>> Questions:
>>> =20
>>> *    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?
>>> =20
>>> =3D20
>>> =20
>>> 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).
>>> =20
>>> Thanks in advance for taking the time to read and share any feedback.
>>> =20
>>> =3D20
>>> =20
>>> Sincerely,
>>> =20
>>> Sarah
>>> =20
>>> =3D20
>>> =20
>>> Sarah K. Meyer, MA, LMHCA (she/her)
>>> =20
>>> (317) 402-6632
>>> =20
>>> <mailto:Sarah.meyer55 at gmail.com> Sarah.meyer55 at gmail.com
>>> =20
>>> =3D20
>>> =20
>>> "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
>>> =20
>>> =3D20
>>> =20
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> t
>> =20
> 
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