Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Article on BettyConfidential

So here is one of my first freelance articles that I wrote for a women's site, Bettyconfidential.com. The story is pretty basis, and discusses etiquette to use in the workplace when working alongside people with disabilities.

I'm back

I finally left my Communications job to focus on freelance writing. Working in a Fortune 500 is incredibly difficult with a disability.

For the hearing impaired, workplace options are expensive and cumbersome, such as video-conferencing, real-time captioning and oral/sign interpreters. All cost about $100-$200 an hour, which can add up. Employers can cite that the accommodation causes "undue hardship" on the company. It's a tricky solution, that "reasonable accommodation" law in the ADA. An employer would probably oblige to the cost if it were truly necessary, but it would cause logistical nightmares every time there was a conference call or meeting. There really needs to be a better infrastructure in place for the disabled in the workplace. In-house interpreters, for instance.