The Workplace Workbook 2.0

A project funded by Department of Education in the 1970's, The Job Development Laboratory, specialized in cost-effective job accommodations. This project served only persons whose state vocational rehabilitation agencies were unable to serve them because of the severity of their disabilities. In 1974, Jim Mueller was hired to fabricate, install, and evaluate job accommodations for persons with disabilities seeking employment through this project.

Of 116 persons referred, 79 of them were placed in productive jobs, with only minimal need for accommodation. This successful accommodation experience led to subsequent research into the ergonomics of disabilities, including the development of a guide to job accommodation, Designing for Functional Limitations, and a similar guide for educators, Accommodating the Disabled Student. The basis for these guides was a simple set of functional characteristics which can result from disabilities. Considering these functional characteristics, users of these resources without medical training could plan and implement accommodations for persons with any disability.

In 1990, Jim extended this body of work to include his consulting firm's job accommodation experience into the development of the illustrated guide to job accommodation, The Workplace Workbook, with assistance from The Dole Foundation. With the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, demand increased tremendously for information about how to make "reasonable accommodations, leading Mueller to incorporate additional job accommodation experiences and technologies and produce The Workplace Workbook 2.0, published by Human Resource Development Press. Distribution by the publisher, as well as by MIG Communications and The International Facility Management Association helped to increase demand for the Workbook. Internal Job Accommodation Specialist (JAS) teams established within AT&T, Lucent Technologies, and Pacific Bell, as well as MetLife's award-winning MetLife Accommodation Coordinator (MAC) teams, began using The Workplace Workbook 2.0 as their technical guide.

Shortly after its introduction in 1992, The Workplace Workbook 2.0 was reviewed and recommended by The Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA):

"The Americans with Disabilities Act has heightened awareness of job accommodation, and The Workplace Workbook 2.0 does an excellent job of addressing these issues. James Mueller succeeds in illustrating job accommodations for a variety of disabilities in his updated publication. The hundreds of accommodation suggestions are based on the experience of accommodation specialists, clinicians, educators, and people with disabilities. The illustrated flip chart format is easy to use for all persons involved in the job accommodation process…"The author extends his discussion to co-worker interactions with each of the functional characteristics, thus demonstrating an understanding of the rights of persons with disabilities."

The Workplace Workbook 2.0 has been used as a textbook in both classroom and home-study rehabilitation counseling programs and in continuing education programs for professional certifications including National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC), Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC), Certified Disability Management Specialist (CDMS), and Certified Case Manager (CCM). One instructor noted,

"…The book has been extremely valuable in training professionals including vocational rehabilitation counselors, disability management specialists, case managers, and nurses…Evaluation of The Workbook has been extremely positive. Professionals seem to especially like the illustrations as well as the organization based on functional limitations. This "user friendly" format has assisted in explaining accommodations to employers while still maintaining confidentiality of medical conditions. Our company receives numerous inquiries regarding availability of continuing education for this topic."

In 1995, all copyrights for the Workplace Workbook 2.0 were turned over to J.L. Mueller, Inc. Demand for this resource has continued and intensified, boosted by use of this resource by rehabilitation technology educators and by home study and distance-teaching professionals.