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Contact:
Jennifer Kaplan
202-376-6200
FOR RELEASE ON OCTOBER 3, 1997

FLORIDA RANKS AMONG TOP FIVE STATES IN USE OF FREE SERVICE TO MAKE WORKPLACE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

(Washington, DC - October 3, 1997) Florida ranks fifth among the states for the number of calls placed to the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities' Job Accommodation Network (JAN) since passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.

JAN is a toll-free service that provides technical assistance on job accommodations and information about the employment provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Calls are answered by trained consultants who understand the functional limitations associated with disabilities and have access to comprehensive information about accommodation methods, devices and strategies.

During 1996, employers, individuals and service providers in Florida placed more than 1800 calls to JAN, or about four percent of those received from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico combined. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 872,000 working-age Florida residents have a disability.

Last year, 71 percent of callers from Florida sought consultation about accommodations for current employees, with nearly half focused on helping a worker stay on the job. The remaining calls addressed the needs of prospective employees.

More than 40 percent of the Florida jobs discussed were in service industries. Most of the other employers fall into the areas of government, transportation/public utilities, wholesale/retail, manufacturing, and finance, in that order.

A national follow-up survey of 1996 callers indicates that the typical cost for an accommodation made after consultation with JAN was $1.50. Employers reported that for every dollar spent on job accommodations, they gained an average of $33.33 in benefits, including increased productivity and savings on such expenses as workers' compensation and the training of new employees.

Anyone may call JAN at (800) ADA-WORK (800-232-9675) Voice/TDD or (800) 526-7234 Voice/TDD. Hours of operation are 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, Eastern Standard Time.