Assessment and planning in the Americans with Disabilities Act era: Strategies for consumer self-advocacy and employer collaboration

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With the introduction of legislation that protects the employment rights of people with disabilities but also requires them to assume responsibility for communicating their needs to employers, it is critical that rehabilitation consumers develop the skills to self-advocate and to collaborate with employers to implement reasonable accommodations. The purpose of this article is to review assessment and planning strategies that (a) increase the consumer's awareness of the protections afforded by legislative mandates such as Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), (b) identify worksite accommodation needs, (c) promote collaborative communication with employers to implement and evaluate reasonable accommodations, and (d) teach the consumer how to negotiate with employers and resolve conflicts that may arise in the accommodation planning process.