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The equipment or device required and used by persons suffering from disability to perform their activities of daily life (ADL) is known as adaptive devices. These may include devices like hearing aids. Since these devices cater to a specific market, they are often quite expensive. They are used for performing daily activities like hearing properly, walking, reading, and even driving.
When it comes to making the workplace more comfortable for people with disabilities, allowing the use of adaptive devices without any exceptions, employers must also strive toward making arrangements to meet the needs of those who use adaptive devices.
The American Disabilities Act, as opposed to popular belief, covers those individuals also who suffer from chronic diseases, psychiatric as well as cognitive disabilities. There are various provisions made to ensure that individuals who suffer from disabilities that require adaptive devices are also not discriminated against. It also provides that employers must make all the necessary accommodations for people with disabilities. This can include providing the devices at subsidized costs, providing technological help to them, or any other accommodation that may be beneficial for such employees.
As opposed to these devices, assistive devices include wheelchairs, lifts, etc. While both kinds of equipment bear similarities, there are enough differences between them so that the Americans with Disabilities Act can be utilized to gauge whether the request made for certain equipment or accommodation is reasonable and valid or not. It can also gauge whether a particular employer has made all the necessary accommodations or is in violation of any of the act’s provisions. Additionally, assistive devices cater to a broader customer base because they are not as specific as adaptive devices. Hence, they are a little less expensive and simpler to accommodate in the workplace.