ADA network links employers with occupational therapy practitioners.

A nationwide network of experts who can assist employers and business owners in complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is now available by calling the American Occupational Therapy Association's (AOTA) "ADA Network" (1-800-755-8550, Extension 238).

Callers can obtain a state-by-state directory with names, addresses, phone numbers, and areas of expertise for over 400 occupational therapy practitioners who can recommend changes facilities or companies may need to make to comply with this landmark legislation.

"Occupational therapy personnel have always been involved in helping people who are recovering from injury or illness to return to as independent a lifestyle as possible," said AOTA President Mary Evert. "That includes helping people who have been temporarily or permanently disabled to return to the workplace. Therapists and certified assistants have the knowledge and experience required to understand and address the needs of people with disabilities and to work effectively with the managers and supervisors on the front lines."

Occupational therapists and certified assistants who qualified for placement on the "ADA Network" are able to assist employers, business owners, and others responsible for compliance with ADA in a variety of ways. They can assist in analyzing jobs to determine essential job functions; developing or rewriting job descriptions based on those essential functions; suggesting possible accommodations and modifications to job sites, including suggesting specific devices and adaptive equipment; and advising businesses such as restaurants, movie theaters, or hotels on how to make their facilities accessible.

"There are $10 solutions and $10,000 dollar solutions," Ms. Evert said. "Occupational therapists and assistants can help find the most effective, least expensive means of harnessing the talents and economic potential of American's largest minority group -- the disabled."

The American Occupational Therapy Association, celebrating its 75th anniversary in 1992, is a national professional society that represents the interests and concerns of over 45,000 occupational therapy practitioners and seeks to improve the quality of occupational therapy services for consumers.