Interactive planning tool designed for workers with chronic health conditions

Toronto — The Job Demands and Accommodation Planning Tool from the Institute for Work and Health is intended to help workers with chronic health conditions – including depression, anxiety and multiple sclerosis – work safely.

The free online tool prompts workers to answer questions about how physical demands, cognitive demands, working with others and working conditions affect their ability to do their job. After providing responses, workers can learn about potential supports and accommodations tailored to their job demands.

The assessment takes about 15 minutes to complete, IWH says.

Although people with disabilities “often have to give up work temporarily or permanently and can struggle to return to work,” IWH says, the tool helps to shift the focus from the employee’s health or disability symptoms to concrete work solutions.

“For workers with chronic health conditions, the fear of not being able to work during flare-ups or as they age often looms large,” Monique Gignac, senior scientist at IWH and chair of the partnership project that developed the tool, said in a press release. “Yet, with the right supports and accommodations at work, many of these workers can continue in their jobs for many years. The JDAPT aims to help them do just that.”