Worker Functional Abilities, Occupational Requirements, and Job Accommodations: A Close Look at Three Occupations

Abstract

This report examines the occupational requirements, physical and mental functioning, and use of accommodations among workers in three key occupations: cashiers, receptionists, and those in nursing fields. These jobs are among the top occupations represented in the work histories of federal disability claimants in the United States (U.S.). We collected survey data from 802 people working in these occupations. The survey collected demographic information, work-related characteristics (including the use of workplace accommodations), and functional assessment information using the self-reported functional assessment using the Work Disability Functional Assessment Battery (WD-FAB). The WD-FAB generates eight scores per respondent, one for each of eight dimensions related to physical function (basic mobility, fine motor function, upper body function, and community mobility) and mental function (resilience and sociability, mood and emotions, self-regulation, and cognition and communication). Results indicated that accommodation use is associated with lower functioning in this population of employed or recently employed adults. In addition, for each occupation, we compared the WD-FAB scores to data from the Occupational Requirements Survey (ORS) using measures that align with these WD-FAB domains. This comparison demonstrates the extent to which functioning in these dimensions is necessary and suggests opportunities for task-specific, occupation-specific accommodations. We discuss implications for disability determination according to SSA guidelines.