Abbreviation
Expansion. A feature of some word prediction programs that will
type out or complete entire phrases when a short form is entered.
(ATRC, 1996, p. 1)
Achievement
Test.
A test that measures the extent to which a person has
"achieved" something, acquired certain information, or mastered
certain skills - usually as a result of planned instruction or training.
Activities of
Daily Living (ADL). Those behaviors exhibited
routinely that are necessary for self-maintenance in the community (e.g.,)
personal care, health care, eating, financial
management, transportation, and social . training in these activities
is geared toward the individual's development of self-sufficiency and
independent functioning.
ADA.
The Americans with Disabilities Act of l990, P.L.
101-336; Prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in the areas
of private employment, public accommodations and services, transportation, and
telecommunications.
Adaptive
Equipment.
Devices that allow an individual to access their environment.
Examples of these include wheelchairs, adaptive seating, and specialized
desks and tables. (VATP, 1998, p.
1)
Aids for Daily
Living.
Self-help aids for use in activities such as eating, bathing, cooking,
dressing, toileting, and home modifications.
(Ohio Train, 1998, p. 1)
Ambulation
Aids.
Devices that help people walk upright including canes, crutches, or
walkers. (Ohio Train, 1998, p. 1)
Aptitude. A combination of abilities and other characteristics, whether
native or acquired, that are indicative of an individual's ability to learn or
develop proficiency in some particular area if appropriate education or training
is provided.
Assistive Technology (Device). Any items, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. (Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act, 1988)
Augmentative
Communication.
Electronic and non-electronic devices such as gestures, sign language,
symbols, synthesized speech, dedicated communication aids or microcomputers that
provide a means for expressive and receptive communication for persons without
speech. (IRI, 1990, p. 109)
Background
Information.
Pertinent information on an individual obtained prior to the start of the
evaluation process from the individual; from lay persons such as relatives,
friends, former employers; or from professionals such as physicians,
psychologists, counselors, social workers, or other vocational evaluators.
Behavior. Any directly observable and measurable activity of an
individual or group of individuals within a physical and social environment.
Career
Assessment.
A process providing useful information and experiences, beginning in
elementary school and continuing through adulthood, that will assist an
individual to develop educational plans to reach goals and develop skills
related to employment and community living.
Career assessment provides an ongoing, individual-centered monitoring of
skills, interests, and values related to functioning in work, home and community
positions, and encompasses all individual assessment practices including: (1)
psychological and educational assessment, (2) functional living skills
assessment (home and community), and (3) vocational assessment (work).
Career
Exploration.
An individual certified in work adjustment by the Commission on
Certification of work Adjustment and Vocational Evaluation Specialists (CCWAVES)
and who has met the published standards of the Commission in areas such as:
behavior management, functional aspects of a disability, work management,
individualized work adjustment planning, situational assessment, learning style,
community-based vocational training, and social aspects of a disability.
Client. A person receiving services from an agency, business, school,
or other service provider.
Client
Follow-Up.
Supportive assistance provided to an individual during the stages of job
placement to provide aid in adjustment. Such
services also provide feedback to the service organization and provide the
employer with needed assistance in maintaining the individual's employment.
Closed
Captioning.
Subtitles to a videotape or film, or to a television show, which convey
dialogue and sounds in writing. Captioning
gives people with hearing impairments access to information and entertainment. (Infinitec, 1998, p. 4)
Commission on
Certification of Work Adjustment and Vocational Evaluation Specialists (CCWAVES).
An
independent commission whose members are assigned from one of several appointing
organizations. CCWAVES' purpose is
to identify and certify vocational evaluation and work adjustment professionals
in order to provide assurance that those professionals can meet acceptable
standards of quality. The existence
of such standards is considered to be in the best interests of clients, other
practitioners, individuals in allied professions, and the public.
Communication
Aids.
Aids for people with communication impairments.
Devices include augmentative communication devices and prosthetics,
manual and electric communication boards. (Ohio
Train, 1998, p. 1)
Consumer. An individual with a disability who is eligible for, may
require, or is the recipient of some type of service, such as medical treatment,
vocational rehabilitation, rehabilitation technology, housing, independent
living, or transportation.
Computer
Adaptations.
Input and output devices (voice, braille), alternate access aids (headsticks,
light pointers), modified or alternate keyboards, switches, special software,
etc. that enable persons with disabilities to use a computer.
(IRI, 1990, p. 109)
Criterion. A standard by which a test may be judged or evaluated; a set
of scores, ratings, etc., that a test is designed to measure, to predict, or to
correlate with.
Criterion-Referenced
(Content-Referenced) Test. Terms often used to
describe or skills possessed by an individual.
Dexterity. Adroitness or skill in using fingers, hands, arms, and
shoulders, sometimes in combination with other body parts. It is usually measured by observing performances on various
work activities, such as work samples, or by administering standardized
performance tests.
Disability. Any restriction or lack of ability (resulting from impairment)
to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for
the human being.
Educational
Aids.
Equipment that enables people with disabilities to carry out school or
work related activities. Computers,
adaptive software, and modified keyboards are examples of such aids.
(Ohio Train, 1998, p. 2)
Environmental
Controls. Primarily
electric switches or systems that enable a person without mobility to control
appliances, electronic aids, lights, telephones, security systems, etc., in a
room, home, or other surroundings. (Ohio
Train, 1998, p. 1)
Expanded
Keyboard.
A keyboard which has keys and/or spaces between the keys larger than the
standard microcomputer keyboard. (ASEL,
p. 1)
Follow-Up
Information. Data
collected following the provision of services that specify the status of the
individual or provide statistical information of the status of a group of
individuals, Follow-up may be an ongoing process that includes direct
observation; interviews with clients; co-workers, and employers; and may be used
to determine additional service needs.
Functional
Assessment. The
measurement of purposeful behavior in interaction with the environment which is
interpreted according to the assessment's intended use.
It is the process of appraisal which can be used to measure ability,
competence, or performance.
Functional
Limitations. Restrictions
is physical or mental functioning that hinder an individual's ability to perform
tasks or activities of daily living.
No terms in this section
Headstick or
Headwand.
A pointer or extension device that is mounted to a headpiece and extends
from the center of the forehead and angles downward.
It is usually used in direct selection of an object such as a key on a
keyboard or a symbol or word on a board. It
is for use by persons with good head control and limited upper and lower body
movement. If the pointer extends
from the chin, it is referred to as a chinwand or chinstick.
(ASEL, p. 2)
Home/Worksite
Accommodations. Structural adaptations,
fabrications in the home, worksite, or other area (ramps, lifts, bathroom
changes) that remove or reduce physical barriers for an individual with a
disability. (IRI, 1990, p. 109)
Hot Keys. Keyboard equivalents used to quickly and efficiently issue
program commands by pressing the correct combination of keys on the keyboard
instead of selecting the command from a menu or icon with a mouse.
(ATRC, 1996, p. 3)
Impairment. Any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological, or
anatomical structure or function; it can be the result of disease, injury,
malnutrition, or birth defect.
Individualized
Education Program (IEP). A written statement foe
each child with a disability that is developed in any meeting by a
representative of the .local education agency or an intermediate educational
unit who shall be qualified to provide, or supervise the provision of, specially
designed instruction to meet the unique needs of children with disabilities,
which shall include a statement of the needed transition services for students
beginning no later than age 16 an annually thereafter (and, when determined
appropriate for the individual, beginning at age 14 or younger), including, when
appropriate, a statement of interagency responsibilities or linkages (or both)
before the student leaves the school setting.
Individualized
Evaluation Plan. A directed, systematic
series of events designed to specifically meet the needs of the individual being
served and satisfy the demands of the referred source.
Through the individualized evaluation plan, the individual being served,
the referral source, and the evaluator obtain a concise picture of the
individual's overall evaluation program.
Individualized
Written Rehabilitation Program (IWRP). A
program that is designed to achieve the employment objectives of the individual
consistent with his/her unique strengths, resources, priorities, concerns,
abilities, and capabilities. It
includes a statement of the long-term rehabilitation goals, intermediate
vocational objectives, specific vocational rehabilitation services (including
rehabilitation technology and personal assistance services), and an assessment
of the need for post-employment services. The
IWRP is jointly developed, agreed upon, and signed by the eligible individual
and his/her vocational rehabilitation counselor.
Input Device. A method of activating or sending information to a computer or other electronic device. Keyboards, mice, and trackballs are common computer input devices. (ASEL, p. 2)
Intake. Those activities resulting in an individual's entry into an
agency or referral to another more appropriate agency, including the action
taken to make the necessary arrangements for such entry (e.g., funding, housing,
or programming.
Interest. The existence of a strong preference, attention, or curiosity
about some occupational, vocational, or career-related activity or area.
Interview. Communication between two or more persons used for purposes
such as diagnosis, education, counseling, or to obtain information.
Inventory. A questionnaire or checklist, usually in the form of a
self-report, designed to elicit non-intellective information about an
individual.
Job. A single position or group of positions, at one establishment,
whose major work activities and objectives are similar interns of worker
actions, methodologies, materials, products, and/or worker characteristics; and
whose array of work activities differs significantly from those of other
positions.
Job Analysis. The gathering, evaluating, and recording of accurate,
objective, and complete job data. Job
analysis identifies and describes, in a systematic and comprehensive but
succinct manner: What the worker
does in terms of activities or function; How the work is done--the methods,
techniques, or processes involved, and the work devices used; Results of the
work--the goods produced, services rendered, or materials used; Worker characteristics--the skills, knowledge, abilities, and
adaptations needed to accomplish the tasks involved. It also identifies the context of the work in terms of
environmental and organizational factors and the nature of the worker's
discretion, responsibility, and accountability.
Job
Exploration. A
process whereby a person is exposed to work experiences and occupational
information intended to increase knowledge of the world of work.
Job
Modification. A
process in which a target job is altered to meet
the needs of a particular worker. This
is accomplished through environmental adaptations, adaptive equipment and
devices, or job process modification.
Job Tryout. A temporary job placement or internship designed to provide
the participant with real work experience and community contacts.
Job tryouts: 1) expose the participant to new occupational experiences;
2) assess the participant's work, social, and personal skills in a real work
environment (situational assessment); 3) expose employers to persons with
disabilities as potential and viable workers; 4) gather additional data useful
in making job placement decisions; and 5) provide the participant with
references and work experience to be documented on his/her resume.
Keyguard. A cover, usually made of plastic or plexiglass, which fits
over the computer’s keyboard. Holes
in the cover correspond to each key on the keyboard and guide a finger,
headstick, or mouthstick to facilitate direct key presses.
Locking devices which allow keys to operate similarly to a caps lock key
are available for keys frequently used in multiple key sequences, such as the
shift key, function, or command keys. (ASEL,
p. 2)
No terms in this section.
Methods of
Vocational Assessment. Those techniques,
instruments and organized, systematic activities which assist in the process of
gathering vocationally relevant information about an individual in relation to
facilitating his or her vocational development or career decision-making.
Methods of vocational assessment may include job analysis, training
analysis, psychometric testing (e.g., interest inventories, temperament surveys,
aptitude tests, dexterity performance tests, learning style assessments, etc.),
observations and recording of behavior, work sampling, situational assessment,
o-the-job evaluations or job try-outs, vocational interviewing, review of
background information, taking employment histories, and physical capacity
assessments.
Miniature
Keyboard.
Although smaller than the standard keyboard, a miniature keyboard
contains all of the keys and functions. It
is useful to persons with limited range of motion and one-handed typists.
(ASEL, p. 2)
Mobility. The ability of a person to move within the environment.
Mobility Aids. Devices that allow freer movements, including transfer aids
and patient lifts as well as all types of wheelchairs and three-wheeled
vehicles.
Moisture Guard.
A soft plastic cover molded to the shape of the keyboard and placed on
the keyboard to protect it from moisture. (ASEL,
p. 3)
Morse Code
Input.
A binary code that consist of dashes and dots (or long tones and short
tones) used to represent alphanumeric characters.
Morse code is used by some to input keyboard equivalents into a computer.
It is usually entered by a switch button or sip-and-puff device.
(ATRC, 1996, p. 4)
Mouse. An input device connected to a computer that controls the
position of the cursor on the screen. The
mouse fits into the user’s hand and has a ball encompassed on the underside
that is rolled across a flat surface to move the cursor in the same direction as
the mouse. (ASEL, p. 3)
Norms. Statistics that supply a frame of reference by which meaning may be given to obtained test scores.
Observation
Procedure. An
organized method of observing and objectively recording the behavior of an
individual for the purpose of documenting this behavior.
The emphasis is usually upon productivity, behavior patterns, expressed
interest, and interpersonal interaction.
Occupational
Information. Pertinent
facts about a job or job cluster that accurately define the characteristics and
requirements of the job so that an individual will have adequate information for
making a vocational decision.
On-Screen
Keyboard.
Software programs that provide graphical representation of a physical
computer keyboard, displayed on the computer’s operating system.
By choosing the on-screen keys with a mouse or a switch, the user can
enter keyboard equivalents without manual use of a keyboard.
(ATRC, 1996, p. 5)
On-the-Job
Evaluation. An
evaluation technique in which the individual performs actual job duties in a
real work situation. Performance is
supervised and evaluated by the employer in coordination with evaluation staff. There is a predetermined beginning and ending date; it is not
necessarily intended to result in employment.
Orientation. The process of introducing an individual to a program, an agency, or an employer. The individual is provided with information regarding policies and procedures, physical layout, safety regulations, community resources, the reasons for referral, and other pertinent information.
Physical
Capacity. The
degree of physical strength, mobility, and endurance needed by a person to
perform the physical demands of a specific job or a cluster of related jobs.
Physical
Capacity Evaluation. A systematic and intensive
evaluation procedure that measures physical performance factors that are basic
to work output.
Physical
Demands. The
physical capacities required of workers in order for them to perform in
job-worker situations.
Positioning. An area in which assistive devices are used to properly
position a person with a disability in a wheelchair, automobile, office chair,
etc. Correct positioning is
important to health, safety, comfort, and task performance.
(Infinitec, 1998, p. 7)
Power Test. A test intended to measure level of performance unaffected by
speed of response; hence, one in which there is either no time limit or a very
generous one.
Prosthetics and
Orthotics.
Devices such as braces and artificial limbs that replace or augment
missing or non-functioning body parts. (Ohio
Train, 1998, p. 1)
Psychometric Instruments. Standardized instruments, typically pencil tasks, that measure aspects of cognition, psychomotor skills, affect, interest, needs, and values. They are important to the educational and rehabilitation process by answering questions concerning an individual's personal, social, and vocational domains.
No terms in this section.
Raw Score. The first quantitative result obtained in scoring a test. It is usually the number of right answers; time required for performance; number of errors; or another similar direct, unconverted, uninterpreted measure.
Reasonable
Accommodation. Any change or adjustment to
a job or work environment that permits a qualified applicant or employee with a
disability to participate in the job application process, to perform the
essential functions of a job, or to enjoy the benefits and privileges of
employment equal to those enjoyed by employees without disabilities.
Referral. The process of directing a client to an agency or program.
Referral Data. Information
about an individual obtained from other professionals, agencies, or individuals.
It may be obtained verbally or through documents such as psychological
reports, terminal reports, medical reports, intake reports, and social service
reports.
Referral
Source. That
person or program who refers an individual for services.
This includes, but is not limited to, vocational rehabilitation and human
service agencies, physicians, employers, insurance companies, attorneys,
employment agencies, community action groups, and potential clients themselves.
Refreshable
Braille Display. An electronic device that
connects to the computer by way of a serial cable. The device comes with software that, once loaded, will
produce Braille output on the display corresponding to monitor text output.
(ATRC, 1996, p. 5)
Rehabilitation
Engineer. A
person who is specifically trained usually in industrial technology and who is
able to determine appropriate modifications to an existing work site to make it
accessible to an individual with a disability.
Rehabilitation
Process.
A planned, orderly sequence of services related to the total needs of an
individual with a disability. These
services are designed to assist that individual in maximizing his/her potential.
Rehabilitation
Technology. See
Assistive Technology.
Residual
Functional Capacity. The level of functioning
(physical, emotional, and intellectual) retained by a person following the onset
of a disability or illness.
Screen Reader. Voice output technology used by people with visual or
cognitive impairments. Hardware and
software combinations produce synthesized voice output for the text displayed on
the computer screen and the keystrokes entered on the keyboard.
(ATRC, 1996, p. 6)
Seating and
Positioning Aids. Modifications to
wheelchair, scooter, or other seating systems that provide greater body
stability, upright posture or reduction of pressure on the skin surface. Equipment includes wheelchair cushions, modular seats, and
seat lifts. (Ohio Train, 1998, p.
1)
Sensory Aids. Equipment for people with vision or hearing disabilities.
Devices include hearing aids, FM loop systems, low-vision aids, reading
devices, talking calculators, audio
output devices, augmentative devices, and telecommunication devices for the
deaf. (Ohio Train, 1998, p. 1)
Scanning. A selection technique which presents groups of items to the
user. The user then signals with a
switch press, gesture, or other means when the desired item is being indicated.
The scanning may be performed automatically by an electronic system or
manually by the communication partner. (ASEL,
p. 3)
Sip and Puff
Switch.
A dual switch that is activated by sipping and puffing on an apparatus
resembling a drinking straw. (ASEL,
p. 3)
Situational
Assessment. The
systematic observation process for evaluating work-related behaviors in a
controlled or semi-controlled work environments.
Although any type of task or situation may be used, real work is most
often used in order to add relevance. The
element distinguishing situational assessment from other types of assessment is
the capability of systematically varying demands in order to evaluate
work-related behaviors (e.g., social skills, quantity or work, and use of
materials).
Specific
Learning Disability. A chronic condition of
presumed neurological origin that selectively interferes with the development,
integration, and/or demonstration of verbal and/or non-verbal abilities.
Specific learning disabilities exist as a distinct handicapping condition
in the presence of average to superior intelligence, adequate sensory and motor
systems, and adequate learning opportunities.
The condition varies in its manifestations and in degree of severity.
Throughout life the condition can affect self-esteem, education,
vocation, socialization, and/or daily living activities.
Speech
Synthesizer.
An electronic device that converts text characters into artificial
speech. Speech synthesizers most
frequently use pronunciation rulers for translating text to speech.
The quality of synthetic speech ranges from close to lifelike to robotic
sounding speech found in lower end speech synthesizers.
(ASEL, p. 3)
Staffing. See Team Conference.
Standardized
Test.
A test designed to provide a systematic sample of individual performance,
administered according to prescribed directions, scored in conformance with
definite rules, and interpreted in reference to certain normative information.
Sticky Keys. A software or hardware based feature that locks the Control,
Shift, Alt, Option, and Command keys and allows the user to enter keystroke
combinations without having to simultaneously depress several keys at once.
(ATRC, 1996, p. 6)
Switch. An input device used to control assistive devices and
computers. There are a variety of
types of switches including pressure switches, pneumatic switches, and voice
activated switches. These switches
can control environmental control devices, communication devices, and a wide
range of computers. (ASEL, p. 4)
Team
Conference. Formal
or information conferences consisting of team members (including the client)
working with the client to review the progress of that client, to develop
further plans, to maintain integration, to coordinate the client's programs, and
to make recommendations about action needed by and for the client.
Technology-Related
Assistance Act (P.L. 100-407). Also
known as the Tech Act. Originally
passes in 1988, which among other things, authorized grants to states for the
purpose of creating assistive technology assistance centers to serve people with
disabilities and their families all around the United States and its territories
and possessions. This law also
created the legal definition of assistive technology devices and services which
added to IDEA in 1990. (Infinitec,
1998, p. 8)
Tools of
Evaluation. All
of the methods, tools, and media used by the evaluator and the client to conduct
a vocational evaluation.
Trackball. An input device which contains a visible sphere mounted in a
stationary container. It functions
similarly to a mouse, however, the sphere is rotated with the fingers to move
the cursor to any position on the screen. (ASEL,
p. 4)
Transferability
of Work Skills. A person is considered to
have skills that can be used in jobs other than those performed previously when
the skilled or semi-skilled work activities from past jobs can be used to meet
the requirements of skilled or semi-skilled work activities of other jobs or
kinds of work. The transferability
of a person's skills is most probably and meaningful among jobs whish 1) the
same or a lesser degree of skill is required, and 2) the same or similar tools
and machines are used, and 3)the same or similar raw materials,, products,
processes, or services are involved.
Transportation
Aids.
Items that enable independence in personal transportation such as
car-toppers for cars and vans, hand controls, child restraint systems, and
modifications to ensure vehicle access. (Ohio
Train, 1998, p. 1)
No terms listed in this section
Return to top
Vocational
Assessment. A
comprehensive process conducted over a period of time, usually involving a
multidisciplinary team ... with the purpose of identifying individual
characteristics, education, training and placement needs, serving as the basis
for planning an individual's educational program, and which provides the
individual with insight into vocational potential.
Vocational
Counseling. The
process of obtaining information from and providing occupational information to
an individual and assisting that person to understand vocational assets and
liabilities in choosing a suitable occupation.
Vocational
Evaluation. A
comprehensive process that systematically uses work, either real or simulated,
as the focal point for assessment and vocational exploration, the purpose of
which is to assist individuals in vocational development.
Vocational evaluation incorporations medical, psychological, social,
vocational, educational, cultural, and economic data into the process to attain
the goals of evaluation.
Vocational
Evaluation Report. A well-planned, carefully
written document that communicates vital vocational information about an
individual. It is a permanent
record of significant vocational data observed as the individual and the
evaluator interact in various types of work and work-like situations.
The report puts the evaluation plan, actions, results, reasons, and
interpretation of the evaluation in writing.
It often includes description of the individual's physical capacities,
learning ability, personal characteristics, social competence, and worker traits
as they compare to minimum requirements of selected jobs or work areas.
The report includes recommendations for the future and may also provide a
prescriptive-descriptive sequence of experiences that are aimed at maximizing
the individual's vocational potential.
Vocational
Evaluation Services. Those services provided to
accomplish vocational evaluation according to established standards (e.g.,
Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities standards for
vocational evaluation).
Vocational
Evaluator. A
qualified vocational evaluator is one who is eligible for or Certified in
Vocational Evaluation (CVE) by the Commission on Certification of Work
Adjustment and Vocational Evaluation Specialists (CCWAVES).
Vocational
Exploration.
The process by which an individual learns about the world of work as it
related to interest, prior knowledge, etc.
It may involve the use of occupational information, field visits to
business and industry, or actual job tryouts.
Vocational
Interview. A
face-to-face interview between the individual being served and the
rehabilitation professional. It is
used to obtain relevant vocational background information as well as other
personal data helpful in obtaining a clear perspective of the individual.
Voice Recognition System. An access system designed
to replace the standard keyboard as the method if input. The system in “trained” to recognize utterances that are
spoken into a microphone. The
utterances are translated into computer commands or sequences of alphanumeric
characters and used to operate the computer and software.
(ASEL, p. 4)
Word
Prediction.
Word prediction aids individuals with limited keyboarding ability and can
be used with standard application software.
It is also useful to support spelling and grammar skills.
As characters are typed, the word prediction software revises a
“pick list.” When the desired word or phrase appears, it can be selected
and will automatically update what is being typed.
Some products also predict grammar, add punctuation and spacing, read out
the pick list or have abbreviation expansion. (ATRC, 1996, p. 7)
Work Habits. Those aspects of behavior in a work setting that enable a
person to meet the demands of the job in accordance with employment standards.
This includes areas such as: attendance, punctuality, hygiene, social
behavior, team work, cooperation, ability to accept constructive criticism,
ability to accept supervision, effort, initiative, perseverance, dependability,
meeting work schedules, attention to detail, housekeeping, neatness in work
performed, careful use of materials and property, and safety awareness.
No terms in this section.
No terms in this section.
No terms in this section.