So here's my situation:
I just started work at a company and they have set me up on a computer that uses KDE on Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS release 4. Being that it is a work environment, I am not allowed root privileges.

I learned how to type using the DVORAK keyboard layout. (thats another story) and so Im pretty useless when it comes to QWERTY.

Long story short, I need to change the keyboard layout but I don't have root access. Normally I would have a system admin do it. but ours seems to be a lazy pain in the but. (I have sent him 3 requests so far and he has rejected each of them)

Is this possible? If switching the layout is not It was suggested to me to just change the key bindings. (a bit of a hack I know but Ill do it if need be)

As far as I know, system-config-keyboard has to run as root. You could make a script using xmodmap, of course. Personally I'd take a tough line with the sysadmin: if you have a keyboard that you aren't trained to use, then your usefulness to your employer is reduced. Talk to your line manager about it.

I thought that you can change the layout in KDE?

System Settings -> Input Devices -> Keyboard -> Layouts