Digitization: Harnessing the power of inclusion to create more accessible workplaces

02.07.2020

They can be technical, structural, or mental in nature – people with disabilities often face a barrage of barriers in the workplace. Coworkers and employers can help in overcoming them. Digital trends likewise promote inclusion strategies and accessibility at the workplace.

Photo: Hands operating a laptop equipped with assistive technologies for blind and visually impaired people; Copyright: Michel Arriens | www.michelarriens.de

Technical aids as well as the general increase in digitization make professional participation for people with various disabilities more and more possible.

Every company and every person with a disability is different and unique. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, which makes 'labor force participation and inclusion' such a challenging endeavor. As a general rule, it is essential to always make individual assessments as a person’s situation may depend on the type of disability, the company’s size and industry sector, and even the corporate culture.

"According to our studies, people with physical disabilities consistently fare better than people with so-called intellectual disabilities," says Christoph Metzler of the Competence Center for Employee Retention (KOFA) at the German Economic Institute in Cologne (IW Köln). "Many small and medium-sized companies are often ready and willing to make changes and accommodations, but there is not enough time and they lack the critical information to implement accessibility and inclusion policies in the workplace."

Photo: Christoph Metzler; Copyright: Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft Köln

Together with his colleagues at KOFA and in other projects, Christoph Metzler has been working a lot on inclusion and professional participation in recent years. His own severe visual impairment opens up another perspective for him besides the scientific one.

Digitization drives inclusion

For many years, Metzler and his colleagues at KOFA have offered free support services through lectures, workshops, webinars, and guidelines to address these aspects. Although he has seen quantifiable successes in the labor market in recent years, inclusion remains a continuous process that will not be completed on a certain date and all is well with the world. To wit, increased digitization comes with its own unique set of new challenges...

...and new opportunities. In the summer of 2019, 1,226 companies participated in a representative IW online survey that came to this very conclusion. According to Andrea Kurtenacker, Head of the Department of Labor Force Participation and Inclusion at the German Economic Institute in Cologne, digitization already makes today’s workday of people with disabilities easier: "Company representatives consider mobile devices such as notebook computers and online communication services like WhatsApp a great resource for remote team correspondence and work outside the office. Twenty percent of companies strategically use digital technologies to support people with disabilities in their everyday work."

The study also found that companies that already embrace digital transformation are more likely to employ people with disabilities than companies that don’t adopt a digital approach. Nearly 30 percent of surveyed companies also state that digitization opens up new opportunities for them to employ people with disabilities. "It’s worth noting that companies that have already embraced digitization have a more optimistic outlook than companies that don’t use digital technologies," Kurtenacker adds.

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Photo: Andrea Kurtenacker; Copyright: IW Köln

Inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace in times of digitization – Andrea Kurtenacker and her colleagues dealt with this topic in a representative company survey.

Coronavirus pandemic fast-tracks digital working environments

The company and the special needs of the respective type of disability also dictate how well businesses are prepared to create inclusion strategies and accessible workplaces. "As a person with severe visual impairment, I have seen a positive change at my work in recent years thanks to fully adaptable screens and the always accessible voice guidance in Google Maps that helps me with site visits," says Metzler.

At the same time, visual resources are more important than ever. Although Metzler appreciated the convenience of videoconference calls in response to the coronavirus crisis, he also thought they were exhausting and stressful at times. He believes that people with other types of disabilities need to be included in digital transformation strategies: "For example, there are self-help programs for people with chronic illness and mental disorders and for people with learning disabilities, Simple Language and other modified communication options are more important than ever to help manage complex programs. We still have a lot of work to do in this area – as a society and as companies."

The coronavirus pandemic has fast-tracked the creation of digital workplaces. Kurtenacker and her colleagues expect this development to also have a positive impact on the employment of people with disabilities. However, Metzler points out that the effects of the coronavirus crisis are currently hard to predict because there is a lack of reliable data sources: "I am very excited about a Charité Berlin study, which looks into the potential toll of lockdown and quarantine measures on mental health. As many people with disabilities are inherently at higher risk for becoming infected, it is also key to examine whether they have suffered greater career setbacks as a result. Inclusion is a work-in-progress and must always reflect and keep up with the latest developments."