Originally published here.
People with disabilities represent a large population around the globe. The World Health Organization estimates that about 15 to 19% of the adult population worldwide(about one billion people) have disabilities (World report on disability, 2011). Sincemany disabilities is age related the number and proportion are expected to increase withthe aging the population (Schur et al., 2016). People with disabilities have generally poorer health, lower education achievements, fewer economic opportunities and higherrates of poverty than people without disabilities.
Generally all jobs can be performed by someone with a disability, and given theright environment, but several studies show, that persons with disabilities experiencesignificantly lower employment rates and much higher unemployment rates than persons without disabilities (Houtenville et al., 2009; Contreras et al., 2006; Mete,2008; Mitra, 2006; Mitra, 2008). Unemployed people with disabilities usually facegreat barriers in becoming employed (Jones, 2006; Jones, 2016; Kruse & Schur, 2003;Yelln & Trupin 2003).
People with disabilities are also more vulnerable and mostlyneed additional adjustments to ensure a healthy and safe workplace.Many employers still believe that workers with disabilities are inferior; therefore,mixed interactions inside the company are still avoided (Lengnick Hall et al., 2008).Most employers put the workers with disabilities into segregated work environments,where they work together and are usually supervised by workers without disabilities(Kregel & Dean, 2002).
This model assumes that the workers with disabilities are less productive and, therefore, it usually pays a lower wage. These workers are isolatedfrom other workers, and sometimes depend on additional government funds, whichmakes advancement from the sheltered work environment impossible, which increasesthe work dissatisfaction between workers with disabilities. As a result, productivity islowered and there is no community integration (Murphy & Rogan, 1995).
On the other hand a model Supported Integrated Employment stimulateintegration. Upon this model workers with disabilities are assisted during the jobsearch, training and assistance during employment with individual support and neededrequirements, which usually results in competitive wages and higher workersatisfaction (Parent-Johnson & Owens, 2017). In recent years, customizedemployment has gained traction (Riesen et al., 2015). T
he employment relationship iscustomized for each individual, based on the needs, strengths, aspiration, skills andinterests of the person with the disability. Workers with disabilities receive support,and are placed in competitive workplaces, which fit their individual needs. Previousresearch has shown such integrated employment model shows positive employmentoutcomes for workers with disabilities (Parent-Johnson & Owens, 2017).
Companies are also concerned with possible injuries at work and absenteeism thatis connected with high costs (Abrahamsson, 2000; Genowska et al., 2017; Fritzsche etal., 2014; Yang et al., 2018). Absence from work due to illness is a complex phenomenon, which in a high percentage of cases is determined by the type of workand working conditions (Genowska et al., 2017). Psychosocial environment of work plays one of the most important roles in the overall structure of the reasons for absence from work.
Workers with disabilities present a large population of workforce and representa great part of working-age persons that are unable to work. Most barriers toemployment included discrimination by employers, lack of suitable workplaceaccommodations, inadequate job training and others. Since work is one of the basicfactors of human life, appropriate designed workplace can contribute to healthy andsatisfied worker and this fact is even more important when we talk about workers withdisabilities.
It is also generally known that stress at work and possible injuries areusually connected with non-adequate workplace design. In the field of ergonomicsworkplace design there is rarely any expert knowledge regarding workers with disabilities.
On the other hand, employers are faced with the problem of identifying suitableworkplaces for workers with disabilities, and supplying the needed requirements tointegrate them with other healthy workers in working environment. By ergonomic workplace design it is possible to adapt work to a human’s physical and mental characteristics and to reduce or prevent additional adverse effects on health.With presented approach of ergonomically designed workplace for workers withdisabilities we can assure them suitable and appropriate working environment.
New designed workplace will be in future tested for suitability for at least three month and the selected worker will cooperate with his outputs through conversations andquestionnaires to examine his satisfaction with integrated employment approach.
You can read the complete article here.