How to adapt the space in the workplace for disabled people?
Employers often give up employing people with disabilities because they fear that providing them with appropriate working conditions will be difficult and costly. In practice, it may turn out that only minor space modifications are needed.
PERSONS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, AUTISM
This group of employees should be provided with work in small teams, in a work environment that will not expose them to high noise, burdensome traffic or in positions where high pace of work is not required. Very often people with such diseases are not resistant to too many stimuli from the environment. Such people are best suited for work that requires repeatability, where they do not have to make independent decisions. It should be remembered about the need to provide a support employee who will be able to help at any time in solving problems, e.g. related to the failure of the machine or during the evacuation.
PERSONS WITH VISION DISABILITY
When employing employees with visual disabilities, remember to familiarize them with the workplace – allowing the employee to touch individual elements, paying attention to safety. Familiarize such employee with employees, in particular those who work in his vicinity. It should be remembered that the workspace should always be tidy and items should be kept in a permanent place. Very often, workstations of people with such disabilities are equipped with technical devices that facilitate work, e.g. a screen reader or an electronic magnifier. It is good practice to have raised Braille buttons on the elevator. It is also important to provide support to such a person in the event of an evacuation or emergency, e.g. by providing access to a bell that will enable the employee to call the supporting employee.
PERSONS WITH A MOVEMENT DISABILITY
For employees who have a limited range of motion for health reasons, it is worth installing electrical devices, sockets and switches at a height of 0.9-1.2 meters. Thanks to this, people on wheelchairs will have free access to them. It is similar with cabinets for documents and tools of the workplace.
It is good practice to install auxiliary rails in toilets and corridors. It is a good practice to place such people’s workstations on the lowest floors of the building.
There are many solutions on the market that can be used in the workplace – for example, upper limb supports, crutch containers and supporting belts that are mounted on a chair. All these elements can complement the workplace of a physically disabled person.
PEOPLE WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT
If the workplace employs deaf or hard of hearing people, the sound signalling should be extended with traffic lights. This also applies to escape routes.
When employing a larger number of employees with hearing disabilities, it is worth ensuring access to the services of a sign language interpreter.
In production halls, additional mirrors will help to increase the safety of employees, on which an oncoming lorry truck will be visible, as well as traffic lights.
In conclusion, although adapting a workplace for people with disabilities may seem like a challenge, in practice most improvements do not require a large financial outlay, but only a well-thought-out space arrangement.
Projekt otrzymał dofinansowanie z Norwegii poprzez Fundusze Norweskie 2014-2021, w ramach programu „Dialog społeczny – godna praca”.
