Research Paper on Solutions for People With Disabilities in the Workplace

Introduction

The existence of a diverse workforce has increasingly led to the need for immediate solutions that can help employees with disabilities to be able to participate and contribute fully within the organization. Organizations that prepare to accommodate the employees with disabilities by providing an enabling environment have a high chance of success and can be able to facilitate a productive environment for those with disabilities to thrive while positively contributing to the organization goals. Employees with disabilities can be a source of organization negative performance, and there is a need for continuous assessment of employees and also the encouragement of disclosure to ensure that all the individuals with disabilities notify the management in time. This essay will establish the different solutions that organizations can embrace to overcome disability barriers within the organizations and increase the overall employee outcome.

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Creating Awareness and Promoting Training

Disability awareness refers to the education of employees regarding disability and how they treat individuals with disabilities within an organization. The first approach of dealing with disabilities in the workplace is through the creation of awareness amongst the employees of the existence of employees who are differently enabled (Ellenkamp et al. 59). Creating awareness ensures that all employees and leaders within an organization set up are aware of the different employee needs and challenges emanating from the individual employee physical capabilities and disabilities. Awareness of disabilities involves the education of the employees how to handle their fellow employees in the workplace who have limitations which is crucial in preventing biases and stigma against employees with disabilities (Padkapayeva et al. 2138). Employees who are aware of the existence of other employees with disabilities increases employee coexistence and collaboration in which the employees are more willing to support those that have disabilities in their teams. As such, a disabled friendly organization ensures that employees with disability can be able to contribute to the organization goals due to the absence of misunderstandings and promotion of employee inclusivity. Creating disability awareness within an organization ensures that employees with disabilities are not stigmatized by the organization policies as well as by the employees. A disability friendly working environment increases the overall engagement of the employees with disabilities to the organization goals (Lindsay et al. 635). Besides, creating awareness and training of employees with disabilities improves their readiness within the organization and also it is critical in promoting disclosure amongst employees which is essential in helping the management to plan and assign duties depending on the ability of the employees with disabilities.

Advantages of Creating Disability Awareness

Promotes Disability Acceptance

One of the key benefits of creating disability awareness and employee training is the ability to facilitate disability acceptance in which employees readily recognize and accept individuals who are disabled instead of discrimination and ridicule which can affect the overall employee engagement within an organization (Roth et al. 116). Organizations that create disability awareness have a high level of acceptance of the disabled employees by other employees, which is vital in improving their overall engagement to organization goals and makes them more productive.

Improves Work and Ability Alignment

Organizations that create awareness of disability, as well as the rights of the individuals with disabilities to participate within an organization, increases the ability of supervisors and the human resources department to assign individuals with disabilities tasks that they are more competent to deliver the desired results (Roth et al. 116). Aligning tasks with the employee ability and taking note of all the employee with disabilities is vital in improving engagement and productivity.

Reduces Disability Oriented Stigma and Discrimination

Disability awareness involves the education of employees on the different laws and policies that promote equality and reduce potential involuntary discrimination against employees with disabilities. People with disabilities are equally entitled to all the benefits that ordinary employees get within an organization and also should be considered for promotion, just like other employees (Roth et al. 126). As such, creating disability awareness promotes harmony and prevents discriminative activities that could negatively affect the employees with disabilities as well as the overall organization reputation.

Creating Disability Awareness Increases Employee Disclosure

Creating disability awareness within an organization is an opportunity for the employees with disabilities to disclose their different disabilities to the organization. In most cases, employees with disabilities are afraid of revealing their disabilities to organizations due to the fear of ridicule and rejection. Creating disability awareness increases the ability of the employee to disclose their disability because of the knowledge that they have equal rights and protection from arbitrary harassment (Roth et al. 116).

Disadvantages of Creating Disability Awareness

Time-Consuming and Costly

Creating awareness on disability within an organization is a costly affair that requires an organization to invest in informed and educated trainers who are aware of the different laws that safeguard the rights of employees with disabilities (Stuart and Hinshaw 121). Employees and organizations have to invest in hiring informed educators to carry out a constructive and evidence-based employee with disability protections.

Disability Awareness Education and Training Causes Business Disruption

Disability awareness within an organization affects the overall productivity during the training and education programs. Employees are forced to abandon their tasks and posts to acquire disability information (Stuart and Hinshaw 118). Business programs are ultimately disrupted during disability awareness education, which can negatively affect overall business outcomes.

Workplace Ergonomics

Workplace ergonomics refers to the ability to design the workplace to fit the needs of the worker by factoring their limitations and capabilities. Systematic ergonomics inclusion in the design of the workplace increases its overall effectiveness in meeting the needs of people with disabilities (Pereira, Michelle, et al. 44). The work site design has a significant impact on the overall safety at the workplace and also poor workplace design results in excessive fatigue and frustration, especially for employees with minor or significant disabilities. Systematic ergonomics can significantly improve the productivity and the health of the employees and increase the engagement of employees with disabilities. The ergonomics improvement targets the critical risk factors that can lead to musculoskeletal injuries and helps to improve human performance and productivity, which is an ideal approach to enhance the inclusivity of people with disabilities. The workplace ergonomics design provides employees with disabilities and limitations with an environment that is suited to their limitations (Henderson, Stuckey, and Keegel 1378). When conducted in an employee-oriented manner, systematic design and ergonomics within the workplace can be instrumental in helping disabled employees feel as much as capable as the typical employees. Systematic ergonomics involves the integration of adjustable fixtures and furnishings in offices as well as adjustable monitor arms and computer screens. This creates an ultimately pleasant working environment. The ergonomic designs can also reduce the trip hazards by providing leveled floors and improving accessibility in the workplace by placing key instrumental in a level of reach (Kassaneh, Tomas, and Tadesse 18). Therefore, the systematic workplace ergonomics is about designing the workplace with the individual employee limitations in mind which can include different principles such as ensuring a neutral posture, reduction of excessive motions, allowing movement and stretching, designing the workplace to maintain a comfort zone, providing adequate lighting, reducing the use of excessive force and minimizing the contact stress within the workplace.

Advantages of Workplace Ergonomics

Leads to Improved Employee Productivity

One of the key benefits of using systematic ergonomics as a solution for disability in an organization is the increased productivity of the employees due to the improved employee and work design fit. Systematic ergonomics ensure that the workplace design allows good posture, less exertion, better height and reach and fewer motions at the work station which overall improves the efficiency of the employees with disabilities (Arezes, Jose Dinis-Carvalho, and Alves 58). Every organization that is promoting diversity and has employees with disabilities should consider systematic ergonomics due to the ability to increase the overall productivity of the employees with disabilities.

Improved Employee Engagement and Safety

Systematic ergonomics can increase the engagement of the employees with disabilities by providing a more employee-friendly work environment which is designed to compensate for the unique needs of the employees with disabilities. Due to the changes in the workplace design to meet the employee with disabilities physical needs, there is improved emotional attachment and a significant reduction in the overall accidents within the work environment (Mochi and Madjar 106). Systematic ergonomics shows that an organization favors a safety culture, which increases the retention of employees with disabilities and reduces the high cost of compensation due to work accidents.

Disadvantages of Systematic Ergonomics

High Task Repetition

When an organization invests in systematic ergonomics, there is a high repetition of tasks which is detrimental to the overall health. The daily repetitive activities without a change can lead to musculoskeletal related pain and deformity (Wu, Shi-qing, et al. 326). Besides, systematic ergonomics reduce flexibility, which leads to a monotonous work environment.

Systematic Ergonomics Reduces Human Resources Flexibility

Systematic ergonomics is associated with reduced workplace flexibility, which is detrimental to employee skills advancement. An employee will only be tied to a single routine and work position, which can be detrimental in health as well as fully maximizing the use of an employee talent (Mochi and Madjar 126).

Use of Assistive Technology in the Workplace

Assistive technology is a primary instrumental solution to disabilities in the workplace, which should be implemented together with systematic ergonomics. Assistive technology in the workplace helps the disabled employees to play an active role within the workplace, which is easily accessible due to the growth of technology (Burgstahler 8). Some of the common assistive technological elements include; braille displays, screen reader software, speech recognition, color-coded keyboards, assistive listening applications, and customized web interfaces. Use of software and hardware that have capabilities of supplementing the missing human senses for those people living with disabilities offers one of the most exciting solutions (Copley and Ziviani. 232). Technological advancements have opened up hundreds of opportunities to the blind and the deaf to carry out duties that will be suitable for their conditions. With the software and hardware, it will be possible to get updates on work issue and their business without having...