Accessible workspaces for people with disabilities

According to data from the World Bank around 15 % of the world’s population has to live with some type of disability. This means that around 100 million people constantly struggle with many challenges in their daily lives, despite all the progress being made concerning a legislative and social context. Employment is a crucial factor when it comes to social inclusion for all people, including people with disabilities, who still face many problems in this area.

People with disabilities today have more opportunities to access decent employment than in the past, thanks to global regulatory advancements. The United Nations approved the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2006. The signatory countries committed to enacting laws that guarantee the exercise and access of fundamental rights (which include employment) for people with disabilities. But what happens once these people access it? Are the work centers where they carry out their functions also accessible to them?

While loads of obstacles and barriers still exist unfortunately for people with disabilities, an increasing number of private organizations are adapting to accessibility regulations. With the creation of accessible workplaces, organizations not only increase the hiring of people with disabilities, benefiting from tax incentives and enhancing their brand image with quality certifications, they also contribute to undeniable social progress. Companies shouldn’t only focus on hiring people with disabilities; they’ve also got to ensure they can comfortably develop their skills in their job positions. 

Companies planning the distribution of their work centers correctly is of paramount importance. Incorporating ramps into all internal access points, for instance, ensuring they are wide and clear enough, is crucial. Moreover, the main entrance should also have ramps to accommodate any level changes. With these changes everybody who uses a wheelchair will have adapted mobility. Likewise, individuals with disabilities, along with others, require properly equipped restrooms. 

By placing nonslip strips on each step, staircases in work centers will help prevent accidents for people with reduced vision. Clear and visible workspace signage will be helpful too, with texts and numbers in Braille. People with autism will find it easier to get their bearings inside the center if pictograms are added to this signage. 

The company’s emergency evacuation plan must also account for people with reduced mobility by incorporating both visual and auditory warning signals in its emergency alarms system.

New technologies are brilliant partners when it comes to work center accessibility. People with visual impairments have countless applications on hand which can convert written documents into a listening format, and there are many sign language translators online too. Additionally, working from home is crucial modality for many people with disabilities, so it must be considered in order to help them adapt easier, as well as to maximize their work performance. 

A study by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) found that during job interviews people with disabilities mostly ask about working from home options, the work-life balance and ease of mobility within the workspace. The importance of accessible technology as well as the ability to request structural or technological adjustments to enhance their work performance is also highlighted. 

Similarly, one of the key petitions of people with disabilities is for the company to adhere to a clear and strict diversity and inclusion policy. MAPFRE has been applying this to its framework for many years now. We’re signatories to the Charter of 10 Principles promoted by the Fundación Diversidad, which involve a commitment to promote equality, diversity and inclusion in every labor environment. 

Thanks to our Diversity and Equal Opportunities Policies, we’ve launched a global program that employs 1,090 people with disabilities across our work centers in 27 countries. A total of 97.6% of this personnel holds permanent contracts, and in line with the International Labor Organization’s guidelines, their labor integration impact is rated 8.3 out of 10. The MAPFRE Program puts a premium on accessibility, addressing the physical design of our workspaces as well as the emotional well-being of employees with disabilities. It carries out numerous awareness-raising activities across the entire workforce to this end. 

The path to effective labor inclusion for people with disabilities at a truly global level requires employers to promote accessibility in workplaces that accommodate and address each person’s specific needs.

RELATED ARTICLES: