| If you're a business owner, you will probably be | | | | decoration, layout and modifications made to their |
| aware of the need to make your premises | | | | own home, but given the amount of time that a |
| accessible for people with disabilities or physical | | | | full time employee spends at work, and the fact |
| handicaps. This requirement is not only | | | | that it is mandatory for accessibility modifications |
| enforceable for your customers, but for your | | | | to be made in the workplace, it is somewhat |
| staff as well. The Americans with Disabilities Act | | | | surprising that this was the case. Things may |
| (ADA) of 1990 specifies that no-one must be | | | | have changed in the last few years, but the |
| discriminated against, in the sense that they must | | | | problem of unemployment amongst the physically |
| not be excluded from having right of access to or | | | | disabled may still be attributed to a lack of access |
| enjoyment of your premises, for having a | | | | to work or at work. |
| disability. | | | | Making your place of work accessible for disabled |
| That said, a high proportion of disabled people are | | | | people can be somewhat costly, but since most |
| unemployed. This may be for many reasons, | | | | disabled-friendly modifications are required by law |
| including of course the fact that the specific | | | | anyway, and funding may be available, it's time to |
| disability may mean that the person is unable to | | | | think about making changes. Depending on the |
| work, but even for those who can work, the rate | | | | nature of your business, there will be different |
| of employment is low. This has a significant | | | | options and products that are available and |
| impact on our productivity and economy. Despite | | | | appropriate for your needs. Disabled office |
| many companies claiming that they are in favor | | | | workers will require different accessibility |
| of equal opportunities, how many actually put this | | | | strategies to those who work in a factory or on |
| into practice when it comes to disability at work? | | | | a farm for example. Your modifications should |
| A study in 1995 by Jones and colleagues (Percept | | | | also take into account the different types of |
| Mot Skills 1995; 81:911-919) found that even | | | | disability - we automatically tend to think of the |
| people who did not consider themselves to be | | | | "disabled" as being those in wheelchairs, but in |
| discriminatory against disabled people, felt | | | | reality the term "disability" encompasses things like |
| uncomfortable working with them, and that men | | | | blindness, deafness, someone who uses a walker |
| and older people felt more uncomfortable that | | | | or cane, or someone who has missing limbs, so |
| women. | | | | simply installing wheelchair ramps and an |
| Another research project in Finland in 1999 | | | | adjustable height desk may not be enough. |
| (Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation 1999; 9:4) | | | | Seeking the advice of an expert occupational |
| studied physically disabled persons at work and | | | | adviser or mobility equipment supplier is essential, |
| discovered that far fewer accessibility | | | | as they will not only recommend the best |
| modifications were made in the workplace | | | | modifications to put in place, but they will also help |
| compared to at home. A disabled person does, of | | | | you to put them into place in accordance with the |
| course, have greater freedom in choosing the | | | | ADA. |