Accessibility in the workplace has widespread benefits

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Tuesday, 2 August 2016 09:43am

Almost half of all EU citizens living with a disability are unemployed, a new study commissioned by Microsoft has revealed. As people increasingly rely on technology to get their jobs done, the report also showed that many employees who are Deaf, blind, vision, hearing or cognitive impaired, or who have a physical disability, are finding it harder to participate productively in workplaces that are not technologically accessible.

Image of ‘thumbs up’ signifying ‘good’

Image of ‘thumbs up’ signifying ‘good’

 

The June 2016 study by Forrester Research which has just been released, examined how organisations across Europe have integrated accessible technologies and strategies, and the tangible benefits that this has delivered for them.

Over 80% of organisations surveyed from across both the private and public sectors agree that their accessibility strategies have helped them build a more inclusive workforce from a broader talent pool, or helped them retain employees who have acquired a disability.

Just as importantly, the benefits of rolling-out accessible technologies across an entire organisation were found to stretch well beyond the immediate value for employees with disabilities. 80% of private sector and 75% of public sector organisations highlighted that in doing so, they were able to increase productivity and efficiency among their entire workforce.

So not only is making a place of work technologically accessible – in terms of providing digital access and being able to send out accessible web and digital communications – good for staff, consumers, members, suppliers and other stakeholders… it’s good for business too.

If your organisation or department could use a little help making the workplace more accessible in terms of developing and then implementing a digital access strategy, contact the Media Access Australia digital accessibility services team.


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