Disability support measures and their implementation

Disability Support Measures

Disabilities are a part of life for many people. The loss of an arm or leg, or the loss of functions that the body can perform, are cases of accident- or illness-related disabilities, and therefore require special attention at the workplace. When newly disabled people wish to return to the workplace, both the workers in question, their colleagues and their employers should keep in mind the various measures necessary to make the transition smoothly. One way to make the transition as easy as possible is to focus on the worker's still-existing abilities rather than on the disability. The disability should not however be ignored or even feared. Instead, disabled workers should be encouraged to share their experiences and the issues that they face on a daily basis because of their disability.

Specifically, in the case of an insulin dependent diabetes checkout operator who returns to work after the amputation of her leg, there are certain specific measures an employer can take to ensure that her transition back to her working life is without difficulty. The best way to approach this would be to first consult with the worker in order to ensure that she is ready to return to work. For this purpose, the employer might use the services of a professional psychologist or medical expert to assess the employee's readiness to reenter her workstation. The employee should also be assured of the employer's willingness to do everything in his power to make sure that her return to work is smooth.

In the event that the employee is found fit to continue with her duties, the employer should also take some practical measures to ensure the employee's safety and comfort. It should for example be recognized that she will arrive at her workstation in either a wheelchair or crutches. Accessibility to the workplace and to her workstation itself should then be optimized to accommodate this. There should for example be a wheelchair accessible ramp at the front of the building, to increase accessibility to the workplace. The work station should be enlarged to accommodate a wheelchair and/or crutches, so that the employee's comfort and accessibility are guaranteed. It should also be kept in mind that the employee will need regular and easy access to the bathrooms for the insulin shots that she needs. Disability bathroom facilities should be installed for this purpose. These facilities should be fairly close to the employee's workstation. Furthermore, the facility should be easily accessible for a person using a wheelchair or crutches.

In terms of emotional support, an on-site consultant can be hired to help the employee with her transition from convalescence to work, and with the emotional aspects of returning to work in a disabled state. This consultant can also be used for training fellow employees towards sensitivity for the needs of the returned worker.

The telephone switchboard operator who lost the use of his right hand and arm following a stroke can be treated in the same general manner as the checkout operator. A consultation with the employer can for example ensure that the employee is indeed ready to return to work. In this case, the workplace equipment should also be adjusted. As the operator's dominant right side is now out of commission, workplace equipment such as the telephone and computer mouse should be located at his left-hand side.