Model for adjusting workplaces for employees with visual and hearing disabilities

The Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities guarantees that the same rights recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 are respected for persons with disabilities, including the right to work and employment. In reality, one of the problems that represent greater difficulty for people with disabilities is to get successfully involved in work environments. There are several factors to be taken into account, among them, the lack of necessary conditions in the workplace. Hence, there is a need of a model to guide the adjustment of workplaces for employees with disabilities. The model proposed in this study guide the adaptation and use of technical aids and assistive technology for ICT related activities in the workplace. The model involves five steps: characterization of the employee; workplace adjustment; employee training; managing an evidence repository; and assessment and improvement. In the present study, we focus in visual and hearing disabilities and developed an online tool based in an algorithm that uses a decision tree for each disability. In future, we will incorporate more disabilities to the algorithm. The ultimate goal is to minimize the barriers a person with disabilities encounter in their workplace when starting a new job.