Gomez, JL Langdon, PM, Bichard, JA and Clarkson, PJ (2014)
In the new digital era, workplaces are constantly changing to incorporate, e.g. new information and communication technologies (ICTs), as well as ergonomic features that attempt to improve the wellbeing of workers.
Such technological advances, along with globalisation and demographic changes (i.e. ageing populations, falling birth rates and migration) have modified the world of work that we used to know: organisations have increasingly capitalised on ideas, creativity and potential contributions of their employees (Burke and Ng 2006).
Despite this, the Employment Forum on Disability (EFD 2008) highlighted that some changes (e.g. computers, work stations and training), which should make working conditions easier for employees, often create greater barriers for workers with a disability.
In this context, Greisler and Stupak (2002) indicate that, for example, many industrialised countries see technological progress ‘as a ready means through which governments can address issues of social exclusion’.
However, inaccessible technologies may be a cause of major exclusion in the workplace for disabled workers who cannot interact with such technologies (Foster 2011) and with the built environment.