A framework for disability in the new ways of working

Bridging the gap between diversity, equity and inclusion policy and practice: the case of disability

“…Third, we found that the shift towards knowledge-based work can limit job opportunities for people with certain disabilities, particularly those who cannot perform complex tasks or use computers effectively. Recently, technology has become a substantial part of work and, while it can benefit people with sensorial and physical disabilities by offering accessible software that facilitates work (for example, speech-to-text or screen readers), as well as allowing them to work from home (Klinksiek et al, 2023; Schur et al, 2020), it can become a barrier for people with intellectual disabilities. As such, the inclusion of this latter group in knowledge-based organisations can become challenging, just as the increasing reliance on high-skilled workers and the outsourcing of manual jobs (Mahony et al, 2008) can become barriers to these companies hiring people with intellectual disabilities.…”

“…In addition, workspaces and technology are often inaccessible to people with disabilities, despite policies that are supposed to guarantee accessibility. This contributes to workplace exclusion, as inaccessibility restricts the full participation of employees with disabilities in organisational life (Klinksiek et al, 2023; Van Laer et al, 2020). Finally, despite anti-discrimination and equal-opportunity policies, employees with disabilities still face discriminatory biases associated, for instance, with stereotypes of lower performance and affective reactions of pity (Colella and Varma, 1999; Colella et al, 1997; Lyons et al, 2018).…”

Universal Design for the Workplace: Ethical Considerations Regarding the Inclusion of Workers with Disabilities

“…The equitable use principle contributes to developing workplaces that do not disadvantage or stigmatize any groups of workers. When exploring discrimination patterns, prior research in organization studies has shown that workers with disabilities usually suffer from a gap in work-related outcomes compared to other workers (Fevre et al, 2013;Foster & Wass, 2013;Klinksiek et al, 2023). Although not exclusively, workspace accessibility is one of the main explanations of this disability gap (Klinksiek et al, 2023;Van Lear The use of the design is easy to understand regardless of the user's experience, knowledge, language skills or concentration levels Perceptible information…”

“…Although these practices (also called new ways of working) bring benefits, they can also disable the work outcomes of workers with disabilities. Practices such as using activity-based offices or shared workspaces can be expected to aggravate the "disability gaps" between workers, potentially leading to work-impairment coordination, perceptions of justice, isolation or privacy concerns (Klinksiek et al, 2023). Therefore, work environments that are generally versatile and adaptable, enabling diverse workstyles and activities, tend to avoid such pitfalls.…”

“I prefer working with mares, like women, difficult in character but go the extra mile”: A study of multiple inequalities in equine (sports) business

“…Scholars also refute that Acker's work is outdated in the new economy (Benschop & van den Brink, 2019), where traditional organizations offering long‐term security diminish in favor of precarious gig‐like contracts. For instance, some recent studies reflect on how coworking spaces (Sargent et al., 2021) and activity‐based working (Klinksiek et al., 2023), which are no longer tied to traditional bureaucratic practices but rely on flatter, self‐managed teams and social networking, both reduce and reproduce inequality for different groups of women and disabled persons. Other studies in the cultural arts sector demonstrate how women are disproportionately affected by cultural norms about domestic responsibilities and industry norms of total flexibility and commitment (Handy & Rowlands, 2014; Johansson & Lindström Sol, 2022).…”