Broadening Diversity and Inclusivity in Human Factors and Ergonomics

Abstract

Diversity and inclusivity are important, with demonstrated impact on numerous outcomes, including breadth, creativity, and innovation of work as well as satisfaction and commitment to organizations. The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) Diversity and Inclusion Committee is charged with increasing diversity and inclusiveness within the society and, by extension, within the Human Factors and Ergonomics (HF/E) profession. We conducted a thematic analysis of an alternative format session at the HFES 2019 Annual Meeting, focusing on a breakout session where attendees discussed “Broadening Participation in HF/E.” Participants reported current levels of diversity and inclusion in the HF/E profession are lacking due to a limited early knowledge about the field compounded by resource barriers, which ultimately prevents involvement in outreach activities intended to increase participation. Thoughtfully designed outreach activities and partnerships with relevant organizations and individuals could mitigate these factors, provided outreach activities are designed to be accessible to all.

Designing a Website for Adolescents to Introduce Human Factors Methods and Concepts

“…Despite being a combination of multiple disciplines and being relevant to all the systems, technologies, and environments we interact with as humans, those implementing human factors methods are part of a very niche professional and academic community. Further, exposure to the field itself seldom occurs before later into a student's undergraduate career (Spiwak, Wooldridge, & Lusebrink, 2021). It can be suggested that there is a bidirectional effect of the lack of exposure to the field for high school students; lack of interest due to unawareness creates less demand for sources that are accessible to general populations.…”