According to the WHO, up to 25% of all people are considered limited or disabled and may therefore have difficulties with certain barriers on the computer. 70% of the limitations are not visible according to an SAP report and are therefore not even known to the employers.
These figures show that every company should address this issue of (digital) accessibility, as it employs people who are affected themselves. Without support, the company misses out on undiscovered potentials that both reduce productivity and affect work safety.
Where are the digital barriers?
Especially in the digital age, it can be difficult for older, limited or disabled people to complete computer and Internet related tasks. Digital barriers to working in these areas are manifold and can quickly become a major problem for affected employees. Typical barriers are fonts that are difficult to read, color differences that are hardly recognizable for color-blind people, picture and video subtitles, foreign languages, etc..
In order to counteract these problems, open communication about the topic in the company should be encouraged. This gives affected employees a signal that their individual problems will be dealt with in an understanding and trusting manner.
An optimal way to ensure that employees can work in an individually adapted and discreet way is the use of software tools. Products like the “Employee Experience Toolkit” by abilitools support employees in overcoming obstacles in the Internet and Web applications.
The Connection to the Employee Experience
With such approaches not only the employees benefit, but also the company itself. Because when a company invests in its employees, the Employee Experience can improve.
“The Employee Experience is the sum of all points of contact that an employee has with his or her employer, from the time he or she applies for a job until he or she leaves the company”.
Quote Deloitte
Companies that invest in the Employee Experience have an average of 4x higher profit per employee. Jacob Morgan comes to this conclusion in his book “The Employee Experience Advantage“. This massive increase in profits is summarized in the following example:
A company invests in its employees. This positively affects the Employee Experience. Due to higher appreciation and support, employees become more satisfied and identify more with the company. This is followed by an increase in the so-called Employee Engagement. This concept describes how much employees feel connected to their company and how much commitment they show at work. Through increased engagement, employees are more motivated, work longer, are more likely to accept challenges and are more likely to recommend their company to others.
Achieving potentials through digital accessibility at work
These correlations and statistical evaluations show what potentials exist. A company may become even more successful with relatively little effort and the existing employees. Some enterprises already provide digital accessibility at work and use the advantages resulting thereof. However, a high number of companies have not yet been able to recognize these extraordinary possibilities. Take your chance, be a pioneer and offer your employees the best opportunity to develop their individuality independently and feel fully integrated.
Overcome digital barriers with a few kicks using the Employee Experience Toolkit
The Toolkit is a browser software – specially developed for the requirements of companies – for accessibility in the digital workplace. It provides affected employees with the right tools to overcome browser barriers with just a few clicks.