Barrier-free workplaces
If a company employs people with disabilities, the workplace must be barrier-free. The barrier-free design must take into account the individual requirements and the assurance of the employees concerned. Good planning aids are provided, for example, by the employers' liability insurance associations.
The interior and exterior of a company can be designed with ramps or automatic door openers so that employees with disabilities can move around without assistance and perform their work independently. Accessibility not only promotes the productivity of employees, but also prevents accidents at work. If companies already take barrier-free design principles into account during new construction and renovation, this pays off economically in the long term. Subsequent adaptation costs are eliminated and workers without disabilities can also benefit from intelligent solutions.
An overview of this article:
Requirements for barrier-free workplaces
Accessibility refers not only to the workplace, but also to the work equipment such as the hardware and software, doors and stairs, traffic routes, escape routes, emergency exits, orientation systems, lighting, washrooms and toilets or the furniture.
Requirements for barrier-free workplaces:
- Perceptibility
- Recognizability
- Accessibility
- Usability
- controllability by the user
Design principles:
In order to meet as many needs of people with disabilities as possible, there are far-reaching design principles that go beyond ergonomic standards.
Design for the group with the most far-reaching needs
Planning is geared towards ensuring that as many people as possible can participate, taking into account a specific usage situation in which employees or other people have the most extensive needs.
Example: In a hospital, the doors must be wide enough for nursing staff to push beds through and for people in wheelchairs to pass through. In this case, the group with the most far-reaching needs is the nursing staff.
Two-channel-principle (good accessibility and usability)
The design principle of good accessibility and usability applies here. This means that when using a product, a low or non-existent capability is replaced by an alternative capability.
Example: Activities must be able to be carried out with one hand or be possible both standing and sitting.
Two-senses-principle (good perceptibility and recognizability)
The two-senses principle must be observed when designing barrier-free buildings. This involves designing according to the principle of good perceptibility and recognisability. This means that at least two of the three senses of sight, hearing or touch must be addressed. However, it should be noted that not all people are taken into account.
Example: For deaf and blind people, alarm signals must be audible and visible or emit a vibration signal at the same time. However, deaf-blind people cannot perceive purely acoustic-visual signals, which must be taken into account during planning.
Legal and design requirements for barrier-free workplaces are set out in the German Workplace Ordinance (ArbStättV), the technical rules for workplaces (ASR) and various DIN standards and regulations (e.g. DIN 18040 on barrier-free construction, DIN EN ISO 6285 on ergonomics, VDU workstation ordinance).
Risk assessment as a basis for planning
The central instrument in occupational safety is the risk assessment. A systematic examination of the workplace shows where there are accident or other health risks and what changes are necessary. Escape routes in particular must be taken into account here. Trained occupational safety specialists carry out such risk assessments. The employers' liability insurance associations can also provide advice and support in this regard.
Advice and possible cost units
Companies can obtain advice on barrier-free planning and design from the employers' liability insurance associations. In the case of special disability-specific aspects (e.g. visual impairment, hearing impairment), support is provided above all by the technical advisory services of the Integration Office (Inclusion Office) or the Federal Employment Agency.
Help is also available from the Chambers of Crafts, Chambers of Architects and Engineers or experts specialising in accessibility.