That’s the premise behind concepts like universal design – developing tools and products that can be used by almost anyone of any ability. It’s also often a by-product of some assistive technology devices.

According to a recent report in the San Jose Business Journal, assistive technology for the office, like hands-free keyboards or voice recognition software, may seem more expensive up-front, but investing in the tools that make a job easier for a disabled worker could actually save employers money through increased productivity in both the disabled and able-bodied worker, as well as through decreased workers compensation claims.

“The value of [ergonomically-designed] products to us as taxpayers are far greater than the cost of the technology,” Jon Simkovitz, president of Keyboard Alternatives, a California reseller of computer equipment for the disabled, told the San Jose Business Journal.

But a greater stumbling block to the cost may be the reluctance of hardware and software manufacturers to develop new products for a disabled market. “The biggest problem is the perception that there isn’t a market out there. They say, ‘We don’t see how we could sell 20,000 of these devices,’” Maria Nicolacoudis, executive director of TransAccess, a nonprofit organization that trains people with disabilities to use computers, told the publication. Personally, though, she sees a much greater market than manufacturers see – her own organization also works with workers requiring rehabilitation to return to work following an injury.

Nicolacoudis notes, however, that even as prices of assistive technology come down, it may still seem expensive to pay more for a custom-designed keyboard or a voice-recognition system. But ergonomically-designed office components can ultimately save an employer substantial money in workers compensation costs by preventing work-related injuries, like certain musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), before they happen, as well as by improving worker productivity for workers of all capacities.

Source: Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal