Accommodating working conditions of persons with disabilities

Introduction
Accommodating working conditions facilitates the employment and work continuity of persons with disabilities. The objective of this study was to determine what accommodating solutions have been introduced into the work content and working conditions of persons with disabilities in the open labour market.

Methods
This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study. A total of 205 persons (74% female, 26% male) who received support for a disability from The Social Insurance Institution of Finland and worked in the open labour market participated. The participants had a musculoskeletal, visual, or hearing disorder or a communication problem. The research was carried out using the internet-based research and information gathering system of Digium Enterprise.

Results
The workers with a disability were more enthusiastic about their work (p<0.0001) than Finnish wage-earners in general. Most of the implemented work accommodations dealt with worktime, possibilities to affect the work or self, and the measurements and functionality of the workstation. Of the different disability groups, the workers with visual dysfunctions had had more accommodations made in their workstations. The workers for whom sufficient accommodations had been made in their working conditions felt that their work ability was better than the others (p=0.0036). They also had a better opportunity for social support, equal treatment, work management and development, and participation in the work done at their workplaces. These workers also felt that the cooperation between their employer, occupational health professionals, and rehabilitation professionals functioned better (p=0.0016). Fewer than half (47%) of the respondents reported that the occupational health care unit familiarised itself with the worker’s work and workstation in conjunction with a workplace survey.

Discussion
Accommodating working conditions makes it possible to work in the open labour market regardless of a disability. The preparedness of occupational health care to support persons with a disability should be improved.