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function capabilities and the independence of people with disabilities. The cost of assistive technology must be reasonable for both the employer and the employee. Low-tech and high-tech assistive technology are available (Boucher 2018). Fernández-Batanero et al. (2022) differentiate low-tech as technology that does not require programming, while high-tech needs programming. Low- tech is simple and less expensive, such as magnifiers and pencils, while the high-tech is complex and expensive, such as advanced braille applications. Other important assistive technology would assist with personal care, time- keeping and food preparation.
Different types of disabilities require different technolo- gies to navigate everyday life. People with physical disabil- ities such as cerebral palsy might need a wheelchair or a walker to navigate the environment. People with neurode- velopmental disabilities such as dyslexia may need text-to- speech software to assist in learning. People who are hard of hearing might need a cochlear implant or a hearing aid; people with a visual impairment might need glasses, a guide dog or a white cane. High-tech devices may include using a computer with software like ZoomText and Jaws.
Accessibility and the built environment
Access and accessibility are often used interchangeably in literature. However, access is the person’s perspective, whereas accessibility is about the location (Pourramazani and Miralles-Garcia 2022). In this study, accessibility is the ability of people with disabilities to enter and work in the public service. It is relevant as the barriers and facilitators to access are determinants of successful employment of people with disabilities. Accessibility is accessing the built environment, such as the building (McKinney and Amosun 2020). Access to the physical environment facilitates inclusion and participation for people with disabilities.
The environment can limit or promote the activities performed outside the home by people with disabilities (McKinney and Amosun 2020). It should be ensured that all built environments apply universal design to accommodate all groups of people (Duman and Uzunoglu 2021). The environment is closely linked to the social model of disability. The social model emphasises the intervention in terms of the environment rather than the individual. The physical environment, such as infrastructure, equipment and machinery, has been identified as a significant barrier or facilitator to access and participation (Mika 2021).
McKinney and Amosun (2020) conducted a study in South Africa on the lived experiences of people with disabilities in the built environment. The study revealed that although there are legislations and policies to promote an inclusive South Africa, people with disabilities still struggle to move freely in society.
Strategies to access and retain employment
The strategies for retaining people with disabilities in employment are social support, reasonable accommodation, and career advancement.
Social support
Social support is a multidimensional construct that provides emotional, informational, appraisal, and tangible resources for coping with disability in the workplace. It offers assistance within an interpersonal relationship, comprising a reciprocal exchange of resources between individuals (Gumani 2014). This type of support can be more beneficial for women with disabilities in the workplace as it may include information sharing, collaboration in solving problems, and emotional support. Social support promotes psychological well-being (Cimarolli and Wang 2006), self- esteem and self-control, and it acts as a buffer against the effects of stress (Manitsa and Doikou 2022). There are five types of social support: emotional, informational, esteem, tangible, and network (Cutrona and Russell 1990). Without social support, women with disabilities may experience strain in the workplace (Papadopoulos et al. 2015).
Reasonable accommodation
According to the National Strategic Framework on Reasonable Accommodation (2020), reasonable accommodation refers to reducing the impact of disability on a person’s capacity to discharge the job’s essential functions (Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities 2020). The disabled person must first be able to disclose voluntarily. The employer must budget for reasonable accommodation, and it must be a cross-cutting issue from recruitment, selection, and employment to the termination of employment of the person living with a disability (Olsen 2024). This includes making the workplace physically accessible, workstation modification, and work schedule adjustments. The nature and allocation of duties should be modified, re-assigning non-essential tasks elsewhere. Reasonable accommodation includes transportation arrangements, personal assistants, and assistive technology for the entire duration of employment (Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities 2020). The assistive technology assists in accessing information to complete tasks efficiently (Visagie et al. 2020). It further enables people with disabilities to achieve the highest level of independence possible (Olsen 2024). According to Dong et al. (2017) the employee must be familiar with the organisational process of requesting reasonable accommodation. When appropriate reasonable accommodation is provided, women with disabilities will likely work longer in that organisation.
Career advancement
People with disabilities, including women, experience challenges in career advancement or promotion at their
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