16th September 2004
Stand to target politicians at autumn party conferences
Leading disability insurer, UnumProvident, has teamed up with RNID, the largest charity representing the UK's nine million deaf and hard of hearing people, to launch the Workplace of the Future (WotF) campaign, targeting both politicians and employers.
The joint venture aims to demonstrate technology's potential to create an environment that allows people unrestricted access to all areas of business, regardless of physical ability. The outcome will be a more diverse workforce, featuring increased numbers of older and disabled workers.
The main feature of the campaign is the WotF stand, which will be present at each of the three main political party conferences this autumn.
Features of the stand include:
- Ergonomically-designed desk and chair
- Mobile textphone, the Nokia 9210i, allowing deaf and hard of hearing people to communicate using text in 'real time'
- Speaking phone, enabling blind and visually impaired people to use SMS and other mobile phone services
- Large trackball computer mouse for people with dexterity problems
- Video - showing employers how technology and small changes to working practices can make workplaces accessible to disabled people
- Testimonials from disabled people who have resumed normal working lives with the aid of assistive technology
Joanne Hindle, Corporate Services Director at UnumProvident, said:
Technology has enormous potential to make workplaces more accessible and to allow disabled people to work effectively and fulfil their potential. The Disability Discrimination Act will apply to all businesses regardless of size as of this October. The changes required under the Act will often be small, costing just a few hundred pounds to do, but they can make a big difference to people's employment prospects, work attachment and retention capability.
RNID Chief Executive, John Low, said:
The contribution that disabled people make in today's workplace has been overlooked for many years. Together with UnumProvident, RNID has shown how easy it is to employ disabled people by using simple and cost effective technology. We hope that employers from around the country will be encouraged to embrace technology to provide an equal playing field in the workplace for people with disabilities.
ENDS