How Job Design for Disability Improves Work for Everyone
Research shows that when teams include someone with a disability, coworkers reassess how tasks are done and generate ideas that minimize inefficiencies and improve work for all.
David Dwertmann, Stephan Böhm, Kristie McAlpine, and Mukta KulkarniMay 14, 2026Reading Time: 10 min
Summary:
Many physical accommodations that were originally designed to help people with disabilities, such as curb cuts, now benefit everyone. The ...
Disability-related innovations are all around us. Curb cuts in sidewalks, originally designed for wheelchair users, benefit caregivers with strollers, travelers with suitcases, and delivery workers with hand trucks. Automatic doors intended for individuals with mobility impairments are convenient for all. Blurred backgrounds in video calls, standing desks and ergonomic keyboards, and speech and voice recognition tools were all designed to assist people by minimizing distractions, easing lipreading, reducing chronic pain, and supporting people with mobility impairments — and all are now...
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