Type of Project: In-house project
Inclusion opportunities, exclusion risks and task changes for peoples with disabilities as a consequence of use of software tools and digital technologies on the example of cooperative and simple tasks

Considering the fact that people with disabilities are underemployed, this project mainly focuses on how (new) technologies could improve their chances in the (primary) labour market. Technologies could potentially open new doors for people with disabilities (opportunities), but at the same time cause their exclusion (risks). Therefore, this project will address these components of the implementation of technologies on several levels; from the point of view of the literature, the target group and experts in the field, and the results of the case studies conducted in the field. To this end, a comprehensive literature review was conducted to assess the existing knowledge on types of technologies, work tasks and other factors to be considered. The results of this review are currently being prepared for publication. Second, as it was found that the target group is rarely asked for their opinion on the opportunities and risks that the technologies have brought for them, 17 focus groups were held in which people with different types of disabilities expressed their opinions and experiences and discussed the opportunities and challenges. Participants were recruited from several sheltered workshops for people with disabilities, institutions and associations. Most of the discussions took place in a face-to-face format, and some were online, as preferred by the participants. The results of this study are also being analysed and will be published soon. Having gathered information from various sources, it was also considered important to get feedback from experts in the field, not only on the different technologies, but also on the ways in which they are used and their potential risks. For this purpose, a Delphi study is planned for October-November 2024.

To explore the possibility of learning new digital skills for people with disabilities, a case study was conducted. In particular, we focused on low-code/no-code (LCNC) platforms, where "citizen developers" can develop apps and websites without any IT background or previous knowledge. In this context, 6 people with disabilities from the Iserlohner Werkstätten visited the BAuA for a week, where they learned how to use a no-code (NC) platform and develop chatbots for the needs of their sheltered workshop. By the end of the week, each individual had successfully developed 3-4 chatbots. The selected chatbots are currently being implemented in the sheltered workshops, where the rest of the employees are using them on a daily basis.