How to ergonomically design the workplace for employees with disabilities

Ergonomics in the workplace has been an increasingly important topic for several years. Many, especially young employees, pay attention to ensuring that their future workplace is ergonomically and healthily designed. However, there are also people who need an ergonomic workplace due to limitations – for example, if they are in a wheelchair. In this article, we will look at how you can design your workplace ergonomically and make it usable for people with disabilities.

Tip: Would you like to read more about exciting topics related to workplace ergonomics? Then feel free to visit the Deskspace blogs. Here you will find numerous articles on various sub-topics & specialist areas.

Workplace for people with disabilities: When there is a right to redesign

Workplaces are becoming increasingly flexible, varied and also diverse – people of all age groups and with very different backgrounds work together in an office, which brings many advantages and new impulses. However, not everyone can cope with "normal" work equipment due to physical conditions and may need special devices for visual impairment. In this section, we will therefore look at when an employer must design a workplace to be accessible and ergonomic for people with disabilities and what that can look like.

Section 164 (4) of the Ninth Book of the Social Code stipulates that people with severe disabilities have a right to a disability-friendly workplace. People are considered severely disabled if they have a degree of disability of 50 or more. There can be various reasons for this, such as reduced mental capacity or a physical disability.

What measures are needed for a disability-friendly workplace always depends on the individual case. For example, for someone with a visual impairment, this would be a special keyboard or a larger screen to be able to see everything. For wheelchair users, on the other hand, the workplace would have to be designed to be barrier-free; this might require larger structural changes.

The employer is always obliged to approve the application for a disability-friendly workplace. It may not be rejected for financial or economic reasons. Only in cases where the costs are very high despite funding and the conversion has only a small benefit, for example, if the employee will only be with the company for a short time, can a rejection take place in individual cases.

In addition to a disability-friendly workplace, it is equally important for all other employees to have an ergonomic workplace. The height-adjustable desk from Deskspace, which promotes a back-friendly working posture, contributes to this. Thanks to many practical functions such as stepless height adjustment and obstacle detection, it is the ideal companion for a healthy and sustainable working day. Feel free to visit our detailed product pages, where you will find all information about the Deskspace Pro!

Ergonomic workplace design for all employees

An ergonomic workplace has many advantages for both employees and the company. It makes all employees more productive and also increases the mood in the office. In addition, sick days can be avoided and tasks can be completed more quickly, which also benefits the company. In this section, we would therefore like to give you general tips on how you and your employer can make all workplaces in the company more ergonomic.

First, some basic values that should be present at an ergonomic workplace. These are general guidelines that make healthy working possible in the first place. We build the ergonomic workplace around these.

These are the most important basics that should be created at an ergonomic workplace:

• A workplace should have a minimum area of 10 square meters, providing enough freedom of movement
• The optimal working temperature is between 20-22 degrees Celsius, regardless of the season. In this climate, most people can concentrate best
• Optimal humidity at the workplace should be between 40 and 60 percent. In winter, you can maintain this with a humidifier
• To ensure you can see everything clearly and don't strain your eyes excessively, we recommend a monitor with a minimum diameter of 22 inches
• The desk height must always be adjusted to the individual user so that the shoulder and neck area is not excessively strained
• For longer sitting periods, you should use an ergonomic office chair to avoid straining your back. An adjustable sit-stand stool would be ideal in this case
• Plants in the office and regular ventilation improve air quality and help you concentrate well even on long days
• The right lighting in the office plays a crucial role in your psyche. If there is not enough daylight, you must compensate with lamps

Ergonomic workplace: Working healthily at your desk

In many professions, you are forced to sit all day – even if there is a solution for this, which we would like to present shortly. To make the workday as healthy as possible, you should observe some important basics when choosing and setting up your desk, which we will look at in more detail here.

When you're sitting at your desk, there are some simple ground rules for correctly adjusting your desk & chair. First, let's look at your legs. You should bend them so that they form an angle of slightly more than 90 degrees. Then adjust the desk height so that your eyes are at most level with the top edge of the screen. Your arms should be bent at approximately a 90-degree angle and resting on the armrests, so that your wrists are relaxed in front of the keyboard. Ideally, there should be no tension in your forearms, as this becomes a problem on long days.

The distance between your eyes and the screen should be about an arm's length to ensure your workplace is ergonomically designed for your eyes. If you still have trouble reading all the content, you probably need vision correction. The lumbar support should be approximately at lumbar spine height.

With a height-adjustable desk from Deskspace and the accompanying sit-stand stool, you create a workplace that is modular and quickly adaptable to all changes. This allows you to always quickly adjust the height of the desk optimally and also work standing up immediately if necessary. Thanks to the spacious desktop with a minimum size of 120cm x 60cm, you always have enough space and don't have to feel cramped. Feel free to check out the Deskspace Pro and the Deskspace Wobble on our website!

Now you know the most important basics that make up a disability-friendly or ergonomic workplace. With a healthy setup, you benefit from better work performance and more power in your leisure time – and often this setup is even paid for by the employer if you talk to them about it. Why not have a chat with your supervisor when you get a chance!