FAQs

Answers.

Ergonomics in the workplace for persons with disabilities must be dealt with in different areas within the organisation, as a multidisciplinary and cross-sectional technique; this is its greatest asset.

As the question is an extensive one we will respond with a couple of general guidelines about where and how it is essential to use ergonomics to adapt the workplace for persons with intellectual disabilities:

- In the design of the job we will consider what conditions it must meet in order to be performed by persons with intellectual disabilities and how we should reorganise or sequence the tasks to enable their performance.

- In the incorporation of the person to the job. We use the "Adaptation profile of the person to the task” method. It assesses the task, and the person, deciding whether it is possible for such person to perform the task, underlining any deficient variables.

- During the performance of the task it is necessary to examine issues that could adversely affect the health of the person by performing a risk assessment. It must also consider the overall work environment: arrival to the centre, accessibility of spaces, emergency action, evacuation, public areas, dining room, dressing room ...

- We will also use the organisation’s management tools: audits, corrective actions ... In social and vocational development activities, we will stress ergonomics: adapted training, handling of weight, use of personal protective equipment, gymnastics and so on. You can read the following documents that we have drafted based on our 25 years of experience working with people with intellectual disabilities. You can download it all for free from the website:

- Method of adaptation profiles of the person to the task. Second revised edition 2004.

- Systematisation of best practices in an Occupational Centre. 2005. It describes some practices that apply ergonomics in the workplace and which can be useful to you.

- Ergohobe: ergonomic Guidelines for the adaptation of jobs for persons with disabilities. 2008. It gathers our experience in the adaptation of jobs.

- Album showing the evolution of the program Ergohobe. 2008. It explains how we carry out a job adaptation program and shows pictures of the adaptations carried out.

- FACTS 53: Ensuring the safety and health of workers with disabilities. European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.

They are ways of working, know-how, aspects of the daily practice of our centres, our daily work, performed with varying intensity in different centres and arising from a consensus about what we mean by "well done ".

Universal design is a strategy whose aim is to make different environments and products accessible, understandable and usable by everyone. The purpose of the universal design concept is to simplify life for everyone. This quality should be carried out in the most independent and natural way as possible, without extra cost or with the minimum possible cost and without the need for adaptations or specialised design solutions.

It also refers to the strategy of designing spaces, environments and products to be easily and effectively used by most users.

Design for all is the most recent addition to our vocabulary and the most currently used among professionals. Thus, the commonly used terms of "integral accessibility", "universal design" and "inclusive design" mean the same as the term "design for all".

Ergonomics is the scientific discipline that seeks to adapt jobs to people in order to improve comfort, safety and health. It has therefore been called the "science of comfort."

Ergonomics applied to the incorporation of people with disabilities in the workplace purports adaptation of jobs by promoting accessibility to them. It also enables the protection of persons with disabilities by improving their working conditions.

ERGO DIS. ERGO OFI: IBV Method. It is a method of analysis and ergonomic evaluation of working conditions that combines the adjustment of the person to the post and the prevention of risks in the workplace. It takes into account the opinion of the worker in analysing the adjustment. ERGO DIS and ERGO OFI are used to design jobs, selecting the right job for the characteristics of the person and to assess the return to previous employment. The program includes a database with recommendations on adaptation solutions.

ERGOHOBE: Technology applied to social and vocational development. Project for the ergonomic optimization of the workplace and the work organisation, with the ultimate aim of achieving the adaptation of jobs and the elimination of architectural barriers to communication in our centres for persons with disabilities . It is currently developing an extension of the project called ERGOHOBE BANAKA where the general guidelines applied to social and vocational development are developed from now on based on a new p2p approach.

ADAPREC PROJECT. The project has two main goals: developing a database of recommendations relating to job adaptation and analysis of the different jobs in the industrial field, in order to implement the appropriate adjustments.

The design of workplace facilities is guided by the guidelines provided in the DALCO standards.

The DALCO standards establish the basic requirements to be met to ensure global accessibility. The name DALCO is an acronym (in Spanish) that stands for the requirements of ambulation, handling, location and communication applied for this purpose to environments, products or services.

Lantegi Batuak has developed a "Statement of ergonomic specifications" which defines the minimum requirements for accessibility and comfort in the design phase of new buildings and facilities or in the renovation of facilities. It complements the technical standards that must be respected by the project, gathering experience on the different groups within the Lantegi Batuak Foundation relating to the implementation, use and adequacy of facilities implemented in prior years.

The assistive products are a support aid when adapting a job for a person with a disability, and they can also help to improve the lives of persons without disabilities.

According to UNE-EN ISO 9999: “Assistive products for persons with disabilities. Classification and terminology", a support product is defined as any product (including devices, equipment, tools, technology and software) specially manufactured or available in the market to prevent, compensate, control, mitigate or neutralise impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions.

Note: In this 4th edition of ISO 9999, "assistive product" replaces the term "technical assistance"

They are services aimed at advising on the acquisition, rental or lending of the different assistive products on the market.

Lantegi Batuak, through its Laguntek service, enables the renting, loan or transfer of adapted furniture and any technical assistance that may be required.

We must use simple language without overly technical terms, short sentences and simple grammatical structures.

If necessary, explain things several times in different ways.

Nonverbal language must accompany speech and must be clear (show anger, etc.)..

Continuously check the recipient’s understanding of what is communicated.

Speak at a slow and calm pace, without sounding unnatural or exaggerated. We must let the other person finish his/her ideas without trying to talk to him/her and not interrupt while he/she is speaking.

To make communication more comfortable and easier we can use visual aids such as: - lip-reading -always up close, up front, with repetitions.

- With enough light.

- Keep mouth clear of obstructions.

- Accompany language with facial gestures.

- Drawings in the air.

- Drawing on paper, plans, photographs, ..

During a seizure the following risks are likely to occur:

- Risk of falls: as a pre-emptive measure it is recommended to use a highly stable chair at work, with a high back, on a stool that allows adjusting its height to the work surface, with armrests.

- Risk of blows to the head: to prevent knocking against things, it is recommended to fix buffers on edges and corners near the workplace and to use a leather helmet, such as for pelota or rugby players.

Note: See Best Practices File: Highly stable chair.

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