Technologies such as AI-supported assistance solutions, robotics, assistive systems, and accessible, digital tools can make it easier for people with disabilities to join the workforce and promote their independence. It is decisive to take account of relevant factors when developing and applying such technologies in order to enable human-centred approaches to participation in working life that promote inclusion. At the same time, questions have to be asked about the extent to which technological innovations in work contexts actually contribute to inclusion - and what opportunities and risks are associated with them.

New Technologies, above all the use of artificial intelligence (AI), are particularly promising as ways of improving individual and situational support for people with disabilities. AI can help them overcome barriers and open up new options for participation in working life. At the same time, it is essential to analyse the risks AI entails, such as discrimination against applicants with disabilities, the loss of jobs suitable for people with cognitive limitations, or ethical problems raised by data gathering methods.

The inclusiveness of innovative technologies is a significant aspect of the working conditions experienced by people with disabilities. Inclusiveness requires diverse needs and requirements (e.g. relating to accessibility) to be taken into account when these technologies are developed. The preconditions under which the use of new technologies successfully promotes inclusion and the challenges it throws up are discussed in baua: Aktuell 3/2025 (pp. 8 and 9, German).

Our research

In seeking to highlight the opportunities and risks for inclusion that flow from technological solutions, BAuA is engaged at the interface of ergonomics and rehabilitation studies, carrying out targeted investigations into how new technologies can support inclusive work design. The research conducted to date in this area has shown that a variety of factors influence the inclusive, human-centred design of work. A scientific literature search was conducted about this topic as part of the research project Inclusion Opportunities, Exclusion Risks and Task Changes for People with Disabilities as a Consequence of Use of Software Tools and Digital Technologies on the Example of Cooperative and Simple Tasks. This literature search looked specifically at the use of new technologies to support people with disabilities in vocational contexts and summarised the latest findings on this topic.

Further studies, including interviews and group discussions, supplied valuable insights into the use of technologies in the workplace. Among other things, for instance, consideration of the target group’s requirements and individual needs, training, and feedback mechanisms are of particular significance for the development and implementation of technological solutions in the workplace. The same is also true for technological accessibility, which is a material factor influencing the use of new technologies at work. Simultaneously, managers and colleagues and the role of the team are also of tremendous importance for successful participation in working life.

Furthermore, it is currently being investigated what opportunities and challenges digital communication technologies create for teamwork between people with and without disabilities in what are known as mixed-ability teams. Team membership can be an important resource in daily working life, above all if inclusion is promoted and actively lived out. At the same time, an absence of positive relationships within a team can result in employees with disabilities not being taken seriously or even being stigmatised in their teams. Many of the communication technologies currently used by teams are not yet accessible. Against this background, it is not only apparent that the accessible development and accessible use of digital technologies are decisive for successful collaboration in mixed-ability teams. What is more, digital solutions plainly open up new opportunities for participation, but also confront teams with challenges relating to accessibility and social dynamics. Continued research is therefore to be conducted into the connections between technologies and teamwork in mixed-ability teams, with the findings being incorporated into the design of future work processes.

Another research strand is addressing artificial intelligence and its implications for inclusion. The use of AI and AI-based assistive systems offers highly promising opportunities to improve individual and situational support for people with disabilities. AI can accordingly help them overcome barriers and open up new opportunities for participation in working life. Meanwhile, it is necessary to ask what risks are associated with the use of such technologies. The potential advantages and possible risks of AI and its impacts on vocational participation are to be investigated in this field of research.