The £20 guide, available on a CD, is described as a user-friendly source of practical information designed to enable anyone to set up their workstation correctly, adjust their computer settings to suit their individual requirements and maximise their personal comfort.
These straightforward modifications are easy to implement and can significantly reduce the risk of staff taking time out for stress, back, wrist or eye strain or RSI, which currently costs the economy over four million working days a year, according to the charity.
A 2003 survey of 15,000 US adults of working age, carried out by Forrester Research, showed that 60% could benefit from the use of accessible technology due to physical or visual difficulties and impairments which have a negative impact on their computer use. And AbilityNet reckons that whatever is good for employee health and morale is undoubtedly good for the bottom line.
Its "Very Best CD of Office Sense" covers all the common mistakes with photo illustrations and includes a summary of the legislative context for employers. It advises on inexpensive hardware and software solutions – many of which are available for free as standard accessibility options in Windows – to prevent and manage temporary loss of function and longer term disability.
AbilityNet's Operations Director, David Banes said:
"Many problems which affect PC use can be avoided with the appropriate technology. Simple adjustments can be of tremendous help to staff with dyslexia or poor sight, in addition to temporary conditions such as whiplash, a neck injury or a broken arm. None of these should prevent an employee from gaining full and effective computer access."
The charity says that only 42% of the seven million disabled people of working age in the UK are in employment. Around one in five become disabled whilst in a job and it points out that losing their contribution deprives organisations of a considerable asset often representing a significant investment, in terms of the skills base and experience they will have accumulated over the years. The Employers' Forum on Disability has reported that losing such an employee can cost organisations around £160,000.
