There are an estimated 100 million persons with disabilities in Europe. EU-level data consistently shows just how much less likely persons with disabilities are to be employed than their non-disabled peers. The latest figures suggest that only 51.3% of persons with disabilities in the European Union are employed, compared to 75.6% of persons without disabilities. We also observe a high correlation between employment rates and how high or moderate a person’s need for support is. The future of Europe and the prosperity of the European Union is dependent on building a labour market that is inclusive and flexible enough to welcome all kinds of workers, not least persons with disabilities. Improving job opportunities and fighting discrimination against persons with disabilities in recruitment and employment have been part of public discourse for decades. And yet nowhere, in no single country, have we managed to observe a real success story. In the European Union, the employment rates of persons with disabilities show no substantive improvement, particularly when we look at full-time work and jobs in the open labour market, as well as the situation of women and young persons with disabilities.

It is time to learn from our failure to make real, concrete progress in this area. Nearly all EU Member States provide support for reasonable accommodation in the form of grants, tax subsidies or the direct provision of equipment. Despite this, the provision of reasonable accommodation to allow persons with disabilities to carry out their work remains one of the key barriers they face, through the EU employment equality directive since 2000, reasonable accommodation guidelines do not exist, and it has proven to be one of the most difficult rights to implement across the Member States. Within the workplace, reasonable accommodation is a modification or adjustment to a job, the work environment, or the hiring process that enable an individual with a disability to have an equal opportunity not only to obtain a job but also successfully perform their job tasks to the same extent as people without disabilities (PwoD). Even though many companies provide a modified environment for people with disabilities (PwD), the workplace is still a challenge for many.

InclusiVR@Work aims to create inclusive work environments in Europe where individuals of all abilities feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique skills and perspectives. We will achieve this by harnessing Virtual Reality (VR) technology to provide immersive experiences that cultivate empathy, allowing companies and HR managers to better understand the challenges faced by colleagues with disabilities.

Objectives

The primary objective of the InclusiVR@Work Project is to: "reduce the employability gap of people with disabilities in European workplaces by promoting understanding, empathy and reasonable accommodation". The InclusiVR@Work Project uses VR and simulations as a lens through which to experience narrative and deconstruct assumptions about disability through the creation of three new Disability Simulation (DS). Through these VR disability simulations we hope to modify attitudes regarding people with disabilities by placing people without disabilities, notably VET professionals and HR/Hiring Managers within companies, in guided situations that are designed for them to experience what it is like to have a disability. These simulations will also be used to raise disability inclusion and advocate for reasonable accommodation to ensure that people with disabilities have equal opportunities to enter, succeed and thrive in the workplace.

In order to achieve these objectives, we will produce the following concrete results:

01

Create 3 new immersive VR experiences that accurately depict the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities in the workplace.

These experiences will be designed to simulate 1. sensory, 2. physical and 3.intellectual disabilities.

02

Raise awareness about disability inclusion in the workplace and educate stakeholders about the importance of creating environments where individuals of all abilities feel valued and empowered to contribute, through a new InclusiVR@Work MOOC

03

Deconstruct assumptions and stereotypes through the design and implementation of Disability Simulation (DS) scenarios that provide participants with insights that lead to a more nuanced understanding of disability-related challenges

04

Train and support 60 VET professionals to use and exploit the InclusiVR@Work project results in their training practices with companies, employees and CVET learners.

05

Advocate for reasonable accommodation in the workplace to ensure equal opportunities for employees with disabilities. Through the digital platform we will demonstrate 12 best practice cases of disability inclusion within companies to promote uptake and transfer.

06

Ensure widespread dissemination of the project results, outcomes and methodologies through a comprehensive dissemination and transfer strategy

The InclusiVR@Work Project stands out for its comprehensive approach to promoting disability inclusion in the workplace through a combination of immersive VR experiences, online education, stereotype deconstruction, CPD training for VET professionals, and advocacy for reasonable accommodation; all of which represent a significant innovation in VET in terms of its capacity to address the persistent and structural biases that exclude people with disabilities from having equal access to the labour market. We are working directly with VET professionals and HR managers, so that they will become advocates for disability inclusion in their organisations.

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