HAS TECHNOLOGY HELPED OR HINDERED DISABILITY EMPLOYEMENT?
Technology has far and away meaningfully impacted the world in which we live. Need proof? Look no farther than the businessman in the Holiday Inn Express hotel room, video chatting with his wife and son through his new iPhone 4 digital camera with built in FaceTime.
While the new gadgets are great, one must pause and reflect on the true benefits technology conveys to the masses. When examined in terms of large scale benefits, technology seems to cater towards the tech savvy early gadget adopters.
One area that technology has yet to reach its full potential in is disability employment.
Diversity training professionals have much to explore in terms of effectively implementing technology to increase the diversity of their organization. One area worthy of exploration is online job application. Companies are increasingly using the Internet to showcase job opportunities and encourage job application. However, these opportunities are only as good as the means in which they are communicated.
For example, consider that about 20% of the American people are affected by an impairment that hinders technology use (i). However, there are measures that Web developers can take to increase the online accessibility of their Web pages.
Netmechanic, Inc., asserts that one such measure includes using link text in addition to, or in lieu of, image links (ii). This supports intuitive navigation. For example, compare the use of a shopping cart image to the actual link text View Items and Checkout! The icon relies on the user's ability to correctly identify the image as a shopping cart, and to tie that identification with the assumption that the link will lead to a place where he or she will pay for each of their items. Using link text, on the other hand, reduces the possibility for confusion.
In short, disability employers have much to consider when extending themselves online. Hiring for diversity online is futile if accessibility is ignored.
SOURCE - http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ellen_Theresa
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