A wide range of robust career paths and opportunities to develop useful skill sets are available through competent trade jobs. But, the market has faced a growing labour shortage over the last years. For example, in February 2022, the poverty level in the skilled industries was at 6.7 %, contributing to the company’s reducing labor, particularly as older people leave. To address this issue, initiatives to expand the deals have been made, starting with learning programs encouraging ladies and minorities to work in the skilled trades industry.
Physical disabilities that may limit an employee’s ability to perform manual labor is even present obstacles to career development and opportunities in the field. In light of this, it is also crucial to ensure equality in the trades to give handicapped, skilled workers opportunities to succeed and contribute to the company’s strength and human resources. But what resources and strategies are available to assist those with physical disabilities in their investments careers?
Above, we’ll examine statistics and show initiatives that promote addition of people with disabilities in the skilled industry professions.
Inclusivity in the skilled fields
The range of skilled deal jobs covers several occupations essential in building and maintaining normal infrastructure, such as gardening, fishing, construction, maintenance, production, and transportation. About one-quarter of those with disabilities who are employed are in the skilled industries, according to a study conducted by the US Census Bureau. According to the same study, the transportation industry employs the highest proportion of disabled workers in the trades, 37 %, followed by production ( 27 % ) and construction ( 29 % ).
Among the number of employed handicapped people working in the skilled trades occupations, more than one-quarter reported experiencing multiple impairments such as reading, vision, and mobile impairments. This underscores the need for resources and initiatives to create a welcoming workplace for qualified trade workers.
Making the industries more attainable
The most frequently reported disability of workers in the trades is hearing loss, according to the US Department of Labor ( DOL ). According to a study conducted in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 55.2 % of older and retired design traders have reading issues.
The same research stated that boilermakers ( 65.8 % ) and carpenters ( 65.3 % ) were the trade jobs most associated with hearing impairment, while 95 % of former construction trade workers aged 85 and above experience hearing difficulties.
These findings emphasize the need and potential for organizations in the skilled trades sector to invest in hearing aids to assist employees with audio impairments as well as sound reduction tools to stop the development of reading disabilities in general. Doing so will increase workplace safety and make the business more accessible and diverse for industry workers with disabilities.
A reading impairment may have serious effects at work. For example, accidents can occur when construction workers fail to notice an incident broadcast on a two-way radio or competent trade workers in the transportation sector may notice an approaching vehicle.
Supporting devices are also required to help employees communicate better with both customers and each other besides preventing accidents. Although cochlear implants and hearing aids can be helpful, Nuance Audio’s reading glasses are a tale option that can assist hard-of-hearing workers in addressing both auditory and vision correction needs. Trade professionals with experiencing issues are made more aware of their office environment by incorporating built-in microphones and speakers into the frame stems of these reading glasses, which help them get up and magnify sounds. To help skilled staff with auditory and visual deficits hit two birds with one stone, reading glasses can also be purchased with prescription lens to provide both hearing options and vision correction.
Federal Activities
The US government has also established initiatives to give people with disabilities a chance to enter the qualified business workplace, in addition to supporting tools that help develop equality for workers now employed in the sector.
The AgrAbility project, which gives people with disabilities opportunities to work and play a part in agricultural production, is managed by the US Department of Agriculture-National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The State Cooperative Extension System and a non-profit disability organization work together to implement the program. The project includes direct assistance and education to enable agricultural workers who are disabled to continue their farm-related occupations by advancing their professional skills and providing rehabilitation and health care.
Additionally, it offers on-farm agricultural equipment for farmers who have physical disabilities, including a modified skid steer with a special attachment, automatic hitching equipment, a special dual tire changer, and a modified skid steer with a special attachment that can assist trade workers in carrying out farm work despite physical limitations.
According to US DOL data, the employment rate for people with disabilities was 37.2 % in 2023, which is the highest level ever recorded. Many of these disabled workers are employed in skilled trade occupations, including construction and manufacturing.
Today, the US government continues to support the recruitment, hiring, retention, and advancement of workers with disabilities in the construction and manufacturing industries through a DOL toolkit. Employers are given the best resources for assisting disabled workers in this toolkit, as well as resources for individual support programs for helping trade workers with disabilities stay compitant in the labor market. With the right assistance and support, people with disabilities can still participate in the skilled trade workforce and society in general thanks to accommodations like these.
Employers and the government must ensure inclusivity in the workplace as more people with disabilities are employed in the skilled trades. The existing tools and initiatives for a more inclusive working environment for people with disabilities are a step in the right direction.
Colleen Anderson is a freelance writer with a presence in Florida. She hopes to find a position covering either one or both of these topics for an online magazine or journal in the near future and focuses on technology and business.
