Disability Inclusion Must Be Central to Workplace Safety
By Dr Christine Peta
Workplace safety conversations often focus on visible hazards such as machinery accidents, chemical exposure, falls, fires or long working hours. Yet for the world’s 1.3 billion persons with disabilities — including about 2.5 million people in Zimbabwe — safety and health at work involve additional challenges that are too often overlooked.
Workers with disabilities may face inaccessible buildings, unsuitable protective equipment, emergency systems that do not consider their needs, and discriminatory attitudes that exclude them from decisions on occupational safety and health.
On April 28, Zimbabwe joined the rest of the world in commemorating the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, a day set aside to promote safe, healthy and dignified working conditions for all workers.
The Sustainable Development Goals call on nations to “leave no one behind”. That commitment cannot be fulfilled when workers with disabilities are left out of workplace safety systems.
Disability inclusion is not an act of charity. It is a matter of rights, fairness and productivity.
For many persons with disabilities, the workplace itself can become a place of risk. Factories, offices and construction sites may lack ramps, lifts, accessible toilets or adapted workstations. Such barriers increase the likelihood of accidents and prevent workers from performing their duties safely.
Protective equipment also remains a major concern. Helmets, gloves, safety boots, masks and protective clothing are often designed with a narrow idea of the “standard worker”. A person with a physical disability, for example, may find ordinary protective clothing difficult or unsafe to use.
Emergency preparedness is another area where exclusion can be dangerous. Evacuation plans often fail to consider wheelchair users, blind workers, deaf workers or workers with other disabilities. In times of crisis, this can leave some employees more exposed to harm.
A safe workplace is one where every worker can participate fully, confidently and securely. Inclusive workplaces are also stronger workplaces. When persons with disabilities are provided with accessible tools, appropriate training and effective safety measures, they contribute meaningfully to organisational success.
Exclusion, on the other hand, results in lost talent, high staff turnover and reputational damage.
Workplaces can take practical steps to improve safety and health for workers with disabilities.
First, employers should adopt universal design principles so that buildings, tools, workstations and safety equipment are accessible to as many people as possible.
Second, safety training must be inclusive. This may include sign language interpretation, braille materials, audio formats, visual demonstrations or simplified information.
Third, workers with disabilities must be represented in occupational safety and health committees. Their lived experience is essential in identifying risks and developing realistic solutions.
Fourth, disability inclusion should be built into workplace policies, inspections, reporting systems and emergency plans.
Fifth, employers should invest in assistive technologies such as screen readers, adapted machinery, ergonomic workstations and communication tools that improve both safety and productivity.
Across Africa, there are already examples of progress. In Kenya, some garment factories have introduced adapted sewing machines and ergonomic workstations for workers with mobility impairments. In South Africa, some mining companies are piloting evacuation drills that include workers with sensory disabilities.
In Zimbabwe, the establishment of the National Business and Disability Network in 2024 marked an important step towards promoting accessible, inclusive and safe working environments. The network brings together different stakeholders, including organisations of persons with disabilities, to advance disability inclusion in the workplace.
The World Day for Safety and Health at Work should therefore be treated as more than a commemorative event. It is a call to action.
The International Labour Organisation recognises safe and healthy work as a fundamental human right. That right must apply equally to workers with disabilities.
We must imagine and build workplaces where every employee, regardless of ability, has access to safety equipment, training and emergency support. We must create occupational safety and health committees where persons with disabilities are not merely consulted, but actively lead and shape decisions.
We must also support pilot projects that prove disability-inclusive safety practices improve individual well-being, organisational resilience and national development.
By embedding disability inclusion into occupational safety and health systems, Zimbabwe can uphold human rights, strengthen the economy and honour the promise of leaving no one behind.
The challenge is clear, but so is the opportunity: to build workplaces that are safe, healthy, just and inclusive for all.
Safety is not true safety if it excludes some workers.
Health is not real health if it ignores disability.
And work is not dignified if persons with disabilities are left behind.
