This document discusses the need for workplace accessibility and flexibility. It notes that the workforce is changing with more people with disabilities or impairments working. It argues that work is also changing with faster information flow requiring more flexibility. To adapt, workplaces need to create an "omnipresence" that allows productive work from anywhere through universal design. This includes accessibility of technology, multi-purpose spaces, and self-service options. The document provides examples of adding flexibility through movable furniture and digital signage. It stresses that change is inevitable and universal design can help organizations succeed.

1. Workplace Accessibility
Kim Vanderland
Space Matters Consulting, LLC
May, 2013

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Executive Summary
• Work is changing – technology has changed business
• The workforce is changing – Age in place is not just for residential
accessibility
• The rapid rate of change is driving increasing need for:
• Flexibility on demand within the workspace
• Consistent and universal worker experience regardless of location (in and
out of the workplace)
• Change is inevitable and universal design is a key tool to help achieve
organizational success

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Work is changing
Information is moving faster than ever
before, which results in:
• Increasing global focus
• Fragile competitive advantages
• Demand for flexibility

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Global Focus
• Resources and activities
are no longer
geographically constrained
• Speed to market is more
critical than ever
• Using global workforce
enables 24 hr work day

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Organizational competitive advantage is difficult to
maintain
• Social networking enables real time
consumer reactions and fickle
consumer (and workforce) loyalty
• Innovations bring rapid fire changes
with deep impacts across entire
industries
• Business strategies must adapt quickly
to these rapidly changing market
conditions

6. The workforce is changing as well
• ~30% of the current workforce reported
having a disability or impairments at work
(U.S. Dept of Education)
• By 2016:
• ~750,000 Wounded Warriors will be
returning to work in the United States
(Wounded Warriors Project, 2013)
• By 2020:
• ~1/4 of the workforce will be 55+
• Twice as many 65+ workers continuing
to work (US Census Bureau)
• ~10% of college graduates have a
disability (U.S. Dept of Education)
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Innovate or Die
• Flexibility is a critical need across all
of the organization
• Efficient change is key to achieve
market demands
• Solutions need to be resilient and
future proof (change ready)
• User experience needs to be
universal across space and time

8. Most corporations react to worker needs… at a
great cost
• Lack of formalized process to
proactively address workforce needs
is resulting in increased costs and
risk of litigation (Law.com)
• Workers are increasingly
experiencing impairments at work
causing adverse impacts to
productivity and engagement (US Census
Bureau)
• The U.S. Government is expected
establish rules that put more pressure
on corporations to hire veterans and
people with disabilities
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Organizations must go further, beyond space, to
create “omnipresence”
“...Workplace will expand beyond a focus on “mobility” to include the
concept of “presence,” both physical and virtual. Our focus on the
expanding range of places where our employees are “present” and actively
accomplishing the various requirements of their work, is critical.”
“..mobility support is rapidly becoming a table stakes condition for
knowledge workers...critical for competitive positioning”
- Corenet “Real Estate 2020”, May, 2012

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What is omnipresence?
Seeming to be everywhere at the
same time...
In business, it is the ability to work
productively, drive value and
demonstrate engagement from
anywhere...even across multiple
locations/tools simultaneously

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• Economic conditions require organizations to do more with less, consistently,
and over time (continuous improvement not retrenching)
• Designing multiple uses for space and time improves user experience, adds
to the efficiency and effectiveness (time, space, and money)
• Flexible work strategies to enable work life integration (next generation of
work life balance) are key to attraction and retention of quality workforce
People need to work anywhere…as the workplace

12. Creation of universal experience expands the idea
of flexibility to best enable productivity
• Look at more than the physical space –
IT, HR, and the organizational culture are
key stakeholders/performers
• Enable self-help choices and seamless
transitions within the workplace for
everyone (collaborative to focus,
colocation to distributed teamwork,
individual to team space, etc.)
• Have a process for ADA
Accommodations that proactively seeks
out solution options BEFORE requests
are made
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Start with the leadership vision for the future
• What is the desired organizational
culture?
• What is the desired personality/brand
for the customer?
• Does the workforce understand both
of these relative to their individual
roles?
• What is the best way to get there from
here with continuous improvement for
all of the above?

14. Filter leadership visions through universal
experience goals to create optimal solutions
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Organizational
Goals and
Strategies
Organizational
Culture
Physical
Design
Real Estate
Strategy
IT and HR
Strategy
Win/Win
Solutions
Universal
Experience
Goals
Example - Telephony, video,
and software solutions
integrate well with most
commonly used readers,
hearing aides, etc
Example – Activity settings
within the workplace have
adequate power, sound
masking, furniture with
multiple uses
Solutions are defined, published,
and readily available to workforce

15. Corporations are creating communities through
consolidated campus locations
• Corporate campuses create economies of scale for shared services
• Consolidates 5,000- 15,000+ people in millions of square feet of office space
• Campuses require same development rigor as communities (infrastructure,
traffic management, accessibility, etc)
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16. Within the workplace, there are great opportunities
to add/retrofit accessible options
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• Standards for technology accessibility and compatibility with most commonly
used Assistive Tools (insurance company may be a great source for the tools used)
• Design requirements for multi-purpose flexibility for all key furniture/spaces –
such as murphy desks, TV/AV in movable walls, quick conversion furniture
components
• Plan for pilots to test and learn – don’t assume what works, ask users, pilot
concept, then refine designs/tools
• Communications required to be made available across many channels – Use QR
codes, digital signage/presentations with close caption, transcription and/or
reader options, etc.
• Self-serve solutions – Sit to stand, quiet/focus rooms, noise cancelling
headphones, etc.

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Hybrid offices with
movable desks to support
2-6 person meetings -on
the fly
Seating that can be converted to
project spaces in 48 hrs
Additional capacity on demand
Height Adjustable Options
Dynamic QR Codes
WIFI
USB Power Plugs
Here are some ideas to add flexibility and enable
universal experience
Plant walls/panels
Digital
Signage with
Reader
Technology

18. Check in… What do you think?
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Change is inevitable, universal design is a powerful
tool to help organizations succeed
• Change the use of time and space
to enhance productivity, improve
morale, and grow team
inclusiveness
• Improve customer experience
through increased worker
engagement and empowerment
• Be change ready, future proof
yourselves by creating on demand
flexibility before you need it

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Next Steps?
• Let’s stay connected
• Send me an email to be added to a
newsletter
• Share best practices and lessons
learned
• Spread the word

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Some insights to ponder...
• Google You can be serious without a suit. Our founders built Google around the idea that work should be
challenging, and the challenge should be fun. We believe that great, creative things are more likely to happen
with the right company culture–and that doesn t just mean lava lamps and rubber balls. There is an emphasis on
team achievements and pride in individual accomplishments that contribute to our overall success. We put great
stock in our employees–energetic, passionate people from diverse backgrounds with creative approaches to
work, play and life. Our atmosphere may be casual, but as new ideas emerge in a café line, at a team meeting or
at the gym, they are traded, tested and put into practice with dizzying speed–and they may be the launch pad
for a new project destined for worldwide use.
• American Express Living up to our values is our first priority. These three operating principles
also guide our daily actions:
• Offer superior value propositions to all of our customers. We aim to provide products, services, benefits and
rewards that deliver more value than any competitor.
• Operate with best-in-class economics. We focus on managing our business as efficiently as possible to
continually improve the quality of our service and invest in growth.
• Support the American Express brand. American Express has one of the world s most trusted brands. We
strive to always provide the world-class service and personal recognition that our customers expect from
us.

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Contact Information
• Kim Vanderland
• Space Matters Consulting, LLC
• P 804-551-1748
• kim@spacematters.us
• www.spacematters.us