Affiliations: Cornell University, Employment and Disability
Institute, Ithaca, NY, USA
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Susanne M. Bruyère, Ph.D., CRC,
NCC, Director, Employment and Disability Institute, Cornell University, 201k
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-Extension Building, Garden
Avenue, Ithaca, NY 14853-3901, USA. Tel.: +1 607 255 7727; Fax: +1 607 255
2763; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Online technology has made significant inroads into human resource
(HR) processes such as recruitment, benefits, and training, yet many web sites
are inaccessible to people with disabilities. Cornell University surveyed 433
HR representatives regarding their organizations' use of information and Web
technology in HR processes. Survey results report that nine of the ten
organizations use Web processes for job postings, eight of ten for online
benefits information dissemination, and about six out of ten for online
benefits self service and online employee training. Employee use of computers
was extensive, with the majority using computers more than half the workday.
Knowledge of assistive technologies for computer users with disabilities and of
Web accessibility considerations was low, but nearly half the respondents
reported having made some type of adaptation to make a computer accessible to
an employee with a disability. Very few organizations had trained any of their
staff in Web accessibility topics or in making computers accessible, and the
majority desired more information on those topics. These findings have
implications not only for people with disabilities, but for the general
workforce, which is aging.
Keywords: Information technology, web accessibility, human resource practices, HR, IT accommodations, disability
