Across Europe, labour market participation among persons with disabilities remains significantly lower than among the general population: in 2024, the disability employment gap was 24 pp (Eurostat, 2025), indicating a striking difference in the employment of persons with disabilities compared to persons without disabilities. Eurofound (2025) underlined how, in order to overcome labour and skills shortages in Europe, engaging underutilised labour groups will be key, including people with disabilities who still face significant barriers to participation.

 

While digital technologies have transformed workplaces, accessibility barriers continue to limit employment opportunities and career progression for people with disabilities. These barriers risks reinforcing exclusion when accessibility is treated as an afterthought. NewWorkTech aims to explore how technology can improve the employment-related skills and opportunities of persons with disabilities, as well as how technologies currently used to overcome functional limitations can enhance the work-related capacities of the wider population.

​

The NewWorkTech EC Policy Brief explains the EC policies, and respective gaps, which are addressed by the project, key research findings so far, and provides recommendations to employers and EC policy-makers on how to effectively accommodate persons with disabilities at the workplace, with an outlook of their assistive technology needs. The Policy Brief was informed by the work of UCPH, IBOS, and TAU based on ethnographic insights.