Case Study
Company:
The company is a dermatology and cosmetic center. The owner intends to hire an employee with a severe disability after selecting her from among 20 applicants.The employee’s disability and impairment:
The woman is of short stature. Her reach and her ability to walk long distances or climb onto objects are limited. Her degree of disability (GdB) is 100.Education and profession:
The woman is a trained cosmetologist and applied for a position at the company. Following the application process, she was hired as a cosmetologist on a permanent basis.Workplace and Job Duties:
The cosmetologist is responsible for pedicures, nail design, and cosmetic treatments at the company. She works in two treatment rooms. One contains a treatment table for cosmetic treatments, and the other has a chair for foot care. Each cosmetologist has designated treatment rooms for treating and caring for clients. Working with the treatment table and the pedicure chair is made possible through the use of special assistive devices, which compensate for limited reach and the physical strain caused by frequently walking to the equipment and materials. These devices offset physical limitations and reduce the workload. To ensure that the workstations in their treatment rooms are accessible for people with disabilities, a treatment table and a pedicure chair were therefore purchased that are height-adjustable via electric motors. Height adjustment is not controlled, as is customary, by a foot switch, but rather by a hand switch on the treatment table and the pedicure chair that is easily accessible to the cosmetologist. In the cosmetic treatment room, a footstool was also permanently installed next to the treatment table to serve as a platform, allowing the cosmetologist to walk alongside the table at the appropriate height during treatments. In combination with a newly purchased mobile cart for equipment and supplies, which is positioned directly next to the treatment table, the esthetician can perform all treatments without significant physical strain. Additionally, a work chair with a footrest is available in both treatment rooms, as certain tasks require working in a seated position. The footrest on the work chair allows the esthetician to rest her feet while sitting and also helps her sit down and stand up.Assistive Devices Used – Product Links:
Positioning aids for the body during therapy (lying down)Work and Office Chairs
Storage and Supply Systems
Funding and Collaboration:
The disability-accessible design for the newly created workplace was funded by the Integration and Inclusion Office. Technical guidance was provided by the Technical Advisory Service of the Office for Integration and Inclusion. As part of the new hire, the company received an integration subsidy in the form of a wage subsidy from the Employment Agency.ICF Items
Reference Number:
Pb/110802
Last Update: 22 Jun 2026