Ergonomics for the inclusion of older workers in the knowledge workforce and a guidance tool for designers

• Approach of Elder workforce inclusion through ergonomics of work environment User Sensitive Design.
• Review of existing source of assistance tools for inclusive design of knowledge work environment.
• Proposal of a theoretical framework to assist designers in the first stage of the inclusive design process.
• Study of relevant information for designers at the first stage of the design process.

The ageing of the population and the inverted population pyramid is bringing important changes to society as a whole. These changes are associated with the inclusion of an older workforce in knowledge work and the challenge they represent in adapting the work environment accordingly. In order to approach a more universal design of the work environment, industrial designers need support from user-sensitive inclusive design studies. While there are plenty of guidelines and tools containing relevant information, there is a need to develop more appropriate tools for Industrial Designers that cover the initial phase of the design process. This study provides a review of the available tools and guidelines and proposes a theoretical framework intended for developing a design guidance tool for inclusive workstation design.