Exploring Disciplinary Technologies for Increased Accessibility in the Civil Engineering and Construction Industry: Starting the Conversation

Due to an aging workforce and national recruitment initiatives, the number of individuals with disabilities in the civil engineering and construction industries is expected to increase. However, little work has examined existing access barriers that discourage disabled and aging individuals from entering into or remaining in the civil engineering and construction fields, with the majority of extant work focusing on individual accommodation. In this paper, we explore the ways existing and emerging workplace technologies that are reshaping disciplinary norms also improve the overall workplace accessibility in civil engineering and construction. Specifically, we focus our discussion on three technologies impacting civil engineering and construction: drones, augmented reality, and prefabricated and modular construction. In this discussion, we introduce points of alignment observed across these technologies and disability studies perspectives and conclude with identifying areas for future work and considerations for industry for creating universally accessible environments without perpetuating colonizing or ableist ideals of workplace participation.