Leveraging Social Collaborative Robots for Workers with Intellectual and Developmental Disability in Professional Workplaces

Workers with intellectual and developmental disability often encounter challenges in professional workplaces, including barriers to effective task performance and equitable participation. Social Collaborative Robots (SCRs) present a promising opportunity to foster inclusive work environments by offering ability-based support tailored to individual strengths. This research aims to explores how SCRs can be leveraged at workplaces to assist workers with intellectual and developmental disability and share responsibilities carried by people in their employment support networks. Preliminary findings from workplace observations and interviews reveal that workers with intellectual and developmental disability can partake in variety of work activities and can benefit from assistive technologies that align with their cognitive abilities and job requirements, ultimately enhancing their task performance and workplace inclusion.