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Introduction: Labor force participation of individuals with disabilities is significantly lower than that of those without disabilities. In the Netherlands, individuals with physical, cognitive, or social disabilities receive support from professionals such as occupational experts, company doctors, and reintegration coaches to enhance their labor market participation. Traditionally, the focus has been on assessing the accessibility of work environments or modifying them for accessibility. However, the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) and innovative technologies offers new opportunities to foster a more inclusive labor market, which is especially critical given current labor shortages. Despite these opportunities, many professionals in reintegration or ergonomics are unaware of how AI and other technologies can assist workers with disabilities, including those with physical impairments, such as musculoskeletal symptoms. In response to this gap, we addressed two questions:

1. What new technologies can be used to enable or maintain work for individuals with disabilities or support needs?
2. How can this knowledge be made applicable to occupational experts and other professionals in occupational and company medicine?

Methods: Through desk research and consultations with occupational professionals and experts in inclusive technology, we identified 34 innovative technologies that could support workers with disabilities in the workplace, 9 of which are specifically designed for physical impairments. These technologies were selected for their novelty and near-market availability in the Dutch context. For each, we evaluated its intended purpose, potential to enhance functional capacity, and implementation requirements. To make this knowledge actionable, we collaborated with occupational experts to develop an interactive tool that integrates these technologies into the practice of reintegration professionals.

Results: The resulting tool, an interactive PDF “Inspiration Tool”, categorizes the technologies into three domains: personal functioning, social functioning, and physical functioning. This categorization helps professionals easily identify and explore relevant technologies for specific workplace challenges. The 9 technologies addressing physical impairments include exoskeletons for trunk, leg, arm, and hand, a cobot, an app for hands-free phone/tablet usage, support for spastic muscles, and apps to increase awareness of physical workload and reduce fatigue. The tool provides detailed descriptions of each technology’s applications and available scientific evidence-base.

Discussion and conclusion: While many assistive technologies already exist to support workers with disabilities, there is a significant knowledge gap among professionals guiding reintegration. The “Inspiration Tool” aims to bridge this gap by equipping professionals with the knowledge needed to utilize innovative technologies, thus improving workplace inclusion for individuals with disabilities, including those with physical impairments.