Inclusive sound environments at Orange

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Workspace management at Orange now integrates disabilities in the conception of work environments to ensure that the needs of all employees in a particular office building are taken into account. This reduces the risk of excluding someone with a physical or psychological disability.

Instead of creating uniform spaces, a range of different spaces providing different kinds of audio experience is available, thus enabling everyone to choose where they would rather work.

Three different sound environments were created, which satisfy different sensorial needs:  quiet and calm; confidential; and dynamic and lively.

Orange ensures that these different environments are organised and interconnected in a logical manner, and that they are clearly distinguishable by using what they have learned from the impacts on the brain of colour, contrast, and brightness.

This design, adapted to different work requirements, contributes to an inclusive environment by reducing the perception of background noise, echo and reverberation which can vary depending on an employee’s degree of concentration in a given sound environment. It makes workspaces more comfortable to work in and promotes the notions of “ambiance” and “wellbeing” related to sound levels.

As a result, employees feel they have more control over their work environment since they can choose where to work depending on their sound tolerance.

Deploying dynamic work environments adapted to the requirements of the most sensitive employees ensures that these environments are inclusive and that they suit everyone.