How to Build a Truly Accessible Workplace for Your Employees

Accessibility should be on every employer’s mind in 2022. We know by this point in time that our workplaces are not accessible enough in general and that we have more work to get to where we should be.

But how many of us know exactly what this would look like or how to go about it?

Unfortunately, not enough of us.

Fortunately, in this blog, we are going to help shed some light on this issue. We are going to discuss a little more about how to build an accessible workplace for your employees and why. 

These are our tips:

Consider Visible and Non-Visible Disabilities in an Accessible Workplace

When you think of the term “accessibility”, is the first thing that comes to your head putting in a wheelchair ramp? It may well be.

For many employers and offices across the world, their attempt at creating an accessible workplace stops at putting in a wheelchair ramp and a lift. While these things are undoubtedly important and should be implemented wherever possible, they are not enough by themselves. Importantly, they also only focus on physical and visible disabilities. 

There are far more disabilities out there than we think and we know about. Many of these disabilities are non-visible and fly under many employers’ radars. This means that many disabled people never get the actual accessibility or inclusivity that would specifically help them. 

Accessibility isn’t only about wheelchair access, it also includes: 

• Deaf and blind inclusivity equipment
• Alternative formats and resources for learning difficulties and processing disorders
• Reasonable adjustments for physical health conditions, including equipment, desk set-up, remote work, and so on
• Reasonable adjustments for mental health conditions, including access to counselling, flexible work, and remote work 
• Appropriate HR support 
• Inclusive interviews and recruitment processes 
• The language used within a workplace 
• Training and awareness opportunities

And so on. 

Accessibility is a huge topic and being aware of that is the best first step.

Educate and Train Yourself on Accessible Workplace Needs

As accessibility is such a huge topic, it is important to educate and train yourself on all matters of accessibility and disability as possible. Taking the time to learn and understand is paramount to being accessible. 

You can take training courses, hire external trainers, read books, watch documentaries, consult charities, read blogs, and so on. As an equal opportunities employer, you should dedicate time for yourself and your employees to engage in such education. 

The more you know, the more you can help. The less you know, the easier it is to make mistakes and let disabled people slip through the cracks. To offer support that really makes a difference, you need to be educated on the topics of accessibility and disability first. 

To make a start with this, you can check out our Disability Advice Hub. There we have lots of individual resources on all sorts of disabilities, both physical and mental. Knowing more about the range of ways in which disability can present itself is a great method of becoming more accessible. 

Request and Listen to Feedback

It is key to remember that the only person who truly understands someone’s disability is the person themselves. They are living in their own body and mind and they know what they need. 

To provide a truly accessible workplace for your disabled employees, you will need to listen to what they have to say. You need to know what they think would genuinely help and support them at work. Guessing means you are often working from unconscious bias and stereotyping, which is absolutely the wrong direction to take. 

Requesting feedback and listening to it openly can make a big change. It will help you know exactly where your weak points are as a workplace and how to work on them. It gives you a clear direction for any changes and improvements that you go on to make.

Treat Accessibility as a Long-Term, Consistent Issue

Building a truly accessible workplace for your employees is not something that you can do overnight. It is a long-term process that will require consistent maintenance and upkeep. 

For one, your employees won’t stay consistent over time. You will always have new people coming through the doors and these new people will need different things. Secondly, new things will become available over time that will help you with providing accessibility. There are always new grants and support options that become available for employers. And thirdly, we are all always learning and improving, and that is no different when it comes to being an accessible employer. 

Accessibility is a journey and not an endpoint. To be truly accessible, make sure you stick to it.

Team Up With External Partners

To become as Disability-friendly as possible, you will need some external help. And we know just where to find it.

At Careers with Disabilities, we help employers on their journey through accessibility. We have a range of services for employers that can help you with whatever you need, from job advert inclusivity screening to posting jobs on our disability-friendly job board. 

Take a look at what we have to offer employers and if you need any further support, don’t hesitate to reach out and ask.

We are all in it together.