Creating a safe and understanding environment for disabled workers should not be seen as a bonus – but a given.

It should be an environment which not only allows free and easy movement of any disabled vehicles but one in which disabled workers feel comfortable to speak up, share experiences and take an active part in building a positive and inclusive culture.

People with disabilities should be fully supported at work and not expected to stay quiet or simply ‘make do’.

If you work for a business, here are some ideas on how to help create a positive environment for disabled people.

Let disabled workers define their needs

 

Allow disabled colleagues to define what they need and don’t let other makes decisions for them. All too often, the assumptions that non-disabled people make about disabled people aren’t quite right. So, include disabled opinions and truly listen to what they need and why.

Buy in to the ‘journey’

 

Don’t expect to get everything right, first time. If your business is tackling inclusivity and access issues head on, there will be teething problems and areas for improvement. But listen to your disabled workers and give them the freedom to shout up when things are not working. It’s a bit of a cliché but it’s a journey of improvement not an overnight change.

Educate managers

 

Educate managers to create supportive environments. Keep people up to date with planned changes and ideas and tell them why they are being introduced. As with many walks of life, communication is key. A mindset towards a cultural change is hard to achieve so create safe spaces for disabled colleagues to share thoughts and opinions.

Create disabled leads to drive ideas

 

Create disabled leads to drive new ideas and projects. This breeds confidence amongst the disabled workforce that they have visible influence at the top in decision-making situations.

Encourage discourse

 

Support disabled colleague networks and don’t create an environment where disabled people are scared to speak up. Encourage discourse among like-minded people for the benefit of the whole company.

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