Improving Accessibility in the Workplace | Disabled Person

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Improving Accessibility in the Workplace

Too many companies are refraining from hiring people with disabilities, despite articles about the benefits that people with disabilities can offer to their employers. They consider hiring (some) people with disabilities to be the "right thing", but they don't see it as part of a talent strategy that benefits the company and outweighs the possible costs and risks. In fact, according to a recent survey by the National Organization on Disability, only 13% of US companies have achieved the Department of Labor's goal of including 7% of disabled representatives in their workforce.

 

As an employer, the Americans with Disability Act requires that reasonable adjustments be made to suit employees with disabilities. disABLEDperson.com free Resume Builder also helps disabled individuals to make their CV's and share it with our network.

 

Appropriate adjustments need to be tailored to individual workers, but there are some common ways to improve the accessibility of workers with disabilities in the workplace. If you want to improve the accessibility of your company, here are some steps you can take to get started.

 

CONDUCT AN AUDIT OF ACCESSIBILITY

 

Before you make any changes, you need to know where your organization is currently standing. Job Access provides employers with a self-assessment checklist that covers a variety of workplace policies, procedures, training, and disabilities. This helps identify key areas that need change and create a structured improvement plan.

 

 When conducting this type of audit, it is important to consider all types of failures, including those that are not immediately apparent. The main types of disabilities that need to be addressed in an audit are sensory disabilities such as visual and hearing disabilities, cognitive disabilities, learning disabilities, neuropathy, movement disorders, and speech disorders.

 

There are also various access auditors you can rely on. These auditors can also evaluate your office space and facilities to determine if work is needed and provide a metric cost estimate.

 

DEVELOP A DISABILITY ACTION PLAN

 

The Disability Action Plan is an important tool to help your company better meet the needs of your disabled workers. This should include loopholes and facility or facility changes that were not revealed as a result of the audit. However, we also recommend that you consider your organization's policies and practices regarding employment, discrimination, and training.

 

 It is important that your disability action plan is a team effort. That means you need to build the plan with employees, legal, operational, management, HR, and all the people with all disabilities in your company.

 

 

CHANGE FACILITIES MAKE THEM MORE ACCESSIBLE

 

Employees with disabilities must have access to a safe work environment, as well as everything they may need to perform their duties. It may mean making changes to your office space to make it more accessible.

 

While these changes should be made based on your disability and staff action plan, here are some considerations:

 

1.      Providing disabled parking 

2.      Providing accommodations accessible showers and toilets

3.      Changes to the physical office environment to include special equipment

4.      Providing handrails, tactile indicators, or stair support

5.      With a focus on technical accessibility, meet the needs of workers with visual, hearing, motor or cognitive impairments by making accessible rooms for employees if they have to travel for work.

 

TALK TO YOUR EMPLOYEES TO UNDERSTAND THEIR NEEDS

 

When it comes to making meaningful adjustments in the workplace, it's best to take a personalized approach. Employees with disabilities may need an accessible toilet with more space.

 

Other visually impaired employees may need a larger computer screen. The needs of all employees vary by disability, and understanding those needs is essential to making the right adjustments in the office.

 

When embarking on employees with disabilities, the HR team must ask what they need to fulfil their roles and responsibilities. This allows you to make the necessary adjustments, such as adaptive technical support or physical changes to your office. Alternatively, we can provide a flexible work style so that employees with disabilities can work remotely when the environment is more appropriate.

 

FOCUS ON TRAINING AND AWARENESS

 

As in any workplace, training and support is the key to better-supporting people with disabilities in your organization. Create and regularly implement a training program that includes communication with people with disabilities and anti-discrimination policies. We also recommend providing additional training to leaders and managers who have employees with disabilities in their team. Finally, don't forget to train your recruiting team on disability employment policies and EEO. This will prevent candidates from being discriminated against based on disability and will clearly communicate their needs during the recruitment process.

 

Your duty as an employer is to train your leadership and employees in the following:

 

1.     Various forms of disability

2.     Rights of persons with disabilities in the workplace

3.     How to make the workplace more accessible and therefore more comprehensive.

 

With proper training, managers can handle teams of people with disabilities. Training should include workshops to improve communication styles and ensure that employees with disabilities are not discriminated against, and are blended into the employee community.

 

Author Bio:

Casey Harward is a technical writer and editor with experience in research-based content. She also has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Lancaster, UK. Casey specializes as a professional editor and Dissertation writer at Research Prospect.