Global Accessibiliy Day: Making the Workplace Welcome to All

Today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of accessibility, focusing on digital access and inclusion.  It’s important that everyone has a chance to shine in workplaces, make a contribution and feel like they are valued. Here’s the word from Health Assured;

Accessibility isn’t just about physical disabilities. Over 10 million people in the UK live with invisible disabilities, so the need for digital accessibility is higher than we might realise, particularly in the workplace.  

Maria-Teresa Daher-Cusack, Organisational Psychologist at Health Assured, says “The average adult in the UK spends approximately 5 hours, 36 minutes a day looking at screens, including phones, laptops and tablets. Ensuring that the webpages and programmes your employees use are suitable for their needs is critical to ensure they are able to work effectively.  

“An invisible illness is defined as a medical condition that isn’t easily noticed by others due to a lack of physical symptoms. People with both visible and invisible disabilities can be impacted at work if employers are not providing resources that are accessible.  

“Here are my 5 recommendations to businesses:  

Foster an inclusive culture 

“Building an inclusive culture starts at the top. As an employer, you need to express a clear commitment to diversity and inclusion within your team; this shouldn’t just be lip service – it needs to be clearly demonstrated within your organisation. It’s important that people feel supported by their colleagues to create a sense of belonging. Host workshops and training sessions on ways to properly support colleagues with both visible and invisible disabilities and the correct language to use when talking about disabilities. 

Reasonable adjustments 

“Each person is completely different and will have individual accommodations, so it’s important to understand what accommodations they may need. Ensure that all physical spaces such as workspaces, toilets and communal areas are accessible. When it comes to digital accessibility, make sure websites, documents and other digital content are designed in a way that allows colleagues with visual, hearing or other cognitive disabilities to easily access information.  

Have an open-door policy  

“It can be challenging to speak up in the workplace about inaccessibility, but having an open-door policy helps employees feel more comfortable discussing their needs as well as any challenges they may be facing at work. It can also be a good idea to discuss this in 1-2-1’s so that employees have a designated time to speak directly with their manager. Wellbeing discussions should be implemented as a regular agenda item during 1-2-1’s allowing a more proactive approach to be taken with team members rather than simply reacting when a difficult eventually arises.  

Allow flexible working 

“Being flexible is vital in accommodating the diverse needs of employees with disabilities. Offering flexible working hours, hybrid working and part-time positions can help colleagues manage their health alongside their professional responsibilities. This approach allows you to acknowledge the unique circumstances of each employee, helping staff maintain a good work-life balance. Research has shown that 76% of employees would remain loyal to a company that offers flexible working, in fact 55% would consider leaving a job if flexible working was not an option. 

Implement ongoing feedback 

“Inclusivity isn’t just a one-and-done thing. Be sure to regularly assess the inclusion efforts that are being implemented in your workplace to see if there are any areas that need to be improved or changed. You can also gather feedback from employees with disabilities on their experiences, challenges and any suggestions they may have to improve their experience in the workplace.”