Breaking Barriers: Encouraging Workplace Inclusion for People with Disabilities

Being an inclusive employer means creating a workplace where every person feels equally valued and respected for their unique skills and abilities, regardless of their background or identity. This includes attracting and welcoming people with disabilities.

The number of people living with disabilities or long-term health issues, who are not working, is staggering. With approximately 7.7 million people of working age [1] making up this group, it’s incredible that roughly only half of them currently employed. This untapped resource of potential talent represents a missed opportunity for businesses to benefit from the unique perspectives and skills that these people can bring to the table.

There are many reasons why people with disabilities or long-term health issues may struggle to gain employment. Sometimes the employee feels they may be a burden, and sometimes there is as a lack of understanding on behalf of the employer. It’s common for many employers, particularly smaller, or medium sized businesses, to have a lack of clarity around what accommodations in the workplace can be made or are appropriate.

Here are some steps you can take to be an inclusive employer and attract people with disabilities:

1. Educate yourself and your staff on disability issues: This includes learning about disability etiquette, accessibility, and adjustments. Line managers that embrace the importance of building a culture of inclusivity and fully understand the role they play are key, as they will be the ones managing, supporting, and developing employees day-to-day.
2. Make your workplace accessible: This includes physical accessibility, such as wheelchair ramps and accessible bathrooms, as well as digital accessibility, such as accessible websites and technologies.
3. Making reasonable adjustments: The Equality Act places a duty on employers to make reasonable adjustments for employees with disabilities. This means that if there are any aspects of a job or workplace that put a disabled employee at a disadvantage, the employer must take steps to address them. Failure to do so can lead to legal repercussions. Some examples might include providing specialised equipment or software, modifying work hours, or altering work duties to better suit the employee’s needs. It’s important to address reasonable adjustments on an individual basis, and not assume that one person’s needs will be the same as those of another with the same condition.
4. Become a part of the Disability Confident Scheme: This will give you access to support in recruiting, supporting, and retaining people with disabilities, as well as recognition that you are committed to inclusion and diversity, which can be used when advertising for job vacancies.
5. Consider any barriers before recruiting for a role: It may be necessary to make adjustments at every stage of the process to ensure that all candidates have an equal opportunity to demonstrate their skills and qualifications. By proactively addressing any potential barriers and making necessary adjustments, you can create a more inclusive and fair recruitment process for all candidates.
6. Recruit from disability networks: Reach out to disability networks and organisations to recruit job candidates with disabilities. This could include job fairs or online job boards specifically for people with disabilities, for example, Evenbreak.
7. Use inclusive language in job postings: Use inclusive language in your job postings to attract a diverse pool of candidates, avoiding language that could be seen as exclusionary or discriminatory.

Despite facing challenges, individuals with disabilities offer distinctive perspectives and skills in the workplace. They demonstrate remarkable adaptability, creative problem-solving abilities, and provide fresh approaches to business challenges.

By creating an inclusive and accommodating workplace, employers can attract a diverse range of skilled workers and promote a culture of respect and fairness. Remember that being an inclusive employer is an ongoing process, and it requires ongoing education and effort.

If you’d like more advice, or support to recruit from a a broader pool of talent, please drop us a note here today and we’ll set up an initial chat.

[1] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5fbe437b8fa8f559e0e5cc61/disability-confident-line-managers-guide.pdf

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