Did you know that there are 4.4 million people with disabilities employed within the UK? It is not only good practice, but there is a legal requirement under the Equality Act 2010, for employers to make reasonable adjustments within the workplace.
What is a reasonable adjustment?
A ‘reasonable adjustment’ is a change that must be made to remove or reduce a disadvantage related to:
- an employee’s disability when doing their job
- a job applicant’s disability when applying for a job
Accessible workplace
Not all disabilities are visible – there are many hidden disabilities that you need to consider.
Accessibility reaches further than the physical environment – when looking at adapting the workplace to be more inclusive, make sure you include inclusivity for hidden disabilities such as hearing loss, visual impairments, fibromyalgia, learning disabilities, epilepsy, depression ADHD, for example.
Make sure your application process is accessible.
Make sure your application process and interview process is accessible for all. Ensure that interview accessibility is offered from the initial stage and demonstrate your organisation values diversity and will actively accommodate individuals with disabilities.
Review your current and immediate needs first.
Whilst the end goal will obviously be to ensure that you are as accessible as possible to everyone – focus on your current needs. As an employer you legally required to provide reasonable adjustments – check with your current workforce and start there – this is an area you can make immediate and impactful changes.
Offer Accessibility tools
Accessibility tools reach further than making physical changes – there is a lot of technology available to help employees – this can range from screen reading software, improved lighting, voice recognition software, sign language apps to name but a few.
Provide training and coaching
Provide disability awareness training and coaching to your employees to assist them better understand how to recruit and retain persons with disabilities. Every firm should have an equal opportunity policy, ensuring that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else.
Keep up with the latest accessibility legislation.
Accessibility legislation, which is regularly reviewed or amended, applies to all businesses. It is critical that you stay current with legislative changes and adapt your policies and procedures accordingly.