Nearly half (45.2%) of people with disabilities have experienced discrimination in the workplace. This may be due to workplaces not being aware of the challenges people with disabilities face or not being able to accommodate their needs. Therefore, it is important for workplaces to create an inclusive environment for employees with disabilities, where they feel supported and comfortable working there. In this blog post, we list some strategies on how workplaces can implement an inclusive environment for people with disabilities to work in.
Firstly, it is important for workplaces to have a recruitment process that caters to all people, regardless of whether they have a disability. All people should be provided with equal opportunities to work. It is also important for workplaces to provide training to managers and staff on how to understand the needs and rights of people with disabilities. A mentor may also be an option to help assist an employee who needs help with a task. Workplaces could also celebrate events that promote awareness about disabilities. For example, International Day of People with a Disability, RUOK Day, World Braille Day, and more.
Workplaces could also provide reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities. Examples of reasonable accommodations in the workplace include providing support services, allowing flexible work hours and breaks, changing job duties and responsibilities to suit the employee’s needs, having signage that is clear and easy to read, subtitles, disabled parking spots, access to ramps and/or lifts, providing chairs that reduce back pain, adequate lighting, and more.
Overall, these strategies can help create workplaces which are inclusive and accommodating for people with disabilities. We hope this blog post has been insightful. If you have any suggestions on creating an inclusive workplace for people with disabilities, post in the comment section.
