As an employer, it’s up to you to ensure that you are creating an environment that people want to work in. Whether you are embracing remote working or hybrid working arrangements, or you are raising questions about your current inclusivity and accessibility policies – you must become more flexible and versatile with the way that you and your people work. Did you know that people with disabilities are finding businesses more open since the pandemic?
The pandemic taught businesses that there is no reason to say no to being more accessible and more flexible because, as it was proven, there was more than one way to work. If your offices are currently not equipped with commercial handrails, nor are they equipped with the right ramps or elevators to help those with wheelchairs, you might find that being more flexible is the best option. It’s vital then, that you supercharge your disability policies and inclusion policies and you reveal to everybody that you are an employer that puts accessibility at the forefront of their mind. This is accessibility in the office and in the way in which you work, which opens your talent pool massively. Ok let’s take a look at how you can be a more accessible employer.
Think About the Physical Features
Do you only have ramps available or do you only have stairs? If somebody with a disability or limited mobility were to enter your workplace, would they be able to without support? What are the physical barriers in the way of those with disabilities? Widening the doorways, adding emergency assist slams, and accessible toilets as well as clear signs and Braille are all just the basics of what you should be offering as part of the inclusive inclusivity of your business.
Risk Assessment
Risk assessments often will help you to find the hazards that are within the workplace already, but what about the Reduction of risk that you could be putting in place? You can prevent any harm and meet the health and safety rules and regulations when you are ensuring that the people in your office are well cared for. You must conduct risk assessments regularly. So think about your fire safety risk assessments and whether you need to make adjustments for somebody in a wheelchair. You must consider every aspect because every single person that comes into your business deserves to have an equal opportunity to be safe.
Ramp Up Your Recruitment
If you’re going to be hiring people, then you need to do it inclusively. We’re not just talking about your diversity policies here, but you should make sure that your applications are easy to read or in Braille. You should make sure that they are compatible with screen readers and focus on the essential job criteria. Only without all the fluff. When you do this you can then supercharge your interview process to be more inclusive for those with disabilities too.
