Why Inclusivity Is Important In The Workplace
To ensure positive interaction and inclusivity in the workplace, accessibility needs to look deeper than just ensuring the buildings are designed to be physically accessible. To be an inclusive society it is essential that we remember that, whilst a building can be designed to be accessible, it only functions if the policies and procedures in place are also inclusive.
The term ‘Inclusive Design’ essentially means ensuring the environment can be accessed by as many people as possible, regardless of their age, gender or disability. An inclusive environment not only covers buildings, but also open spaces, essentially wherever people go about their daily lives. The main areas often thought about are shops, hotels, offices, hospitals, parks and streets.
The main aim of inclusive design is ensuring that as many people can use a space as possible and it is important to highlight that many different abilities need to be considered during the design. Most people have some understanding of what needs to be addressed for improving the physical aspects of a building or space, however other different abilities such the neurodiversity (ie those with signs of Autism or Sensory Issues), are less understood. This is often why access consultants and other built environment specialists are involved, as they are able to give feedback throughout the design process and construction to ensure that different ability types are covered. Where possible, it is advantageous to involve differently-abled people in the design process, this is key as in many instances clients have had little interaction with differently-abled people and are unaware of issues they face on a daily basis. A further benefit of involving people with varying abilities throughout the entire process is that by the time the space is opened to the public many of the possible issues will have been mitigated, and as well as this if the design is done well this will encourage more differently-abled people to use the space.
From an employment perspective, the thought of employing a differently-abled person is often scarier than the reality. The main ways to ensure your business is suitable for differently-abled employees is by increasing awareness and information to all staff, make physical changes to the work space and allow flexibility to accommodate any requirements the disabled person may have.
Of key importance is engaging with the differently-abled staff member to ensure you as the company are meeting their needs and requirements. Sometimes only small adjustments are required to make the workplace accessible. By asking the differently-abled employee what their requirements are during the early interview stages allows everyone to fully understand what is needed. It needs to be remembered that the requirements of an autistic employee will differ from the needs of a visually impaired employee. The person who knows their differnce the best is the employee and this needs to be remembered, the employer should not second guess what the employee’s needs are.
As highlighted throughout the needs and requirements for differently-abled employees differ depending on both the type and severity of the difference. As an employer you can help make the workplace a more Autism friendly place, by adapting some of your policies and procedures. Unfortunately, autistic people are often disadvantaged in the workplace due to lack of support, poor management and lack of understanding. By making small adjustments, these can make a huge difference to Autistic employees. In the same way as other differently-abled autistic people can bring different and valuable skills to the workplace. In many instances they have extremely good attention to detail and prefer routine, but at the same time can struggle with uncertainty and loud/sudden noise. This highlights why it is essential that employers treat everyone individually and discuss their requirements during the recruitment process and at regular times throughout their employment. Autism is a spectrum condition and as such all autistic people share certain difficulties but these will affect them in different ways. With the right support all autistic people can be an asset to the team and progress in the workplace, with the help and guidance of the employer.
By employing differently-abled staff this not only benefits the differently-abled person, it is beneficial for all employees as it often makes the work environment more compassionate and caring. By ensuring inclusivity in the workplace and ensuring any person with a difference can work for you means that you broaden your pool of potential employees. It should be remembered that differently-abled people make up 15% of the population and can cover everything from Autism, blindness to mobility impairments.
To encourage a differently-abled friendly work environment and to make lasting changes, education and awareness is of key importance. Training sessions for existing staff on etiquette and awareness allows them to gain an insight to any changes that are needed. It is essential that any differently-abled employees are involved in office policies and procedures as you will often find that they have new and innovative ideas that can be implemented into the work environment.
By employing someone with a different ability, whether that person is neurodiverse or mobility impaired demonstrates that your organization and workplace values diversity and equality. Having a diverse workforce can bring its challenges, but more often it benefits all staff and increases people's understanding of different abilities and leads to a more empathetic workforce.