Workplace Accessibility: Creating an Inclusive Office

Workplace accessibility is not just another buzzword, it is an absolute necessity. An inclusive office not only leads to productivity among different employees, regardless of their abilities, but it also helps your business grow. Today, let’s discuss the topic in detail.

What is Workplace Accessibility?

Workplace accessibility refers to providing tools, materials, and resources to everyone, regardless of their abilities, in the workplace. These materials you provide them with give everyone a fair chance to show their talent, regardless of their abilities, making them succeed at their work.

Accessibility is a basic human right, and several laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, protect individuals with disabilities. Employers must not discriminate based on disability and must provide reasonable accommodations unless it causes undue hardship. The ADA also protects against retaliation for asserting these rights.

Why is Workplace Accessibility Important?

Not only do employees feel empowered at a workplace with proper accessibility, but the business can also greatly benefit from setting workplace accessibility as a priority. Accessibility in the workplace can increase the productivity of your employees, hence also helping your business generate more revenue. Further, it can also attract a vast pool of talent to work at your place, contributing to the success of your business.

Workplace accessibility also helps organizations broaden their customer base and avoid heavy fines for non-compliance. It enriches the work environment with diverse perspectives, fosters optimism, and enhances problem-solving by enabling collaboration among colleagues with unique experiences and viewpoints.

What are the Aspects of Workplace Accessibility?

As a workplace, you can build accessibility by working on the three main aspects of workplace accessibility, such as:

1. Attitudinal Awareness

Attaching yourself to stereotypes and negative thoughts about disabilities can hinder inclusion in your organization. Hence, the first aspect of workplace accessibility is to change your attitude towards people with disabilities by not falling for misconceptions about them and the work they can do.

2. Technological Accessibility

Inaccessible technology can be a huge hindrance to a person’s productivity, affecting their flow of work and ultimately preventing them from performing well at a task. This can limit opportunities for people with disabilities as they won’t be able to perform and grow.

3. Physical Accessibility

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employers must ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal access to the job application process and can perform their essential job functions. This includes ensuring they can access the building, work site, necessary equipment, and all other facilities employees use.

How to Make Your Workplace More Accessible?

1. Company Policy Examination

Review your employee handbook and ensure it outlines accessibility and inclusion policies, including how to request and use accessibility tools. Foster a culture that values diversity and supports employees of all abilities.

2. Accessible Recruitment Process

Make sure the application forms are accessible to everyone. Use larger and more visible fonts, make applications available in Braille, add captions and alt descriptions where needed, make them compatible with screen readers, and highlight job criteria for easy readability.

3. Disability Friendly Management

Working with people of different abilities can be intimidating for managers, mainly due to insufficient knowledge or resources. Train the management to deal with people of different abilities to make them feel more empowered and valued at the workplace.

4. Inclusive Workplace Arrangements

Install wheelchair ramps or provide hearing loops to make individuals feel more included at the workplace. Providing soft lighting, hearing aids, noise-cancellation headphones, and adjustable desks may even be helpful for some people. Make sure your meeting rooms are also spacious enough to accommodate wheelchairs without causing any inconvenience.

5. Follow Accessibility Laws

As an employer, you should always comply with accessibility laws. Assess your workplace regularly to identify accessibility issues and correct them on time. Be proactive in recognizing any faults and open-minded about correcting them.

Make Workplace Accessibility Your Priority!

Accessibility at the workplace is not just a necessity because of the existing laws. As a human-led organization, it is your moral duty to give equal opportunities to everyone, regardless of their abilities. Ensure your workplace is taking proper measures to improve accessibility to avoid getting in legal trouble and make the office a better place for everyone!