How to Provide Equitable Access Within Your Workplace
Creating a workplace that is committed to equitable access can strengthen a company’s culture and overall well-being.
It’s about respect. It's about connection. It's about bridging the gap between the two. Showing that the business respects its employees, values them as humans, and provides the space for human connection in the workplace can increase job retention and overall employee productivity. Whether a leader or an employee, we all have the ability to level the playing field at work.
But the population of employed people with disabilities decreased from 19.3% in 2020 to 17.9% in 2020. This trend was reflected in decreased employment numbers due to COVID, but this represents an opportunity to engage with a talented, diverse demographic. Around 48 million Americans have some degree of hearing loss, and vision disability is in the top 10 disabilities among adults.
Here are some of my tips for how to make your workplace more accessible.
Develop Awareness
For progress, we need education. An organization cannot be considered inclusive of all individuals if not every employee understands what it means to develop a workplace with equitable access — and what it means to be a part of it.
Training
Providing sensitivity training will help all employees better understand each member of the team and counter unconscious biases in the workplace. It creates a safer environment, teaching all employees how to support peers in case of an emergency.
Training must incorporate sign language interpreting classes, which can consist of commonly used signs in the workplace and typical etiquette signs.
While training must be company-wide, managers and leaders should consistently undergo training in order to best support, communicate with and elevate all employees.
Seminars
Hire outside groups to deliver seminars that continue to enhance awareness. This investment engages employees and showcases your commitment to expanding your own understanding and the overall workplace culture.
Integrate Assistive Technology
Assistive technology supports and empowers people with different abilities by providing the tools that allow everyone at work to be successful and productive. Technology that furthers an accessible workplace include color-coded keyboards, sign language apps, captioning and transcription services, assistive listening devices, and more. Organizations can provide the technology and insight to ensure that every member of your team has what they need to thrive. I’m proud to have founded iYellow Group, which works to break barriers by creating equitable access through sign language interpreting, captioning and transcription, reader services for the Blind and many other solutions.
But specific needs vary. Consult with individual employees about their needs and aim to provide them with the technology that best supports them.
Ensure All Spaces Are Accessible
Create an environment that’s not just accessible but welcoming, acknowledging all members of your workplace. This includes, but is not limited to:
Clear glass windows/walls for offices so that people can communicate seamlessly
Wider hallways so Deaf people can communicate with each other easier
Braille door signs and/or Braille in common areas
Video phones located in common areas
Phone number to various service providers in common areas should interpreters or readers need to be called upon
Accessible parking spaces
Wheelchair accessible doorways throughout the building. The ADA accessibility standard states doors must have a clear width of 32 inches
Ramps at entrances and exits
Accessible (at least .75 inches in diameter and 42 inches from the floor, according to ADA requirements) and Braille buttons in elevators
Accessible bathrooms
Easily accessible workstations, meeting rooms and common access areas
Ensuring your company website, communications and training materials are accessible
This should extend beyond the typical workday — all company events should be accessible, too. When planning an event, consider whether there will be stairs, how long it would take to walk to the venue and if there will be spaces to sit. Be aware of any food or beverage allergies when putting together the menu.
Prioritize Wellbeing
As leaders, one of the most important things we can do is support our team as people, not employees. Building spaces for physical rejuvenation, like gyms, or spaces for community gathering, like lounges, can increase productivity, positivity and a genuine sense of connection to the workplace.
This also includes mental wellbeing. Having an open-door policy extends a support system to employees to help address any issues that arise in the workplace, or to discuss personal matters that might impact their performance at the office. Consider other ways to prioritize mental health in the workplace and promote a work-life balance.
Offer Fair Feedback
While celebrating wins makes for a healthier work environment, all employees should receive honest and beneficial feedback. “If managers tend to show leniency to disabled employees during appraisal, this may affect their ability to detect drawbacks and better their performance,” writes Jane Otterson for SHRM Executive Network.
Instead, focus on delivering the feedback that will help each individual advance in their career. Be upfront, clear and empathic. Focus on the behavior, and not the individual. Treat it as a conversation and follow-up with the employee, letting them know you see and appreciate their growth.
Create an Empowering Culture
Ultimately, you want to build a culture that stimulates individual development and innovation, one where all employees feel valued and that they have what they need to thrive.
That means ensuring that equitable access is not a footnote, but a core component of your company’s culture, mission and values.” Great culture should provide continuous alignment to the vision, purpose, and goals of the organization. Today’s workforce wants to know that they’re making a difference within their companies,” writes Natalie Baumgartner for Harvard Business Review.
This is how you attract top talent and retain key performers. More and more, people seek companies with missions that go beyond the bottom line. According to a Cone Communications study, 64% of millennials won’t take a job if a company doesn’t have strong corporate responsibility practices. 75% would take a pay cut if it meant working for a company that was socially responsible.
“While work cultures are unique to every organization, the foundation of what enables a culture to thrive is the extent to which employees are empowered to be engaged, feel valued, and be heard,” writes Baumgartner.
Let’s chat about how we can work together to make your workplace more accessible! As a CEO, entrepreneur and consultant, I’ve helped organizations across industries level the playing field and create a more equitable environment.