Published in December 2016
Taking disability inclusion further
Put it in writing
Prove you’re committed to disability inclusion by making it company policy. This can be a specific policy or the inclusion of disability as part of more general policies on anti-discrimination, diversity or human rights.
Equal opportunities for all
Employing disabled workers is just the first step. As for all employees, you need to make sure disabled employees have access to all training and career progression activities.
Confidential staff satisfaction surveys are a good way to check how employees with disabilities are doing compared to non-disabled colleagues. Disaggregation of data by sex will help identify different impacts on women with disabilities as compared to men with disabilities.
Plan for every eventuality
Someone in your business could acquire a disability or mental health condition while working for you. A good disability management/return-to-work programme can reduce absenteeism rates and turnover of staff. There are lots of organizations that can help you establish programmes like this.
Think outside the business
Large companies in particular can contribute to disability inclusion by asking their suppliers to comply with disability legislation. You can also explore buying products and services from businesses that promote the employment of persons with disabilities and have disability inclusion practices in place.
Start networking
Many large companies have employee networks and some have disabled employee networks, including both disabled and non-disabled employees. These networks can be a valuable resource for promoting disability inclusion.
Tell others what you're doing
Make sure everyone knows about your inclusion initiatives. Use your website, newsletters and other channels to shout about your achievements, including your corporate sustainability report if you publish one.
