Inclusion steps for every workplace

This post was written for International Day of Persons with Disabilities and was featured on LinkedIn News.

Disability isn’t a dirty word, it’s something that one in four people in Europe live with. We’re all expected to get up in the morning, go to work, make money and contribute to society, but it’s not always so straight forward, especially when you live with a disability.

So how can organisations make life just that bit easier for their employees in the workplace?

The first thing would be to have a reasonable understanding of what a disability is. According to the Equality Act 2010, a person is considered disabled if:

• They have a physical or mental impairment.

• The impairment has a substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

• The effect is long-term.

Notice how the word ‘diagnosis’ was not used at all in the criteria.

If people aren’t aware of this, they may delay asking for help, or struggle in silence. If an employer is unaware of this, they may unintentionally deny requests for reasonable adjustments, which isn’t great for the employee, and could even lead to a disability discrimination claim.

The next step is understanding the difference between equity and equality. Both are words that get thrown around the workplace, but only one truly supports an individual’s specific needs.

Equality is giving everybody the same thing. For example, a company may introduce “No-Meetings Friday” to help boost employee wellbeing. However, some employees, particularly neurodivergent employees, may rely on routine and structure, and may feel stressed with a sudden change and the loss of regular touch points.

Instead, don’t guess what people might want or need, and provide flexibility where you can. It’s great if a company can provide employees with the best equipment, spending thousands of pounds on state-of-the-art desks, chairs and peripherals, but that means nothing if you have employees that cannot use the equipment due to a disability. Find out what people need.

This is where equity matters. The goal isn’t to give everyone the same setup, but to give each person the tools and environment that actually enables them to work comfortably and effectively.

And finally, the most powerful thing an organisation can do is to make disability, adjustments and support a completely normal part of workplace conversation. Support is so much easier to give when people can openly talk about what they need without feeling awkward or judged. This is definitely a big change to make, and it doesn’t happen overnight, but all it takes is for one person to speak openly for the culture to begin shifting.

Considering a quarter of the workforce is likely to have some form of disability, normalising these conversations isn’t optional. When people feel safe to ask for what they need, support becomes simple, and inclusion becomes the default.