October is Disability Employment Awareness Month, and the perfect opportunity for businesses to assess what hiring practices, workplace culture, and available accommodations are needed to build a diverse and productive workforce. As experts in operational resilience, we want to encourage your team to take the extra time to think through and develop these elements so you can seamlessly (and properly) serve both clients and staff.
We use terms like “accessibility” and “accommodations,” but as businesses, it’s important that we put in the work and do the planning to make both a reality. In honor of Disability Employment Awareness Month, we’d like to help you think through what your company may need from an operating standpoint.
Buildings need to be wheelchair accessible, of course, but so does the office environment itself. Accessible technology can be used to allow employees with a range of disabilities to thrive in the workplace.
For workers with visual impairments, screen readers and magnification programs may be appropriate. Speech recognition software, for example, can assist those who have challenges using a keyboard because of motor skill impairments.
And of course, equipment like on-site wheelchairs are particularly important for visitors, such as at a museum or venue.
In addition to procuring accessibility equipment, you may consider adjusting your staffing plan. Installing and troubleshooting additional technology requires the necessary expertise to reside on hand or to be easily accessible. And maintaining equipment for clients or guests, such as wheelchairs, may require additional staffing hours.
Your staff is a valuable resource and finding ways to use their time wisely and to properly support employees results in a healthier, more productive team.
An inclusive corporate culture that values diversity and supports employees is invaluable. A team with more social diversity will offer a greater variety of experiences and perspectives, increase a team’s knowledge base, and improve creativity and encourage new ideas.
Whether you need help planning operational elements or transforming your corporate culture into a place where all your employees thrive, we’re here to help. Drop us a line at info@actnstrategies.com to learn more.