It is important to allow disabled people to have easy access to learning and working. Not all disabilities are visible. It is important that an organisation is educated on the following:
Different forms of disabilities
The rights of people with disabilities in the workplace
How to make a workplace more accessible and inclusive.
Disabilities include physical disabilities, learning disabilities, mental health conditions and neurological disorders. It is vital for employers and employees to be trained on accessibility; people with disabilities have as much right to be employed as people without disabilities, after all.
People with disabilities are more likely to face unemployment in society. Many of them depend on government help such as benefits to cover living necessities. One of the reasons why is that people think that people with disabilities can not contribute to work or will have too many days off. Many people think that those with disabilities will not be able to complete tasks. Disabled people may have days off at times or require extension time, but they should not be denied work opportunities or treated inferior.
Most education organisations have been conducting online learning due to COVID-19. This new change may make it difficult to help disabled people through remote settings.
Ways to help include:
Adding captions to videos
Not using high contrast colours on web pages
Not using small font
Using warnings when uploading videos with loud noises
Not using too many animations
Keeping documents prepise and short.
Not demanding for an disabled person to have their camera turned on in a video call
Allowing disabled people to type in video chats rather than turn on their mic in video calls
Using tone indicators in work group chats
Off-remote suggestions:
Extended deadlines for disabled people
allowing fidget toys
allowing disabled people to use communication devices such as
wheelchair facilities
Lifts
Ramps
First aid
Providing breaks or passes – such as frequent toilet breaks
Braille keyboards
sign language softwares
install dimmers for the lights
provide noise cancelling headphones
screen reader software
devices and software with speech recognition
height-adjusted desks
To make your workplace more inclusive and accessible, create a guideline that clearly explains:
that people with disabilities are being hired
examining accessibility that is set in the workplace from time to time
keeping equipment and softwares up-to date
focusing on the health and well-being of work colleagues
continuous education on various forms of disabilities
