What can businesses do to remove barriers to work for disabled people?

It was back in 2017 that the UK Government outlined guidance in its Improving Lives:The Future of Work, Health and Disability whitepaper on how businesses can harness the talent and skill of each individual within society to boost successful economic growth.

The commitment made by the government in this document was to see one million more disabled people in work over the course of 10 years, increasing from 3.5 million disabled people in work in 2017 to over 4.5 million people by 2027. This pledge was a significant step towards greater inclusion within businesses, with the focus on removing barriers to work for individuals with disabilities.

Research shows that a 10 per cent increase in the employment rate amongst disabled adults would result in a £12 billion contribution to the UK economy over the next 12 years. This highlights that hiring disabled individuals offers immense value and makes total business sense.

Of the 7.7 million people of working age with disabilities, only 52.6 per cent are currently in work. To be an inclusive employer means to remove barriers for all members of the community into the workforce. Workers with disabilities need to be given equal opportunities to excel and make vertical movements through an organisation. Employers can – and should – be doing more to ensure that access to work for members of the disabled workforce is available. What does this look like?

Hiring disabled workers requires wider thought

Businesses must recognise that they are missing a wide talent pool of skilled workers by not addressing these barriers. Individuals with disabilities, whether these are physical or invisible, require changes to continue to be independent, work efficiently and thrive within the workplace – and this is often very easily achievable.

One of the key barriers to work for disabled people is the lack of education, understanding and support linked to hiring them in the first instance. If hiring managers have misconceptions, misunderstandings and unconscious biases about hiring workers with disabilities such as the process would be ‘too difficult’ or ‘too resource heavy’ then this immediately limits opportunity. This problems stems into a much wider point linked to an overarching ignorance about disability inclusion. Fostering an inclusive environment that aims to raise awareness, educate employees and implement disability policies is therefore key.

It’s not just to attract and retain this valuable talent – in fact it’s also beneficial for business. Organisations that hire people with disabilities are shown to have 28 per cent higher revenue, double the net income and 30 per cent higher economic profit margins than those that do not. Diverse thinking helps and hiring people with different experiences and approaches to problems helps to increase a businesses’ understanding for the market it serves.

Having a diverse background of employees will make a business thrive, and hiring a disabled person is not a hinderance to this. Business leaders should also recognise that implementing regular one-to-ones, flexible working options to accommodate personal circumstances, mentoring programmes and a forward-thinking and progressive culture will benefit everyone and ensure there is a workplace environment that all can succeed in.

Make accessibility a priority

Sometimes, employers are required to make reasonable adjustments to the workplace in order to remove barriers for disabled people entering work. This is inclusive of all employees, including trainees and apprentices, and government advice suggests that this can include:

  • Changes to the hiring process to improve communication in the interviewing process
  • Installing ramps for wheelchair user access
  • Ensuring that everyone has their own desk and space to work
  • Providing the opportunity for a disabled person to work remotely, or on a lower level floor if required
  • Making changes to health and safety procedures, such as installing an audio-visual fire alarm for those with a hearing impairment or who are deaf.

Although this is government advice, this is not always applicable for all workplace situations and businesses need to ensure that they make changes for individuals depending on the support that they require. Even if a business does not currently have disabled employees then being proactive about accessibility will ensure that you are ready for any disabled visitors, contractors, customers or new employees. 

Assistive technology is an essential tool to accessibility

Digital technology is continuing to evolve at a frantic pace. It is becoming more common to see the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) implemented across businesses to meet the ever-quickening pace of emerging sectors. Indeed, many businesses operate with a heavy reliance on technology, utilising computers, tablets and a variety of portable tech to complete roles.

Today, 77 per cent of disabled knowledge workers believe outdated tech in the workplace is limiting their work opportunities. Technology needs to be brought up to date to allow disabled workers and non-disabled workers to operate within a business alongside each other and be part of an inclusive environment. Making assistive technology in the workplace as unobtrusive as possible is imperative to ensuring all members of the workforce are accommodated.

Assistive technology improves the functional capability of the business by providing individuals with disabilities additional support to succeed in their role. This tech can include voice recognition software and text-to-speech programmes, literacy aids and larger or multiple screen sizes.

Assistive technology is often also used by disabled workers in their everyday life, which can position them as a suitable candidate to operate in an increasingly digital workplace. The value of highly skilled disabled workers should be engaged with by businesses, acknowledging that disability is not a barrier to exceling within the workplace. Importantly, the adoption and implementation of assistive technology can be funded through the Access to Work programme, providing businesses with the ability to support their disabled employees with increased accessibility.

There are a wide range of steps that businesses can take to make sure that any barriers for disabled people entering the workforce are not present. Ensuring that you have an active and engaged workforce, as part of a receptive, forward-thinking business, is imperative to achieving this. Inclusion cannot side-line disability.