As a business owner, there are countless things to consider, from recruiting a talented team to help make the business a success – to securing the right premises for your company. But perhaps one of the most important is ensuring that your workplace is accessible to all.
Whether you have disabled workers or clients, it’s paramount that you make these individuals included by providing the necessary accessibility features within your business space.
In this article, we look at how to create an inclusive and accessible working environment that everyone can benefit from. Here are 4 ways to boost workplace inclusivity and accessibility:
1. Make Physical Alterations To Your Office Space
In order to ensure your workplace is 100% accessible for those with a disability, it’s important to consider what changes you can make inside the office. Ensuring you have on on-site elevator which is regularly serviced is important so that wheelchair users can get to and from different levels with ease. Similarly, its vital that you provide suitable disabled toilets that are accessible.
2. Consider External Changes To The Building
Making your workplace inclusive doesn’t just mean making internal alternations – a person’s journey to work begins from before they step into the building. With this in mind, consider what changes you can put in place to make this journey easier for people with a disability. If there are any steps leading up to the building, providing a ramp upon entrance for wheelchair users is crucial. Similarly, you may wish to think about designating disabled parking spaces close to the building for easier access. You can easily allocate spaces by investing in some brightly coloured floor paint to mark each space where applicable.
3. Provide Accessible Equipment
Remember, disabilities come in all different shapes and sizes. It’s important to consider what you can do as an employer to make work life more accessible for those with a disability. There is a whole host of special equipment out there to help deaf and blind workers, as well as those with conditions such as dyslexia. Colour coded keyboards, sign language apps, braille keyboards, are all helpful devices that can aid workers in their day to day tasks.
4. Provide Employee Training
Educating your team on how to make work an accessible place for everyone is key. Ensure managers know exactly how to cater to individual disabilities, equipping them with the tools and knowledge necessary to make processes as inclusive as possible within the workplace. This training should extend to all team members, as a way of increasing inclusion.
While managers may have the most authoritative contact with employees, it can be just as beneficial to arm colleagues with this knowledge to ensure a harmonious working environment which is accessible across the business as a whole.
Conclusion
The workplace has changed a great deal over the last few decades and recent years. There is no excuse for not making your business workplace accessible and inclusive for all employees, customers, and vendors. This is essential and should be prioritized immediately if it hasn't been done so already.
