Don’t look the other way to disability
This week sees the start of Disability History Month. It’s an opportunity to really understand disability inclusion - not as something that’s ‘nice to have’ - but for it’s transformative power in the business world. In recent years, we’ve begun to see a shift where disability inclusion has evolved from solely corporate responsibility to a strategic business imperative driven by some key, growing trends:
1 in 6 of the global population has a disability
1 in 4 working age adults in the UK are disabled
The disabled community has $13 trillion spending power every year, more than China.
Disability inclusion is quite simply too significant to ignore. Still, the vast majority of businesses continue to exclude disabled people, not out of malice, but because they simply don’t know how or don’t feel equipped.
Research into the hiring process found that employers are concerned that they don’t have the right support in place for disabled staff, are concerns about the cost and the fear of repercussions if the employment is unsuccessful. And yet, since around 80% of disability is acquired between the ages of 18 and 64, the age of most of the workforce, it’s almost certain that your workplace already has disabled people in it. You’re just probably not supporting your workers needs with it, especially if they don’t feel psychologically safe enough to disclose it to you.
But for those workplaces that can foster an environment of disability inclusion, it brings benefits to all. It leads to lower employee turnover and greater staff satisfaction. Not only that, disability inclusive businesses consistently achieve, on average, higher revenue, more net income and higher economic profit margins. One of the key reasons for this is that in recognising and removing the barriers disabled people face, it also forces you to recognise that no one way of working works for everyone. Creating better work environments for all.
Disability inclusion isn’t rocket science. It’s fundamentally about recognising that everyone has a different body, experiences and needs - just like non-disabled workers. Embracing disability inclusion isn't just a moral duty; it's a strategic choice that can drive business success. It enriches your workforce, broadens your customer base and bolsters your reputation. By taking practical steps and fostering a culture of inclusion, your company can become a catalyst for innovation:
Step 1:
In the short term, it’s important to embed at least a foundational understanding of disability, neurodiversity and accessibility across the business. Disability is complex and highly stigmatised in society; many people who are considered disabled under the law, might not use the label for themselves. Getting the whole organisation on the same page about what disability is and what it isn’t ensures that no-one’s excluded as you go further, and people start to gain ideas about how they might help.
Step 2:
Next, organisations can begin by listening to their disabled employees and finding out about their experiences. This might be through an anonymous survey, or listening sessions delivered by a third-party specialist, like Utopia. This ensures that any steps you take are informed by actual lived-experience and not just guessing. Disabled people are likely to also have ideas about what would help, but might not feel safe to express them.
Step 3:
Finally, businesses need to look at policies and practices and ensure they are disability-inclusive. We find when working with businesses, there are some great policies on paper, but in practice, they aren’t being implemented either because they’re hiding away in a handbook somewhere or because it’s left to individual managers. It’s essential that any organisation looking to build inclusion works to audit their practices and also ensure they are implemented properly.