Your how-to: Offering advanced accessibility features for users with disabilities
Offering advanced accessibility features for users with disabilities refers to the implementation of advanced accessibility features specifically designed to alleviate challenges faced by employees with disabilities at your place of work. It involves assessing, creating and, if required, customising tools, facilities, and environments to meet the diverse needs of individuals. This might include assistive technologies such as screen readers for visually impaired employees, captioning services for those with hearing impairments, ergonomic workspace adjustments for those with physical disabilities and flexibility in working arrangements such as remote work or flexible hours for those with mental health conditions or neurodivergent individuals.
This initiative also extends to creating an all-inclusive digital environment that's easy to navigate for everyone. The strategies involve adopting universally designed principles which ensure that digital assets like websites, apps or digital documents are accessible by all, irrespective of their disability status.
In an Australian context, implementing these features aligns with the Disability Discrimination Act (1992) and the Disability Standards for Education (2005), both of which evoke the responsibility of organisations to provide suitable adjustments for employees with disabilities. Compliance with these legislations not only supports ethical and inclusive practices but also promotes a diverse and productive work environment.
Step by step instructions
Assessment of Employees' Needs: Knowing the requirements of your employees is crucial. Conduct a comprehensive survey or interview to identify the specific needs of your staff members with disabilities. This will provide insight into the types of disability being experienced and the nature of accommodations required.
Digital Accessibility Evaluation: Evaluate the digital platforms used by your employees. Are they all effectively utilised by staff members with disabilities? Are there any barriers to their optimal use of these tools due to their disability as this may also require adjustment?
Implementation and Customisation: Implement the identified changes. This may require procuring specialist equipment or services, engaging contractors for physical alterations or improving digital assets to be more inclusive.
Train Employees and Promote Awareness: Provide adequate training for all staff members on the accessibility features and policies implemented. Promote awareness of these new features and explain how to use and respect them.
Evaluate Workspace Accessibility: Carry out an audit of the physical workspaces in your office. Identify any areas of the workplace that may pose challenges for disabled employees. These may include access ways, restrooms, meeting rooms, cafeteria, parking, and any other commonly used areas.
Identify Suitable Adjustments and Accommodations: Based on the feedback received and evaluations carried out, compile a list of potential adjustments to be made. These could range from the purchase of assistive technologies like screen readers or transcription services to making physical changes in the workplace like installing ramps and automatic doors.
Develop a Flexible Work Policy: Create a policy that allows flexible working conditions where necessary. This might include allowing employees to work remotely, varying work hours, or modifying job tasks wherever feasible to accommodate the needs of the employee.
Regular Review and Feedback: Continuous improvement is essential for the success of any initiative. Conduct regular reviews to assess the impact of the changes on your employees' productivity and wellbeing. Gather feedback and make adjustments accordingly.
Use this template to implement
To ensure you can execute seamlessly, download the implementation template.
Pitfalls to avoid
When discussing accessibility, many people think of visible disabilities such as wheelchair users. However, other employees may have invisible disabilities such as hearing loss, mental health conditions, autism, and dyslexia. It’s important to remember that accessibility measures should cater to all types of disabilities.
In Australia, the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 mandates businesses to make reasonable adjustments to provide the same level of accessibility for all individuals, including those with disabilities. Ignoring these legal requirements can lead to significant penalties and damaging lawsuits.
A common pitfall is making assumptions about what individuals with disabilities need rather than asking them directly. Each disability can vary greatly in how it affects an individual, and therefore, the best way to learn how to accommodate a person with a specific disability is to ask them.
In today’s digital age, much of our work is done online. However, many businesses often overlook the importance of digital accessibility. Websites, documents, and applications should be designed and developed to be accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities.
Even if your workplace has made the necessary accommodations, accessibility is an ongoing effort requiring continual education and training. Everyone, including managers and staff, should be trained to understand different types of disabilities and know how to provide necessary support and adjustments.
Accessibility should not be considered as a 'nice-to-have'. It should be part of the initial planning and designing phase, rather than a retroactive addition or modification.