Your Workplace
The thought of trying to make your business barrier-free and inclusive may seem overwhelming. However, you may already be using resources that make your organization inclusive and accessible and just don’t realize it.
Understanding Barriers
A barrier is any visible or non-visible obstacle that keeps a person from participating fully in the workplace.
The challenges faced by people are often caused more by preventable barriers than by the disability itself.
Attitudinal Barriers
While an employer may agree that everyone should be able to access employment opportunities, many people have hidden reservations or biases or inaccurate beliefs that can dissuade them from seriously considering an applicant with a disability. Doubts can stem from misconceptions about productivity, safety and fitting in with the rest of the staff.
Co-workers’ attitudes can also make it difficult for an employee to remain successfully employed. They may think it is too much work to try to accommodate and work with an employee who has a disability. This can make the employer feel that it is less troublesome to hire a nondisabled person. For example, people may avoid individuals with speech impediments due to the extra time and patience it takes to understand what is being communicated.
Systemic Barriers
“Systemic” refers to the policies and practices (the “rules”) that an employer has in place for staff to follow. Some policies or procedures pose a barrier for some persons. For example:
- refusing to adjust break times to allow for an individual to administer insulin to control their diabetes
- a hiring process that is not accessible to people with disabilities.
Physical Barriers
Traditional building design can pose access challenges. For example, a main building entrance that has steps but no wheelchair ramp, narrow doors and hallways, or elevators too narrow for a wheelchair or scooter. Physical barriers include designs that do not take into account the needs of different people.
- Furniture layout may prevent a wheelchair user from entering a meeting room.
- Low lighting in a foyer and elevators may make it difficult for a person with low vision to navigate safely.
Communication and Information Barriers
Giving and receiving accurate information is essential in any business. Communication barriers would include but are not limited to:
- Information that is not written or spoken in plain language.
- Sending and receiving communication in a single format i.e. phone vs. email.
- Fonts that are too small or contrast that is too low for people with low vision.
- Websites not designed with various abilities in mind or compatible with assistive device software.
- Signs that are not clear or easily understood.
Technology Barriers
Modern technology has the potential to help people with disabilities, but it can also present barriers. Potential technology barriers should be considered and prevented where possible.
Systems designed to receive and/or deliver information, such as websites, software applications and telecommunication systems, should ensure equal access for everyone and should support communication in a manner that takes disabilities into account. Technology that presents a barrier would include:
- Websites that do not support screen-reading software for people who are vision impaired or illiterate.
- Touch screen panels that do not support text to speech software, making them inaccessible to someone who is blind.
The lack of technology can also be a barrier for some people. Information given verbally should also be sent by email or text messaging so that employees with hearing loss will be included in the communication.
Workplace assessments
A workplace assessment is a review of various aspects of a business to determine where employment barriers exist. Your One Voice Network employment service provider can assist with this for more information, and browse the accessibility checklists. A major plus in using and implementing an accessibility checklist is that your employees, visitors, customers – everyone – benefits when you create an inclusive environment.
A full accessibility audit is probably unnecessary when you are considering hiring a person with a disability for the first time. What you will need to do is to familiarize yourself with the barriers specific to that kind of disability. Your One Voice Network employment service provider can help determine whether any of these barriers can be removed, or whether the prospective employee will require other accommodations.
Future plans to expand or relocate?
If you plan to expand or renovate your workplace to accommodate a growing business, that is an ideal opportunity to improve accessibility. It is less costly to build accessibility features into your renovation plans than to have to retrofit later.
If your business will be moving to larger premises, take accessibility into account when looking at potential locations. Before signing a lease or purchase contract, ask about having accessibility built in. Moving a business is costly and time-consuming. It makes sense to include accessibility when making plans to relocate the business.
