How to: Include Disabled Persons in the Workplace, A Comprehensive Guide

How to: Include Disabled Persons in the Workplace, A Comprehensive Guide

TWIG
22 July 2024

Creating an inclusive workplace for disabled persons is not just a matter of compliance but also a step towards a diverse and robust workforce. Here’s a guideline to help employers integrate disabled persons effectively:

1. Educate Leadership
   
   Enhance Understanding: Improve leaders’ knowledge about including disabled people in the workforce.
   
   Mentorship Programs: Identify, guide & mentor potential leaders who may be overlooked due to their disabilities & stigma
   
   Implement initiatives like the Generation Value Program, offering mentorship opportunities to disabled persons

2. Identify and Support Potential Leaders
   
   Spot Overlooked Talent: Identify and guide potential leaders who may be overlooked due to disabilities.

3. Offer Flexible and Remote Work Options
   
   Adapt Work Environments: Allow for flexible and remote work, ensuring homes are equipped with necessary supports and accommodations.

4. Adopt the Social Model of Disability
   
   Shift Perspectives: View disability as a difference, akin to gender or sexuality, rather than a problem needing accommodation.
   
   Remove Barriers: Focus on removing barriers to full participation in the economy, placing the responsibility on businesses and leadership

5. Proactive Employer Involvement
   
   Seek Out Disabled Persons: Encourage employers to actively recruit disabled individuals, rather than expecting them to adapt to standard work environments.

6. Reserve Employment Specifically
   
   Dedicated Employment Opportunities: Similar to reserved parking, allocate specific job roles for disabled individuals.

7. Revise Disability Coverage
   
   Include Disability Management Services: These services help shift focus to the abilities of ill or injured workers, rather than their limitations.

8. Develop Inclusive Return-to-Work Programs
   
   Customized Programs: Create return-to-work initiatives that emphasize inclusion and accommodation.

9. Provide Necessary Support
   
   Accessibility Tools: Offer specific equipment like large font computer setups for the visually impaired.
   
   Sign Language Interpreters: Ensure interpreters are available for hearing-impaired employees during meetings.

10. Implement Flexible Scheduling
    
    Accommodate Unique Needs: Allow staff to work on timeframes that suit their individual requirements.

11. Expand Coverage Areas
    
    Diverse Benefits: Include various benefits like drug coverage, alternative medications (e.g., medical cannabis), and paramedical treatments (e.g., massage, acupuncture).

12. Case Study: Gil Winch’s Approach
    
    Outsourced Call Center: Employs disabled persons, creating a supportive environment from recruitment to accommodations.

By following these steps, employers can create a more inclusive, supportive, and productive workplace for disabled persons, harnessing a diverse range of talents and perspectives.