How to Accommodate Employees with Disabilities

If you’re an equal opportunity employer, you don’t discriminate when you’re hiring. You pluck talent from a diverse pool of professionals, and as a result, each member of your team brings unique strengths, perspectives, and experiences to the table. Some of these people may have disabilities. To make sure they can still contribute their best, you have a duty as their employer to accommodate their unique needs.

Make Adjustments

Creating an inclusive work environment involves making a reasonable effort to help people with disabilities to thrive. In some cases, this means making physical changes to the workspace. These steps may include widening hallways and doorways to ensure people in wheelchairs can pass, offering ergonomic office equipment, and ensuring ramps, escalators, and elevators run efficiently throughout the day.

In other cases, it may involve modifying your employee’s workday to accommodate their needs better. You may offer remote options, provide a quieter office in a low traffic area, or alter your training and coaching policies to suit their learning needs.

Talk to your employees to discuss the space and tools they need to be at their best. Refer to your local labour board to understand what your role is in making these adjustments.

Prepare for Emergencies

So often, when employers talk about inclusivity, they think about their day-to-day operations. But for a workplace to be truly inclusive, you need to think about how you’ll accommodate disabled people when business as usual goes belly up. They may need extra attention when an emergency occurs, and an evacuation is necessary.

Whether the next disaster is a fire, earthquake, or flood, a workplace emergency shuts down elevators and escalators, making the stairwells the only way out. Unfortunately, navigating the stairs in a quick or safe manner may not be possible for your disabled employees or guests.

With elevators out of commission, an evacuation chair is a necessary tool for your office. Offices that use an Evacuscape rescue chair can expertly transport employees, guests, and customers down the stairs in emergencies. All it takes is for one designated employee to operate the chair and for the disabled person in question to strap in. Its sophisticated support and wheel systems make it possible to control the descent without breaking a sweat.

Consider Invisible Disabilities

Not every disability will come with obvious visual clues. Some developmental, sensory, or mental conditions are totally invisible. You may not even know someone is living with one unless they confide in you.

Some common invisible disabilities may include the following diseases and health issues:

  • ADD or ADHD
  • Arthritis
  • Crohn’s disease
  • Epilepsy
  • Hearing loss
  • Learning disabilities

Although these conditions may not be as noticeable as visible disabilities, they still may affect how your staff do their jobs. It’s your responsibility to ensure you accommodate their needs just as you would for people with more obvious disabilities.

Bottom Line

When you invest in your employees, they’re more likely to invest in your business. Reach out to your labour boards, health and safety experts, and community organizations to learn more about how you can create an inclusive atmosphere at work.

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