World Report on Disability
2011 report from The World Health Organisation and World Bank, with foreword by Professor Stephen Hawking.
View ResourceWe’ve brought together resources to support and equip leaders across your wider organisation, to help you fulfil your commitment.
How to take action
If you’re not sure how to commit to action as an organisation, here are 9 great ways you could start on your disability inclusion journey.
Appoint an Executive Sponsor or Champion
tasked with improving your disability related performance across the business.
Start by being seen to listen to your people and your customers
Invest in initial conversations with disabled people and don’t be afraid of feedback.
Identify any barriers for colleagues and customers
– look for accessibility issues which may be stopping you from welcoming more people.
Run a diversity monitoring survey
for colleagues with and without disabilities, and act on what you learn. But make sure you’re compliant with employment law.
Encourage national leaders to connect with
local business disability networks and business networks that have made disability a priority.
Lead from the top and set your ambition
with a global disability performance strategy. What gets measured gets done, so make sure you factor in timings and KPIs.
Review your media
and consider how you could represent and speak to a broader spectrum of people, including those with disabilities.
Launch an Employee Resource Group
Create a safe space for people with disabilities to have their voices heard and establish regular interaction with your Executive Sponsor.
Bring in experts -
you are unlikely to already have the disability & accessibility expertise you need so make sure you’re working with people who can help.
Over 3 Years 20% of a workforce will disclose a condition that requires an intervention.
(Microlink - Figure based on survey of 22.000 Cases)
*Based on raw 2018 data
Designing an ‘end to end’ Work Place Adjustment Service that ensures your colleagues have the tools and flexibility they need to do their jobs to the best of their ability, it s group effort. It should include processes managed by Property and FM, Technology, Procurement, HR and Occupational Health.
How can you provide a service that ensures your colleagues have the tools they need to do their jobs to the best of their ability?
- Build an understanding of the reality of your workforce and how disability affects your business.
- Assess and remove barriers for groups of people (e.g. dyslexic people, visually impaired people).
- Assess and facilitate adjustments for individuals – ensuring process doesn’t become a barrier.
In 2018, a workforce of ca. 75.000 people reported:
2,042
people
taking condition related absence
68,599
absence days
were reported by people who have disclosed a condition
£8.5
million
The cost of days lost sum-up to over £8.5 million lost in productivity over one year
60-80%
reduction
to adsenteeism with an efficient, fit for purpose, work place adjustment service
Critical Success Factors.
- Ensure a named senior executive is held responsible for the efficiency of the service, end to end.
- Set a target for provision of adjustments to take no longer than 20 working days.
- Ensure the service is well publicised and communicates the benefits of best practice rather than mere legal compliance.
- Minimise reliance on medical advisors: adjustments are a managerial responsibility.
- Position both the individual and their managers as valued service users and monitor their satisfaction.
- Provide a pre-approved catalogue of software, hardware and other assistive devices to speed up delivery
- Re-engineer the process using experts at first contact point, to minimise needless assessments
- Evaluate and monitor the end to end process, gathering the management information needed for continuous improvement
6 key workplace adjustments – enabling individuals to get on with their jobs.
1. Assumptions
Challenge assumptions about groups: from ‘deaf people can’t work in teams’ to “what can this deaf person do?”
2. Accessibility
Create an accessible built environment for people with a range of needs: access to premises, signage, lighting etc.
3. Tolerance
Tolerate processes that might take a little longer – to attract, assess, adapt + induct new talent. Invest in targeted recruitment campaigns
4. Training
Ensure training is available for managers, colleagues, recruiters, IT etc.
5. Removing barriers
Remove barriers created by IT as well as related policies + processes.
6. Aides
Welcome human aides: job coaches, interpreters, personal assistants.
Global Disability Research
The latest data and statistics from around the world.
2020 Global Economics of Disability Report
‘Design Delight from Disability’ – 2020 Annual Report from the Return on Disability Group.
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Getting to Equal: The Disability Inclusion Advantage
2018 report by Accenture looking at the business case for disability inclusion.
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Disability and Development Report
2018 report on ‘Realizing the Sustainable Development Goals by, for and with persons with disabilities’ from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
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Facts on disability in the world of work
Key facts on disability in the workplace from the International Labour Organization.
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The Win-Win of Disability Inclusion
An info-story from the International Labour Organisation.
View ResourceValuable Trend Reports
We partner with Global Data to bring you the latest disability inclusion insights from around the world.
Global Trend Report – Issue 1
The Valuable 500 in association with Global Data
Global Trend Report – Issue 2
The Valuable 500 in association with Global Data
The Experts
These organisations can offer expertise and services to help you in specific areas of disability inclusion.
Business Disability Forum
Not for profit membership organisation working through and with business to create a disability-smart world.
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Purple Space
The world’s only networking and professional development hub for disabled employees, network and resource group leaders and allies from all sectors and trades.
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ILO GBDN
The International Labour Organisation’s Global Business and Disability Network is a network that facilitates the exchange of knowledge through global, regional & national meetings, working groups, joint publications & tools.
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Open Inclusion
They help businesses understand the needs of their broader customer segments as well as their workforce, primarily through asking people with lived experience of access needs.
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Global Disability Inclusion
GDI can collaboratively help you design a world-class disability inclusion program, effectively balancing business objectives, corporate culture and employee engagement.
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Ai-Media
Access Inclusion Media can help you make the world accessible with captions, transcripts, subtitles, described video and more.
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Access Israel
The first non-profit organization in Israel whose main mission is to promote accessibility and inclusion to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities and the elderly.
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Australian Network on Disability
AND is a national, membership based, for-purpose organisation that supports organisations to advance the inclusion of people with disability in all aspects of business.
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Mirairo
Mirairo is a consultancy working to remove barriers for people with disabilities in Japan.
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Leonard Cheshire
From student internships to supporting disabled entrepreneurs — Leonard Cheshire’s employment programmes come in all shapes and sizes.
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Sminty
A disability and diversity consultancy that works with major corporate organisations in the UK and internationally offering training and consultancy services.
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Mencap
Mencap offers a free service to employers called Resources for Employers – an online information hub for employers on increasing employment opportunities for people with a learning disability.
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Graeme Whippy
Graeme provides consultancy to clients that helps them identify and remove employment barriers for disabled people. This means having an effective, efficient and sustainable workplace adjustments process.
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Hidden Disabilities Store
The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower for people with hidden disabilities. Wearing the Sunflower discreetly indicates to people around the wearer including staff, colleagues and health professionals that they need additional support.
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Zebedee Management
As well as being the world’s leading supplier of models with disabilities and alternative appearances, Zebedee represent children, adults, curve, classic and varied ethnicities.
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Neatebox
Smart customer service solutions based on the challenges disabled people face every day.
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Be My Eyes
Be My Eyes is a free app that connects blind and low-vision people with sighted volunteers and company representatives for visual assistance through a live video call.
View ResourcePushing the barriers
Disability consultant, Simon Minty talks about the barriers to disabled people being employed – Spoiler alert: they are usually about people’s attitudes.
Clocking in
In this Skills Boosters video, Simon Minty and others discuss some of the major barriers to business environments.
Why do you want this job?
What to ask disabled candidates and how you can amend your hiring process to ensure no one gets left out.
Pushing the barriers
Disability consultant, Simon Minty talks about the barriers to disabled people being employed – Spoiler alert: they are usually about people’s attitudes.
Designing for disability
In her Ted Talk, Elise Roy explains how we all win when we design for disability.
Changing Perceptions
In Caroline Casey’s Ted Talk ‘Looking past limits’, she discusses her own journey to self-acceptance and disclosure.
Microsoft Accessibility
In this video Microsoft show you how they’ve created an accessible workspace and the importance of inclusivity.