Top 10 Tips for Improving Accessibility in the Workplace

Improving accessibility in the workplace supports employee satisfaction, fosters a positive work environment, and broadens your ability to attract diverse talent.

Here are our tope tips for achieving this is your workplace:

1. Create a safe workplace culture

In order to improve accessibility in your workplace, you need to understand what access needs are present within the business, and if your employees don’t feel safe disclosing this information, you have no way of knowing.

Some ways to help ensure your employees feel safe speaking up include:

Avoid being patronising or dismissive when employees raise concerns or share their thoughts
Foster a culture where giving and receiving feedback is a normal and valued part of the workplace
Encourage an environment where employees can speak openly and be heard without fear of judgement
Collaborate with your team to build a workplace rooted in trust and mutual respect
Develop a language guide and raise awareness around inclusive communication to help everyone feel respected and included

2. Consult your employees

Listen to your employees and gather feedback to make sure that any changes you make to the workplace are meaningful and helpful – making assumptions about what your employees may need may lead to solutions that miss the mark and employees that feel disempowered.

3. Train your team

Train your team so they understand how to spot potential hazards, problems or issues, and their role in making sure the workplace is accessible for their colleagues.

Make sure that your first aiders and fire wardens are aware of any access needs that may impact their safety.

4. Ensure training itself is accessible

All employees should have the same learning opportunities, which may require some adjustments be made to the format of their training. This could include:

Closed captions for training videos or BSL interpreters for in-person training
Training materials that are compatible with screen-reader technology
Delivering training in multiple formats e.g. speaking, images, videos, and hands-on activity
Be flexible on timings
Ensure buildings can be physically accessed for in-person training

5. Use assistive technology

It’s important to implement assistive technology to allow those with disabilities to understand their work and participate to their full potential.

Assistive technology can include:
●   Hearing aids
●   Screen reading software
●   Braille displays
●   Text-to-speech systems
●   Enlarged text

6. Ensure welfare areas are suitable

Workplaces in the UK are legally obligated to have accessible toilets, and this may look different depending on the needs of your staff. Consider asking anonymously what your team require and implementing welfare areas based on their feedback.

7. Share your access information

Accessibility tools and measures are useless if people don’t know they’re there – make sure your team is given the information they need to make use of their workplace fully.

8. Provide private spaces

Private spaces can help with a number of mental and physical disabilities, and also benefit other members of your team, such people who are breastfeeding, undergoing medical procedures and need to inject, or people of faith who need space to pray.

9. Use flexible communication

There is no one-size-fits-all communication that is most accessible – what works for one person may create barriers for another. The solution is to be flexible with how your team communicates to allow everyone to be understood and understand. This could include:

Written and verbal formats for important information
Distributing meeting agendas in advance to allow for preparation
Use plain language principles: short sentences, common words, active voice
Set realistic and explicit response times for different communication channels

10. Allow workstation customisation

Allowing people to optimise their own workstation allows everyone to work in an environment that suits them best. Options may include:

Different types of workstation e.g. assigned seating, hot-desking, remote working
Fans, space heaters, and a relaxed dress code to allow for layers to help with temperature regulation
Variety in desk types e.g. traditional, standing, different seating options, etc.

Code of Conduct and Communication Skills training courses are essential tools in promoting accessibility in the workplace. Make sure you don’t miss out on our 10% off deal on these courses, available until the end of October. Simply enter the code ‘access10’ at checkout to save!