Jane Hatton is a disabled social entrepreneur, TEDx speaker and author. She is the founder and CEO of Evenbreak. Evenbreak is a social enterprise which provides the only global specialist disability job board, run by and for disabled people.
There is a common misconception within many organisations that employing disabled people will be difficult, costly and bad for business. That we, as disabled people, will be unproductive, have high levels of sickness, are a health and safety risk and require very expensive workplace adjustments.
If all of this were true, that could explain why disabled people are twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled people. However, the reality is very different.
Why it's good to employ disabled people
Research tells us that on average, disabled employees are every bit as productive as our non-disabled colleagues, have significantly less time off sick, and far fewer workplace accidents. This is from my 2017 research called 'A Dozen Brilliant Reasons to Employ Disabled People'.
We also bring additional benefits to the workplace. Having to navigate around the barriers created by living in a world not designed for us means we develop skills like problem-solving, creative thinking, persistence and project management. Skills that we bring with us to the workplace, and which add value.
In addition to this, 20 to 25% of the UK population are disabled or have a long-term health condition. All are consumers of products and services, and employing disabled people brings internal intelligence of how to meet their needs as customers and clients, thus growing your market.
How straightforward reasonable adjustments can be
Clearly, employing disabled people brings many advantages to organisations. But what about the costs of reasonable adjustments? Will you have to knock down your building and start again? Add a lift, costing millions?
Well, the clue is in the word 'reasonable'. You won't have to do anything that would be detrimental to your business. And the average cost of reasonable adjustments for an individual can be as little as £75 (as the Business Disability Forum tells us in their advice on reasonable adjustments), although many are free.
The thought of providing reasonable adjustments can be frightening to some managers, not least because it is a legal requirement. It also feels complex, because everyone will need different things. You could have 10 employees with the same condition, who will have completely different access needs.
However, it really doesn't need to be complicated or problematic. Most disabled employees will know what they need, so all the manager has to do is ask, "what do you need in order to thrive here?". The answers are often fairly straightforward.
Popular requests for adjustments include:
- flexible working hours, to avoid rush hour transport, or to work part time (you probably already offer this)
- working remotely for all or part of the week (since the pandemic this is common practice anyway)
- being exempt from hot-desking
- keeping walkways clear of trip hazards
- giving clear, unambiguous instructions
- a parking space close to the building
All of these cost nothing, and are just good practice, regardless of disability. Other requests may include a bowl for drinking water for an assistance dog, or a desk with its back to the wall, or away from noisy heaters. Straightforward, and easy to provide.
Access to Work
Some access needs may have a cost attached. For example, assistive technology such as a screen reader, dictation software or an ergonomic mouse.
If the employee doesn't already have these (they may), then a government scheme called Access to Work will pay some or all of the costs. In fact, this scheme will help to assess access needs, and provide what is needed. This could be anything from an ergonomic chair, to a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter, to transport to and from or within work, to mental health support.
Providing reasonable adjustments is much easier than you might have thought. Most are free and readily available. The disabled employee will usually be able to tell you what they need. If neither of those are the case, Access to Work can assess the situation, make recommendations and pay towards the solutions.
Adjustments for all
The most important thing for any organisation is to make sure that every employee is able to perform as well as possible, and good organisations will involve each employee (disabled or otherwise) in that conversation, and devise solutions together.
Rather than 'reasonable adjustments for disabled staff', it should be 'workplace adjustments for all staff'. Parents, or people with other caring responsibilities, may need flexible working, for example.
By ensuring that, as far as possible, everyone's needs are met, you will create a workforce of loyal, productive people who feel valued, supported and motivated; a scenario in which everyone wins.