Around one billion individuals worldwide live with a form of disability, though it is unfortunate that some businesses routinely ignore their values. This is equivalent to disregarding potential markets in Brazil, the US, Pakistan, and Indonesia all combined.
It is extremely important to make sure you’re actively supporting and recruiting workers with disabilities. Hiring individuals with in capacities means attracting many skilled candidates, enhancing team performance, and improving your talent pool. If you have a business with disabled workers, here are some of the ways you can use to offer support:
- Improve Awareness of the Invisible Disability
Hidden or invisible disabilities refer to incapacities, which are not immediately apparent, and there could be a poor level of awareness about them.
For instance, some people can be managing chronic pain but don’t require mobility aids. Hidden disabilities may include mental illness, arthritis, traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, and learning disability, just to name a few.
- Listen Well and Speak Clearly
If you are working with individuals who have a developmental disability or any other cognitive problems, be sure to use concrete concepts, clear sentences, and simple words.
Gauge the vocabulary, pace, and complexity of your speech so as to match theirs. Unless your disabled workers tell you otherwise, know that they have the right to come up with their own decisions.
- Offer the Right Equipment
Providing the right aids and equipment might be vital to independent living. Some of these can be associated with particular health requirements, but others will assist with certain tasks. The OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) mandates a secure work environment for every worker.
OSHA regulations have also set standards for accessibility of wheelchairs in the workspace. If you occasionally require the equipment for weekends, days out, or short breaks away, a wheelchair rental service might be the right answer to your employees’ mobility needs.
- Develop a Support Community
Using training programs and other opportunities to connect with other workers can help ensure disabled individuals succeed and grow. Coaching and mentoring initiatives are also important lifelines.
Disabled workers serving in senior positions need to also consider becoming champions or mentors, both externally and internally.
- Learn Techniques for Stress Management
Your disability support workers might have strenuous jobs, though the work itself can be necessary and rewarding. After all, you will be helping individuals facing different challenges, and even perfect social workers have overwhelming days because of the obstacles ahead.
Before you offer support to your disabled workers, ensure you research effective techniques for stress management. Immediately you adopt those techniques as your personal life, it can be simple to depend on them throughout your career.
- Communicate More Often
It is important to reach out and maintain communication with disabled workers to provide updates on resources and information. You may regularly set up one-on-one meetings through online forums, like Skype, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom.
Remember to also ask beforehand if your workers need some adjustments. The uncertainties of the global pandemic can as well heighten stress, so be sure to provide support to your workers during this time.
Final Say!
Encouraging employment to disabled individuals will give you access to an untapped labor pool. As a matter of fact, making your business disability-inclusive can boost growth.
Establishing an inclusive workforce can also mean being open-minded to a diverse population of individuals with a disability.
