An Inclusive Workforce: Going Beyond National Disability Awareness Month – HR Affiliates Blog
October is National Disability Awareness Month, but the push for inclusion doesn’t stop here. With 24 percent of households across the United States having a person with a disability, strengthening awareness and creating an all-encompassing work atmosphere is crucial to your company’s future. There is a true value to a workplace that is not only inclusive of race, sex, and gender but also disabilities. Establish a team where everyone is equal, and everyone is heard.
Enrich Your Company Culture With Inclusivity
Fostering a disability-friendly work environment does not mean having to focus on some employees over others. Practicing inclusion benefits everyone in the company. Interaction and respect among all employees will progress significantly, in turn boosting the company’s profit and status. We’ve seen how disability-inclusivity has enhanced a team, so we’ve composed a list of how you can take action within your organization.
- Add diversity training to your employee life cycle. Every employee should receive a proper training — this one stimulates comfortability in expressing ideas while cultivating a safe space.
- Apply disability-inclusion to your recruiting tactics. A profitable team includes people of all backgrounds.
- Provide reasonable accommodations. This may entail a modified work schedule, assistive technology, and more.
- Advocate for self-identification. Not only will your team gain confidence through this, but they’ll respect each other’s differences and recognize similarities.
- Encourage interaction outside of work. Arrange events to connect employees, or stay informed on community events that could benefit your team.
HR Affiliates stands to help your business bring these tips to action. The rate of businesses working towards becoming a desirable workplace for people with disabilities is increasing — the third largest market segment in America is made up of those with disabilities. We believe your team should be expanding as widely as your customer base.
Leaders, Incorporate Consistency and Consideration
You may be asking, what steps must be taken to ensure steadiness in developing a disability-friendly company? Our HR professionals believe the people you’ve selected to be your leaders mirror your ethics. Your leadership team should go beyond passing along information — they should ensure that members with disabilities are comfortable contributing to the team. In addition to this, leaders should set goals for the company to meet as well as track progress in maintaining a disability-friendly business.
Professionals Who Prioritize a Promising Future
HR Affiliates sees disability-inclusion as a fundamental aspect of a prosperous business. Inclusion training is just one of the many services we provide in helping your business thrive. The first way to boost employee comfortability and expression is through breaking down any existing barriers. Take disability-inclusion beyond October and experience the result of an all-embracing business. Your HR partners have the pen and paper ready.