And everyone’s minds and bodies are affected by the nuances of genetics, accident, disease, and age. They may face social, economic and cultural barriers limiting their access to full and effective participation in a society, including economic development, education, employment and health services. You can opt out of emails at any time by sending a request to info@understood.org. Recently, a cast of 21 teenagers performed a production called Experience Collider, involving circus and dance, at the State Theatre of WA. The statistics are startling. Why promoting disability inclusion and awareness in the workplace is crucial to your company's success. With disability inclusion as a core value, we can make the most of this opportunity for change. Social inclusion is about being part of a community and its strong ties and communication. But many business leaders overlook a huge opportunity when it comes to realizing this ambition: the potential of more than one billion people worldwide who have some form of disability. By This website provides information of a general nature and is That’s why Microsoft works to ensure that accessibility is woven into the fabric of what we design and build, ensuring that our products and services provide inclusive experiences for all. designed for information and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. Feb … The program will cover key topics like: Making the business case for disability inclusion, Building a pipeline for talent with disabilities. Persons with disabilities make up one billion people -about 15 per cent of the world’s population – making them the world’s largest and most disadvantaged minority. That includes many employees, doing all types of work. By Bonnie Scherry – Guest Contributor . Disability awareness training makes employees more confident about communicating with disabled people – and your working environment more welcoming as a result. Providing step-free access from streets and parking lots and wheelchair-accessible restrooms is a good start. Why workplace disability inclusion matters now more than ever, By information, please review the Terms and And there’s a benefit when it comes to talent recruitment and retention also: a 2017 survey by PWC suggested that more than half of all jobseekers research a company’s diversity and inclusion policies when considering whether to accept a job offer. By embedding accessibility within your own company culture, you can ensure that you are innovating with inclusivity in mind also. A team that works around somebody with a disability is a better team and does better work. That’s why Understood and the But just because the tools exist doesn’t mean everyone knows about them. Share But it’s also shown what’s possible. Firstly, sports have a very social aspect to them. Nora Elena Genster, Why workplace disability inclusion matters now more than ever. Working remotely or from home has thrown up new challenges for people with disabilities; whether for a deaf person who usually relies on lip-reading to communicate with colleagues, or for an individual with a mental health condition who is struggling without their usual routine or due to lack of social contact. Inclusive hiring policies have a direct impact on innovation and can even open up new opportunities for growth. And everyone’s minds and bodies are affected by the nuances of genetics, accident, disease, and age. The panelists are some of the most cutting edge thinkers, insightful influencers and innovative implementers; all working to operationalize disability inclusion globally. For people with disability to participate and contribute their voice and experiences, it is important that Australian society creates opportunities and removes barriers, so that they can deem what is right for themselves and have control over the things that will impact upon their own lives. It encourages employees to “bring their whole selves to work” — something many forward-thinking companies want for their employees. The existing narrative about disability and business has been focused on the need for hiring, retention and career development. Thanks to social advances in recent years, we’re moving closer and closer to true disability inclusion. “Understood” as used above includes Understood For All Inc., and their officers, affiliates, parents, and related entities, and their respective employees, contractors, or other personnel. Katie Hampson The West Australian. Never forget how important a good education is when it comes to understanding that each and every one of us has the same rights. The instinct to step in and support disabled children at every opportunity may get in the way of them interacting with their peers, with and without disabilities. At the end of the day, we’re all … Understood is a nonprofit initiative. When the current crisis subsides, companies will have seen how important it is to Katie Hampson Angelina Kell, 18, with parents David and Katy Kell. Over 18 months of rehearsals, and … Review our privacy policy. This is particularly important given the current situation. The pandemic has brought us face to face with the differing fragility of our bodies and our mental health. Many people with disabilities unnecessarily experience life quite differently. One in every five people in Europe has a disability. Creating a culture of inclusivity can’t be an afterthought; it has to be baked in. SHRM Foundation are proud to announce the launch of Why is inclusive education important? Accessibility to events should consider both presenters and attendees. Why is disability research important? When you have diverse teams that include people with disabilities, you find out where and why your product or service does not work for them – and you begin to innovate. It’s perhaps not surprising then to learn that more than a quarter of people with disabilities living in the EU are at risk of poverty. Christina Cipriano explains why everyday acts of inclusion are so important to make the world better for people with autism and other disabilities. By recognizing the activity limitations that flow from certain impairments, Navigators will be able to identify some of the types of accommodations people with disabilities require so they can participate in an informed manner in the process of making healthcare insurance selections. Developmental Disabilities and the Community: Why Inclusion Is Important Sometimes, happiness is sharing a drink with friends. Yet despite this, people with disabilities are often conspicuously absent from a place many of us spend a considerable amount of time – the world of work. For teachers, disability inclusion activities can help increase awareness of their pupils’ abilities. They should ask themselves, “How can we make our company and our culture accommodating and accessible for everyone?”. Inclusive systems provide a better quality education for all children and are instrumental in changing discriminatory attitudes. The importance of inclusion in medicine Previous. For example, providing ramps and accessible toilets in meeting facilities or providing additional intervention and resources in the education system are known as 'universal design' or efforts towards the goal of inclusion… At the Navy, she also served as a human capital data analyst and executive operations program manager, identifying barriers to equal access to opportunity and formulating and monitoring programs to eliminate these barriers. They do however require you to start a conversation. If we’re to build a more agile and robust workforce for the new economy, we need to remember that it will be made up of humans with diverse needs. One in four adults in the United States has a disability. Equitable employers outpace their competitors by respecting the unique needs, perspectives and potential of all their team members. Inclusion in education refers to a model wherein students with special needs spend most or all of their time with non-special (general education) needs students. Copyright © 2014–2020 Understood For All Inc. All rights reserved. Thankfully, disability inclusion can be measured, benchmarked and improved. And we’ve been reminded of the importance of our connections with each other as people. This inevitably benefits end users and makes your products and services more appealing to customers with disabilities, whose spending power is an estimated £249 billion in the UK alone. If you or someone you know has a disability, this probably comes as no surprise; many people with disabilities are natural problem-solvers, having to spend much of their time troubleshooting the wider world to make it work for them. Why inclusion is important for children with a disability. Disability inclusion in the workplace is, at its core, a recognition that employees are human. These days… We do not market to or offer services to individuals in the European Union. In fact, I have previously suggested that companies should stop focusing on diversity , … provide the support employees need to do their best work. “Disability awareness programs are influential to the overall environment of a school. When done well, it promotes a culture that celebrates difference. Why is inclusion in sport so important? It may come as a surprise, but not every business is free of discrimination and often, the employment of disabled candidates can be seriously overlooked. “Because we’ve always done it that way” is suddenly out the window. Whether they’re After all, we’re people. Disability awareness should also be included in all diversity training. In the language of workplace disability inclusion, “accommodations” are supports that enable employees to thrive at work. Fostering a culture of inclusivity is good news for everyone. And overnight, we’ve seen millions of Americans using new workplace accommodations. Social inclusion, for many reasons, is recognised as a vital component of recovery for people with experience of mental illness. We’ve seen the advantage of prioritizing outcome over process. If candidates face barriers during the application and interview process, or if they sense that your business is not inclusive, they’re likely to look elsewhere. When asked this question I tend to respond by revising it in my head (if not out loud). Barely half of all people with disabilities in the EU are employed, compared with an employment rate of almost 75 percent for people without disabilities. Inclusion is a term used by people with disabilities and other disability rights advocates for the idea that all people should take action to freely accommodate people with a physical, mental, cognitive, and or developmental disability. Perhaps you even have a disability yourself. Employees don’t — and can’t — shed the complexities of their physical and mental selves while they’re at work. Disability intersects with all other diversity groups. For decades, people with disabilities have continued to push employers to follow both the letter and the spirit of the law. But what about the presenter's stage? Rather than being one distinct diversity category, it also feeds into gender, age, race, faith and sexual orientation. Senior Accessibility Evangelist, Microsoft. Nora Genster is a program manager for workplace disability inclusion at Understood. Employees don’t — and can’t — shed the complexities of their physical and mental selves while they’re at work. The story of disability inclusion is incomplete. Content. But let’s not forget that people with disabilities face such challenges year-round. Disability awareness in schools is extremely important because it educates students so … An artificial ceiling of expectations can be created unless disabled and non-disabled children can interact and establish their own relationships. There was an issue submitting your email address. Hector Minto Whether you’re struggling to follow a conversation in your second or third language, or are unable to type due to a broken wrist, built-in accessibility solutions can support all employees at different moments in time – as customers such as the UK Department of Education and Sodexo have both discovered. Most reasonable accommodations are in fact free. The fight for these civil rights was long and fraught — and it’s not over. This rapid adaptation has proven what And employees will see workplace accommodations as a new normal. Schools provide the context for a child’s first relationship with the world outside their families, enabling the development of social relationships and interactions. Why is disability research so important? The International Labour Organization notes that disability inclusion at work can drive increased innovation, since “employees with diverse experiences have different approaches to problem solving”. Research has found that this has a direct impact of businesses’ bottom lines as well as the wider economy: it’s been estimated that disability exclusion costs OECD countries up to 7 percent of their GDP. As a prospective employer, it’s important to shift your mindset to thinking about what people with disabilities can do, rather than what they can’t. But many people don’t disclose their disabilities at work for fear of discrimination or retaliation. Many mainstream technologies now have built-in accessibility features, which can assuage concerns about needing to procure specialist equipment. Conditions. And that’s true for technology too. working from home or working with a mask they didn’t need a few weeks ago, many employees are using new supports to get their jobs done. Because of that history, the sudden embrace of workplace accommodations has been bittersweet for some disability advocates. Understood does not and will not take money from pharmaceutical A robust disability inclusion program makes it easier for all employees to perform to their highest potential. Disability inclusion in the workplace is, at its core, a recognition that employees are human. Many people with disabilities can feel uncomfortable asking for reasonable accommodations that they are entitled to, and few employers know which tools are already available that they could benefit from. For instance, someone with mobility issues may not need a specialized keyboard if they are comfortable using the Dictate speech-to-text functionality in Microsoft 365 applications, while using keyboard shortcuts or a screen reader with Microsoft Office means that a person who is blind or has low vision can read their emails as quickly as anyone with full vision. Inclusivity unlocks innovation and attracts talent. Employing Abilities @Work. Why School Inclusion Is Important For Kids With Disabilities My Kid With a Disability Deserves to Be in the Same Classroom as Your Kid, Because His Future Depends on … Certainly some of your colleagues or employees are. That’s equivalent to 100 million people across the continent. Business leaders across industries should recognize and call out the role that widespread accommodations have played in any current successes. Next. Topics of social exclusion and inclusion have come up a lot on this blog. Maybe you’re in that group yourself. On the occasion of Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2020, we’re highlighting how inclusive technologies can help open up the world of work to a wider range of talent and help employers keep the door open for all. disability advocates have known all along: When disability inclusion is a natural part of the workplace, barriers will fall and employees will thrive. Our approach is based on designing with and for people with disabilities – and it’s this approach, for instance, that’s helped us on the journey to making Microsoft Teams more inclusive for people who are blind. A business should aim to showcase equality and diversity in the workplace, in the sense that any applicant or employee is given fair treatment to carry out their job without issue. Education can provide individuals with the skills, experience and empowerment to vocalise their opinions, and therefore ‘inclusion in education can be a first step towards increasing political participation and social justice for people with disabilities’ (Morgon Banks & Polack, 2014, p. 34). A team that works around somebody with a disability is a better team and does better work. That’s why the journey to increasing disability inclusion at work starts with increasing confidence, for employer and employee alike. A study of disability and equity at work finds that ‘work provides the material means through which to acquire adequate food, clothing, and shelter; access education, health care, and support services; and participate in the cultural… Sign up for emails with helpful resources about disability inclusion at work. Because differences are our greatest strength. In return, being involved in sports is also a matter of social inclusion. The COVID-19 pandemic has created a profound shift in workplaces across the United States and the world. This certificate program will help HR professionals develop the skills to build inclusive workplaces and hire, retain, and advance employees with disabilities. Now more than ever, businesses are seeking ways to boost innovation and productivity in a sustainable way. It’s about belonging to a network of supportive relationships that are protective of good health and positive wellbeing. Bear in mind that persons with disabilities are a heterogeneous group, including with regard to gender identity, ethnic diversity and sexual orientation. After all, they were already poised to solve problems creatively, to meet employees where they are, and to recognize and value the humanity of their people. Businesses that practice disability inclusion will be at the forefront of these changes. Companies that aren’t proactive about disability inclusion are losing out on qualified talent. and are used with permission. In other words, there’s much diversity within this diversity group that organisations can benefit from. Why is disability inclusion important? But it’s not just individuals who lose out when workplaces are not sufficiently inclusive. If you or someone you know has a disability, this probably comes as no surprise; many people with disabilities … With 38% of Australian households including a family member with disability, inclusion of people with disability represents a substantial opportunity for businesses. The window diversity training thankfully, disability inclusion can be measured, benchmarked and improved important for with. Employment and opportunity specialist with the Department of the Navy workplaces and hire, retain, and ’. Done well, it promotes a culture of inclusivity can ’ t be an ;. Own work I have come to appreciate that inclusion is also a matter social! Their competitors by respecting the unique needs, perspectives and potential of their! Ever, businesses are seeking ways to boost innovation and can even up! Us has the same rights Understood does not and will not take money from pharmaceutical.! To be baked in disabled and non-disabled children can interact and establish their relationships! 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