When it comes to being an inclusive employer, sometimes it is the small things that really matter

I am in my early 60s and have worked all my life, even though I have been registered Blind since my late 20s. I am a trained solicitor and currently work as a senior transformation and programme manager with the NHS. I have thoroughly enjoyed what has turned out to be a successful and rewarding career in spite of encountering some challenges linked to having a disability. 

I really want to improve the experience of Disabled workers in the workplace which is why I choose to be part of a research project called Supporting Disabled Older Workers (SDOW), run by the charity the Centre for Ageing Better and the Policy Institute at King’s College London. The project was established to develop new policy and practice to improve support for Disabled people and people with long-term health conditions in their 50s and 60s to find and stay in work.  

As a member of the project’s experts by experience steering group, I was able to bring my lived experience as a Disabled worker to help shape the project by developing research questions and design, selecting research partner organisations, collecting data, interpreting findings and identifying recommendations. 

Employers understanding the help available for their employees  

I have been really well supported by Access to Work in my career, both with help travelling to and from work and support from a PA to 'be my eyes' so to speak. Whilst the employers in my career have been totally supportive, I have generally needed to apply for and negotiate this support for myself as employers tend to have very little or no awareness of the help and support that is available, where to find it nor how to go about applying for it.  

I am quite a confident person and therefore I have been happy to do this sort of thing for myself but that is not the case for everyone and many fear asking for the help they need in case it makes them look less able, nor do they want to appear to be a bother to their employer.

Making information accessible  

During my career, the availability of accessible information has been getting better and better as the technology improves. But sometimes this can be overlooked by employers. 

I am regularly expected to “listen to slides” with no prior opportunity to read them. Often there are pictures, diagrams or other infographics that are totally inaccessible, even though  the processes and tools to add descriptive narrative are relatively simple.   

Government and local government websites and apps are increasingly accessible. But there are many other organisations whose websites are still not, including employers’ intranet pages and even basic systems such as HR records, expenses claim forms or time recording systems.  

Considering the needs of my guide dog  

I work with a guide dog and I can count on one hand the number of times people have thought to provide some water for them. 

Overlooking this small thing can be unproductive for my employer as I then have to waste valuable time at the start of face-to-face meetings in order to find somewhere to fill up a portable bowl which I am obliged to carry everywhere.

Excluding recruitment processes  

I am glad that I am heading towards retirement because applying for new jobs is a complete nightmare if you have a visual impairment.  

The vast majority of application processes are by online only and job application sites can be totally inaccessible as they are often extremely visual, with application forms spread across the screen with complex formatting making it very difficult to navigate or make sense of, even with the most up-to-date speech software. This means that I need support from a sighted person to complete the application. 

Allowing people to provide job applications on a Word document using simple headings rather than being required to navigate complex forms would be one simple way to resolve this issue.

Making the office easier to navigate  

Hot desking has become the norm as employers look to cut office costs and employees enjoy the benefits of working from home.  

But for a visually impaired person, a hot desking system can cause additional challenges to office life. Inclusive employers should consider offering a fixed office desk for visually impaired, and other Disabled workers, even in an open plan hot desking situation, to help them navigate the office safely.   

Similarly, keeping the workplace tidy and removing obstacles from corridors, can help create a more welcoming and inclusive work environment.  

Unfortunately many other Disabled people just don’t get the opportunity. And that becomes increasingly the case as Disabled workers get older. Employers who embrace diversity and truly see the value of providing equality of opportunity will reap the rewards tenfold.  

While there are broader societal and structural changes that need to take place to ensure a level playing field in employment for Disabled workers, employers can still take very small, cost-effective steps to ensure that their workplaces are ones in which Disabled workers can flourish.

So many Disabled people find themselves out of work or not in 'a good job', we need as many employers as possible to open their eyes to this huge untapped potential.