February 17, 2021 | White Paper

Making your business more accessible to the disabled community

How to apply them in the improvement of your business.

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Approximately 15% of the world’s population experiences disability. Additionally, with ageing populations, that figure is likely to increase, especially when other issues such as communicable and non-communicable diseases are taken into consideration. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that environments play a huge role in experience and it impacts people greatly. In fact, an environment determines how someone from the disabled community is able function optimally and with equal and equitable opportunities.  

Key Findings

Defining Disability 

According to WHO, disability manifests from the interaction between people with a health condition alongside personal and environmental factors such as negative attitudes, inaccessible transportation and public buildings and limited social support.  

Defining Access/Accessibility 

Generally, access allows for, and facilitates the rights of and considers inclusion for persons with disabilities within society.  

To contextualise, accessibility is identified as the “provision of flexible facilities and environments, either virtual or physical, to accommodate [persons’] needs and preferences…

Importance of Disability Access in Businesses/the Workplace 

The importance of disability access is made obvious in the benefits of disability inclusion in businesses and more specifically in workplaces. When accessibility is made a priority, it allows clients to readily reach your products and services. This is only truly possible when employees from the disabled community are given the tools to enhance those products and services…

Who Benefits from the facilitation of accessibility in the workplace? 

The short answer to such a question is “all stakeholders”. When the consideration of accessibility is made a priority through actual actioning, the benefits for all will be made abundantly clear.  

Sources 

 

  1. Disability – World Health Organization  
  2. Toolkit on Disability for Africa: Accessibility – United Nations’ (UN) Division for Social Policy Development (DSPD), Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) 
  3. 5 Reasons Why Disabled Accessibility is so Important for Your Business – Best Startup 
  4. Developing an Accessible Workplace – SHRM 
  5. Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities is Crucial for the Sustainable of Latin America and the Caribbean – The World Bank 
  6. The Importance of Workplace Accessibility – Level Access Blog 
  7. The Accessible Workforce – IBM 
  8. Our Disability Inclusiveness Earns Top Employer Award – Merck 
  9. Ultimate Software Named Top-Scoring Company on 2019 Disability Equality Index  – Ultimate Software 

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Authors:

Evelina Bondareva

Romeo Effs

Contributors:

Cheryl Jones

Raymond Holt

Vicky Sleight

Oniel Croal

Shaping Tomorrow