How to Support Disabled Employees in the Workplace

There are 16 million disabled people in the UK, that’s one in four people. Disabled people are twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled people. This is partly due to biases in hiring and lack of support for disabled employees once they’ve joined an organisation.

Disabled people face unique challenges whilst job hunting and in employment. If your workplace doesn’t take steps to tackle these, disabled employees won’t be able to get the support they need. They’ll miss out on jobs they’re more than qualified for. And you’ll miss out on the opportunity for many passionate and talented individuals to join your team.

Here’s what you should do to support disabled employees in your organisation.

Make processes inclusive

Start by assessing the accessibility of your induction and career development processes. Some disabled employees might need extra time for training. Others could benefit from more information. For example about workplace culture, language and communication platforms. To support disabled employees in the workplace, work with each disabled employee before they start. This way you can make the induction process more accessible for them.

The chance for career progression is important for any employee. Disabled employees are often overlooked for opportunities because the processes aren’t accessible. If employees have to go through an interview or assessment for promotion, make sure reasonable adjustments are in place.

It’s also important to ensure that any training events are accessible.

Craft a strong EDI policy

Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) are essential for creating an inclusive workplace culture. This should be a priority for every organisation. Having an EDI strategy in place turns your values into actions. And this commitment to inclusion can attract and retain a more diverse workforce.

When writing an EDI policy, make sure to include disabled colleagues in the decision-making process. An effective policy is created with, rather than for, disabled employees.

However, be careful not to put the full burden of this work onto disabled staff. Helping out should be optional, and participants should be rewarded. If you have a small team, you can also look for guidance from disability rights organisations, such as Scope.

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Approach your EDI policies with intersectionality in mind. This means that some people have more than one protected characteristic (such as disability, age, gender and ethnicity). They’ll therefore come under several different sections of your EDI policy. It’s important to recognise the unique experiences of these employees.

Develop a culture of disability inclusion

Start an open conversation about disability at your organisation. Where necessary, deliver training for all staff so that everyone understands what is and isn’t acceptable. Also make sure that all staff are aware of your EDI policies and can access them at any time. It’s important for employee wellbeing that everyone feels safe and welcome at work. This will also have a huge impact on staff retention.

Disabled employees should feel able to be honest about what they’re comfortable with. Some disabled people might not want to talk publicly about their impairment or condition. They also might not want details to be shared with others.

Make workplace adjustments easy to access

There are legal requirements for supporting disabled employees in the workplace. They involve providing reasonable adjustments based on the needs of each employee. But you should treat these as the minimum that you offer.

Some disabled employees will know what adjustments they need, but others may not. 80% of impairments and conditions occur during working age. Employees who have recently received a diagnosis are less likely to know what support they might need at work and what support is available. Many won’t reach out when they’re struggling, and as a result, they won’t be able to achieve their best. This also has a negative impact on employee wellbeing and on staff retention.

It’s helpful to offer more than one way to request adjustments. Employees with different needs will benefit from different methods. For example, some may find it easier to speak to their manager in person, whereas others find it easier to email.

Keep asking at every stage

To fully support disabled employees, you’ll need to work with each individual on a plan for adjustments. For new employees, this process should start before they join so that they can be supported from day one.

Different people with the same diagnosis might need very different adjustments. You can’t tell just from someone’s diagnosis what they’ll need. This is why it’s important to work with each individual on a plan that suits them.

Some disabled people might not have a diagnosis yet, and some might not identify with the term ‘disabled’. If you can see that an employee is struggling, don’t suggest to them that they have a certain condition. Instead, ask if there are any adjustments that they’d benefit from. People are experts in their own needs. Always ask, never assume.

Also make sure to go over established adjustment plans at every chance. This includes at performance reviews, one-to-ones and return-to-work interviews. Even if someone’s performing well, they may still need adjustments. Always ask, no matter how well someone seems to be doing.

Looking for extra support?

Scope is a disability charity in England and Wales. It offers training and resources to help businesses support disabled employees. Scope works to change attitudes and close the disability employment gap. Take a look at what they have to offer or contact them directly at [email protected].

Scope business services