We are glad you are contemplating how you can be more disability-friendly. Combatting discrimination and being disability-friendly are two ways individuals and companies can be accessible and inclusive to the disabled community. In this blog are Tenura's top tips.
What Can I Do To Support Disabled People?
Educate Yourself On Disabilities
It's crucial to be educated on this important topic as it improves your etiquette and terminology, giving you a deeper understanding of the common challenges a disabled person can face.
Use The Correct Grammar
Times change and terminology changes too, so please avoid outdated derogatory language. We suggest you use the term disabled or refer to the person's actual disability, for instance, deaf, but only if required in the conversation.
Donate Time To Charities
You can positively impact charities that support the disabled. There are many exciting avenues to explore, including training a service dog, lending a few hours a week to your local charity shop, and donating items that are no longer required.
Fundraising
You could do a fundraiser to raise money for a particular charity you feel is deserving. Bake sales, coffee mornings, and charity fun runs are always a favorite.
Providing Help For Disabled People
Act, but do so respectfully, recognizing a disabled person's independence and avoiding condescending behaviors.
Stand Up Against Discrimination
Some people may feel compelled to advocate against prejudice and steward disability rights. A good understanding of disabilities can allow you to do this in a selfless, wholehearted way but avoid being patronizing.
Keep The Conversation Going
Participate in observance days to help spread awareness about disabled causes, conditions, and other things you feel need a light shining upon them in the disabled community. You can actively support the disabled community by sharing information and spreading knowledge.
Support Following The Coronavirus, Reach Out And Listen
Coronavirus has shaken the world in many ways, especially for the disabled community. In our blog, inspired by last year's theme ('Fighting for rights in the post-COVID era.') for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we delved into the statistics. We addressed helpful ways to support disabled people with their post-COVID worries. Their main concerns included mental health, access to healthcare, shops, and transport, and you can read how to make a positive impact via our blog.
The Facts Regarding Disabled People in the Workplace
Get a better understanding of disability employment within the UK with these facts.
- Disabled people are over a third less likely to be employed compared to non-disabled people. (Parliament)
- With one in six of the population living with a health condition or impairment, employers are missing out on a huge number of talented people. (Scope)
- Disabled people were 60% more likely to lose their job during the pandemic (Learning Disabilities Today)
- More people are reporting a long-term health condition or disability than did so eight years ago. The increasing number of people saying a disability is being largely driven by an increase in mental health conditions (gov.uk)
We hope these facts have been an eye-opener and will encourage you to take up some of the guidance below.
What Can My Company Do To Support Disabled People?
Make A Public Statement Of Support
The statement lets your customers and potential prospects see the human side of your company and get a better understanding of your brand's values. If you support equality for the disabled, let it be heard, and let other companies follow in your lead. You could release something less formal, in the form of a blog post, like the one you are reading now.
Make Sure Employees Within Your Organisation Do Not Discriminate
To prevent such issues, provide a training course or host a meeting complete with relevant educational information. Having a well-informed workforce gives employees the fundamentals necessary to be stewards in events of discrimination within the workplace.
Improve Accessibility Around The Company Building
This means providing a mobility ramp in place of steps to aid those who struggle climbing stairs. Another improvement you can make is to change ordinary doors to automated doors. Automated doors also tend to be wider than a typical door which means the door is wide enough for wheelchair access.
Ensure there is good lighting through the building for anyone who is partially sighted. Other changes you can make include making sure the bathroom is accessible and having modified furniture to aid in mobility and comfort.
Reevaluate And Strengthen Company Discrimination Policies And Keep Them Up-to-date
When amendments are made, inform the employees to follow your latest practices. Enlist an independent adjudicator to access the inclusivity of your company. They can provide a non-biased opinion and their experience and knowledge to further aid in your journey to improving your work environment for the disabled.
Increase Diversity And Enrol On The Disability Confident Scheme
It is a brilliant voluntary Government scheme that encourages the recruitment and retainment of disabled people in the workplace. It promotes increased employee diversity, creating a broadened idea pool. Almost 20,000 employers have signed up for the Disability Confident Scheme.
Participate In Purple Tuesday
At Tenura, we strive to make our customer service accessible to the disabled community. We would applaud you to do the same. It makes you reevaluate the current structure and adapt it to be inclusive. You can read more about Tenura's efforts in our Purple Tuesday Awareness Day blog.
Record Disability-Related Absences Separate To Sick Leave
To help those with disabilities attend appointments and seek adequate care, record their disability-related absence separate from sick leave, stopping them from being penalized for taking care of their health.
Product To Help People With Disabilities At Work
Grip Roll
You can improve a person's grip on many items in and around the office. For instance, you can wrap Tenura silicone grip roll around grab rails in the toilets, and you can cover the pens handle pens to help the person grasp the item and write. You can also wrap the silicone grip roll to cupboard handles to improve the person's ability to open them independently, thanks to the additional grip the silicone provides.
Cutlery grips
You can slip Tenura cutlery grips onto cutlery handles, giving the user a better grip on the cutlery, thanks to the increased handle size.
If someone is struggling to write information down due to their lack of grip strength or dexterity, consider investing in Tenura cutlery grips. The grips slip onto pens, allowing the user to write with ease and comfort as less hand mobility is required to grasp the pen.
Non-slip Fabric
You can cut Tenura non-slip fabric down to a suitable size, placing it under the computer keyboard to prevent any unwanted movement keeping the keyboard in an accessible and comfortable position for the user.
Anti-slip drink coasters
We all spill drinks, and some conditions can make a person more prone to doing so, but you can be a supportive employer by having Tenura anti-slip drinks coasters available to staff. These coasters are great, as they keep drinks that rest on their surface secure thanks to the non-slip properties of the silicone mat.
Floor mat
If a person struggles to get on and off their chair, they may require more grip underfoot, and investing in Tenura non-slip floor mats may be a great way to provide the necessary help without needing more permanent solutions like grab rails.
Thank you for taking the time to read the blog. We hope you have found valuable ways to help the disabled community in your everyday life and at work. If you have any further advice you feel our readers could benefit from, please let us know via our socials, Facebook, and Twitter.