Page 26 - Social_Diversity

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4.3 Disability inclusion : what can you do

A lack of information for SMEs

In Britain, in June 2017, 49.2% of disabled persons weren’t employed and 95% of SMEs didn’t know the
rights and legal dispositions. Not only in this specific county but in Europe in general there is a need to
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educate and guide employers regarding the issue of disability inclusion. You will find plenty of resources in
chapter 6 of this module.

There is also an issue concerning perception. 90% of leaders interviewed by the AACSB Business leaders
NGO in 2019 expressed reluctance to hire a disabled person in a leadership position. They cite concerns
such as inaccessible offices, the potential for missed work, and the cost of making accommodations for
people with disabilities. 2

The possibility to implement reasonable alterations

Nevertheless, there are several reasonable alterations you can implement in te workplace to make it more
suitable for disabled workers. Reasonable alterations mean that the cost is not excessive and the changes
are not obstacles. For example, adapting the premises and equipment for those with physical impairments
(floor, chairs, elevator etc). For those with psychological disabilities, presenting information in other for-
mats and allowing extra time for tasks may be necessary. You can also make content more accessible: this
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includes more accessible documents, reunions, call and even conferences. Ex: adapted font, colour back-
ground, subtitles, sound etc. Toolkits are available on chapter 6 of this module.

Source: WikiCommons.

1 https://www.boltburdonkemp.co.uk/news-blogs/brain-injury-blogs/lack-of-knowledge-within-smes-is-slowing-down
-progress-in-disability-employment/
2 https://bized.aacsb.edu/articles/2019/november/diversity-and-disability
3 https://www.hrdconnect.com/2018/10/16/the-benefits-of-disability-diversity-in-the-workplace/