If you have employees working from home, it can be easy to overlook day-to-day workplace needs and accommodations. While remote work has ushered in new efficiencies and challenges, it is important to continuously audit the needs of the organization and ensure staff has the tools and resources needed to do the job. Organizations that incorporate inclusive hiring initiatives and practices understand their employee's needs and the barriers they face, which consistently results in higher morale, collaboration, and innovation. Understanding disability is a crucial component of this effort.
With so many options for accommodations and types of disabilities, it can be overwhelming for employers to keep track. To help with this, we've compiled a brief overview.
Sensory Impairments
The term ‘sensory impairments’ usually refers to hearing or vision disabilities, such as deafness or vision loss.
A person with hearing loss may rely on captioning software and lipreading, or they may require American Sign Language (ASL). A partial or total hearing loss will impede the ability to perceive sound, so inputs such as video conferencing, teleconferencing, online training, and other audio-based media may create a barrier to information without accommodation. Remote employees are more likely to be impacted by this medium, so careful consideration should be given to ensure alternative means of communication are available.
Employees with visual impairments may need various types of assistive technologies to effectively perform the essential functions of their jobs. Assistive technology such as screen readers, screen magnification, and speech-to-text software may be required on a case-by-case basis. Visual disabilities can impede a person's ability to perceive color, light, patterns, impact perception and distance, or cause total blindness. In addition to accommodations that should be considered for digital content consumed by employees, print media and video content should also be scrutinized to ensure persons with visual disabilities have alternative ways to consume content.
Persons with sensory disabilities may also work well in settings with low background noise, such as home offices so that assistive technology can be utilized to its maximum extent feasible.
Physical Disabilities
‘Physical disabilities’ is an umbrella term for many different conditions. It covers wheelchair users, those with prosthetic limbs, and other physical disabilities that limit mobility. With such a wide range of disabilities, there is clearly an equally wide range of requirements and adaptations an employee may request.
People living with physical disabilities might request adaptations like ramps, standing desks, or ground floor workspace. They may also require specialized computers or mice and accessible toilets. Some employees who live with a disability will need accessible bathrooms or perhaps even a carer or aide.
Neurodiversity
Neurodiverse employees often require quieter, cleaner workspaces and sometimes find flexible working hours helpful. Neurodiversity includes disabilities such as autism or ADHD and can also cover mental health conditions like schizophrenia.
Some neurodiverse employees may require fragrance-free offices and more visual materials to work with. Others may benefit from a fixed routine, but some find flexibility or choosing their own schedule helpful.
More workplace support and flexibility may be needed for persons with mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety. Employees who live with depression might need time off or flexibility with regard to punctuality.
Cognitive
Cognitive disabilities can cause memory loss and affect a person's ability to plan, reason, and comprehend information. Persons with cognitive disabilities may benefit from remote work that is structured and distraction-free. Consider accommodating schedules with flexibility in mind, providing software that helps manage the employee's workload and schedule, and restructuring job duties or eliminating non-essential functions.
Chronic Illness
Although it’s often not acknowledged as a disability, chronic illness can create challenges and barriers that must be considered. For example, conditions like depression or fibromyalgia are debilitating and can make your employees’ lives difficult. Flexible hours and an open policy regarding sick leave and time off for medical appointments may be helpful.
Another concern employees may have about chronic illness is stomach and bladder issues. For employees living with bladder and bowel issues, access to a toilet and the freedom to use it whenever they need to is essential. Some employees with chronic illness may prefer remote work for the flexibility it offers and easily accessible restrooms.
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