Chris Jay is an accomplished training facilitator, public speaker, commentator and writer on the topic of disability awareness. Chris provides training for a variety of businesses and organisations in the education sector including schools and universities, training people to be understanding and aware of disability and the needs, challenges and unique life experiences of people with disabilities.
Prior to launching his training company, Bascule Disability Training, Chris worked as a Training Facilitator and Project Manager for the disability awareness charity- Enable Me, where he developed and delivered training programmes for businesses, universities and schools. He was later appointed as the Executive Chairman of the charity.
Equity, diversity and inclusion have certainly evolved over recent years, but we still have a long way to go, says Chris Jay.
Whilst many companies have adopted new strategies, a large number are still struggling to see the value of diverse and inclusive practices. Last month’s Employer Survey from the Department for Work and Pensions confirmed this when it revealed that one in five (20%) of employers said they “see no benefits” to having a diverse workforce.
Unfortunately, even those who do adopt EDI strategies still overlook the importance of disability. Under deeper investigation, it was found that the most common areas of EDI that employers focus on are in fact, mental health (29%), race/ethnicity (23%) and gender (21%), with disability often ignored or placed much lower on the list of priorities. As a result, a vast number of businesses are slow to understand the true value and potential of being an inclusive organisation.
So how do we change our attitudes towards the incorporation of disability into EDI strategies? What are the potential advantages, and how do we make the adjustments to allow us to be more open, empathetic and welcoming towards disability?
Well, the first place we must always begin is by changing our culture.
Changing minds
Changing how we perceive disability through awareness training should be the first step before any change, otherwise all other efforts to be inclusive are futile. To use an example, imagine having the most accessible working environment that caters for a broad range of disabilities. Now imagine the staff within it have no awareness or understanding of disability. Without an accessible mindset, you are unlikely to attract and recruit people with disabilities. Your business, or the people working within it, won’t see accessibility as important, and people with disabilities will see that they are not understood, despite the accessible facilities. This applies to new and existing staff, clients, customers, and anyone else your business may interact with.
Consider also that two-thirds of the British public (67%) admit to feeling uncomfortable talking to people with disabilities (Scope). Now ask yourself, how many of your team are in that percentage bracket, and how does that impact the way they interact with 24% of the UK’s population, whether they are a colleague or client?
Awareness training addresses this issue and gives people a firmer understanding of all areas of disability tackling openness, non-visible disabilities, inclusive behaviour, correct use of language, etiquette, communication, legislation and how to best make reasonable adjustments.
This training will have a positive impact on so many areas of the business, creating a newfound level of understanding, empathy, and openness around disability. Also, as employees recognise the support the company offers, people with disabilities that you employ may gain an enhanced sense of loyalty reducing staff attrition reducing turnover costs, recruitment fees, training and other potential issues associated with staff churn.
‘But we don’t employ anyone with a disability’
Often, businesses may be under the impression that they don’t currently employ anyone with a disability, therefore consideration for inclusivity is not a priority. However, 80 percent of disabilities are non-visible (or hidden), and so there is a good chance that you may already employ staff with disabilities, they just might be choosing not to reveal them, (43% of employees with a non-visible disability choose not to).
On top of that, it is also worth considering that disability is something that can occur – in fact, only 17 percent of people are actually born with a disability, 83 percent acquire it later in life, so it may be something that a staff member may face in the future.
Becoming a more inclusive brand, developing an accessible environment and developing new efforts to be a more inclusive employer, will convey the message that support is also available for existing staff members- enhancing the chances of them revealing their own disabilities. After that, you will be able to demonstrate your efforts to support their needs, potentially improving their wellbeing, health, productivity, and performance.
Moving forward
Disability awareness training will also inevitably lead to a progression that means your brand will begin to appeal to people with disabilities- and given that the spending power of this group increases regularly and is currently estimated to be worth £274 billion per year to UK businesses, this is a great advantage.
With a few alterations to the way your business operates, you could appeal to a whole new market and a new pool of talented staff members. After staff from all levels of seniority have undertaken training, you can maintain inclusive standards of awareness through refresher courses, updates and assessments. New staff can undertake training as a part of an onboarding or introduction process. You can enhance inclusivity by embedding it in all areas of the organisation by introducing a steering group that enables staff to raise issues, create discussions around company projects and policies through meetings and forums, where all levels of seniority from various teams are encouraged to participate. This will give presence to the voice of staff with disabilities across all internal and external aspects, as well as company processes and new developments.
Inclusive future
In summary, creating a new level of disability awareness training may just be a first step, but it is the strongest foundation for a new, inclusive, supportive, and empathetic workforce and brand. Not only will it provide an opportunity for your entire team to develop a positive understanding of disability, but it will also help them, develop empathy and openness. It will bring down the barriers that may have inhibited how staff have previously communicated with people with disabilities, paving the way for your business to operate in a new welcoming way, that embraces new talent and appeals to an untapped market.
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Chris Jay, Managing Director at Bascule Disability Training.
Chris Jay is an accomplished training facilitator, public speaker, commentator and writer on the topic of disability awareness. Chris provides training for a variety of businesses and organisations in the education sector including schools and universities, training people to be understanding and aware of disability and the needs, challenges and unique life experiences of people with disabilities.
Prior to launching his training company, Bascule Disability Training, Chris worked as a Training Facilitator and Project Manager for the disability awareness charity- Enable Me, where he developed and delivered training programmes for businesses, universities and schools. He was later appointed as the Executive Chairman of the charity.
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