We may wish to think otherwise, but we should face the fact that in our modern society, there is a stigma surrounding people with disabilities. A surprising one in five people are likely to suffer from a disability, but the majority don’t get the help that could make their lives better and more productive.

Just because people have a disability doesn’t mean that they are incapable of doing anything. Many disabled people have knowledge and skills that would be applicable to and helpful in a wide variety of industries, and yet far too many talented individuals linger at home, feeling unwanted by the outside world.

Reasons Why Disabled People Hesitate To Apply For A Job

Forward-thinking employers can do something to rectify this unfortunate situation by taking action and contacting disability employment services, which will set them up with an appropriately ‘abled’ person with a disability who can not only do the work required but also excel at it.

Giving a disabled person a job can make a world of difference to that person, to your business, and to your other employees as well as customers. Here are a few reasons that stop a disabled individual from employment:

Stereotypes And Prejudices

The biggest challenge when it comes to employing disabled individuals is that it typically consists of stereotypes and prejudices. A lot of people think of disability as a weakness that makes them incapable of working. But that’s certainly not the case! Prejudices are something that must be broken by the management or direct reporting head. 

Some tips to do this are to acquaint the disabled employee with others outside the office or encourage them to participate in team-building activities. 

Policy And Program Barriers

A lot of businesses, even today, impose certainty policies that can be adhered to only by a non-disabled employee. In sectors like production and manufacturing, a number of industries have set a quota for an employee to meet their daily requirements. Now, it might be a bit difficult for a disabled employee to achieve this.

The only way to reduce program and policy barriers is by setting each one of them differently for different employees. The employer must offer training to disabled employees about adhering to all programs and policies. 

Physical Differences

The reason why I did not point this out before is because it would be stereotyping, and that’s not fair. Physical differences between a disabled and a properly-abled employee are not only visible but also scalable. Although these factors are not detrimental to deciding their true potential, some businesses might have specific preferences. 

These are both structural and environmental issues that limit them artificially from their full potential. In order to combat this, there must be a need for a conducive environment. Promoting a healthy work-life balance is the key to having a disabled employee on board.

How To Ensure A Healthy Work Environment For Disabled Employees?

There are many good reasons why hiring a disabled person is good for your business, the most outstanding being that you are bound to get a highly motivated, diligent, and dedicated worker who is glad to be of service! Once you have made the great decision to hire a disabled employee, there are some things you can do to make sure their transition into working life and your company’s culture is smooth and positive.

Build Awareness –

As the leader in your workplace, it’s incumbent on you to make your workforce educated on the requirements of the newly disabled employee. Start by building employee disability awareness and teach your workforce to treat them gently and with the utmost respect. 

Accessibility –

Of course, you must be diligent when it comes to eliminating any possible barriers to the disabled employee, like stairs and doorways, but this goes beyond building entry access issues to things like company retreats, social gatherings such as office parties, and other group activities that may fall out of the scope of daily work. You don’t have to alter your company’s culture; just be aware of the little things that will be easily changeable to create that culture all the more accessible so that everyone may participate.

Be Accommodating –

The plain fact is disability can make even simple things in life quite difficult. But, as an employer, the best thing you can do is to understand such difficulties and assist your employees in bringing a collaborative solution. This could entail issues such as giving longer breaks, providing flexibility during work schedules, or offering access to resources to assist your disabled employee.

Promoting Initiatives For Inclusion And Diversity –

In order to create a diversified workplace, it is critical to promote initiatives of diversity and inclusion. Encouraging disabled employees to take active participation automatically produces a sense of representation and belonging. Moreover, recognizing the worth of a disabled employee and celebrating it can eventually foster a healthier work environment. This helps organizations foster the collective perspectives, strengths, and personal experiences of each employee. 

Measuring Consistent Improvements And Success –

Creating an inclusive workplace is a never-ending process that needs regular improvement and evaluation. Every employer must come up with performance indicators and metrics to calculate the efficiency and productivity of their employees. In this respect, the workforce must not be cataloged into usual and disabled employees. Embracing inclusion benefits not only people with disabilities but every single person who has been working in the organization.

Conclusion

Australia is a modern and forward-thinking nation that is very supportive of hiring disabled people, check this government site for more information. Do something good for your business, community, and an individual who just needs a chance to prove themself to the world and hire a disabled person today!

So, that was all about how to prepare you for onboarding employees who are specially-abled. I hope this article gave you useful insight and gave you all the necessary answers you were searching for. If you truly found this helpful, drop down your comments and let me know your views. Until then, happy reading!

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