In recognition of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), we’re sharing 5 quick, practical ways to make workplaces more accessible. Whether you’re managing a public building, a corporate office, or a shared working space, small changes can have a big impact.
At OHAC, we believe accessibility should be embedded in every aspect of what your organisation does. From Learning and development; People and Talent; Procurement; Accessible information provision to making the facilities accessible for all. At OHAC, we are here to help your organisation take that first (or next) step.
1. Appoint an Accessibility Champion or Access Officer
Appoint someone in your organisation to oversee the implementation of accessibility within your organisation. Once in place, establish an access team representative of the organisation and ensure everyone is playing a role to make accessibility improvements throughout your organisation
2. Disability Impact Assessments
Carry out a disability impact assessment to identify where you are on your accessibility journey. Ensure stakeholder engagement takes place as part of this assessment and develop a clear roadmap and strategy to allow you to plan to make ongoing improvements around accessibility.
3. Training and awareness
Identify key training requirements your organisation has in relation to accessibility and Disability inclusion. Type of training can range from Disability Awareness for all staff, Training on inclusive employment for Human Resource Team to technical training for facility managers and real estate teams. Not to mention Neurodiversity Awareness Training and training for staff on how to create accessible information for all.
4. Create a disability-friendly atmosphere to encourage disability disclosures
Choosing whether to disclose a disability can cause additional worry for disabled applicants as they weigh up the perceived pros and cons
Employers can create a workplace culture where disclosure is embraced by asking all employees whether their needs are being accommodated and opening up discussions about supports available in the workplace at every possible opportunity; application webpage, in advertising, marketing on social media, interview, induction, etc. Include a line in event invites or meeting reminders like: “If you have any accessibility requirements, feel free to let us know.”
These small gesture opens the door to meaningful adjustments and signals an inclusive culture.
5. Use clear, inclusive language to create accessible information
Avoid jargon, acronyms, and overly complex terms in your emails, posters, document and presentations. Simple, inclusive language helps everyone engage fully, including people with cognitive or neurodivergent needs. When sharing images in internal emails or on your intranet, include a short description (alt text) of the image content. This supports colleagues and customers who use screen readers or have low vision.
Example: “Photo of the OHAC team standing outside a training venue in Dublin.”
Turn on live captions in virtual meetings. Whether using Zoom, Teams or Google Meet, most platforms allow automatic captioning. Enabling them takes seconds and improves comprehension for many participants, especially those who are hard of hearing, neurodivergent, or non-native English speakers.
Final Thought
Accessibility impacts all areas of your organisation and not just the built environment; it starts with training and awareness and establishing the right mechanisms to influence change throughout the organisation. These five steps above will allow you to implement effective long-term changes within your organisation to enhance the workplace experience for everyone. Want to take your workplace accessibility further?
Get in touch with us!
Email: [email protected]
Phone number: +353 1 415 1285