Many Employers Know Creating An Inclusive Workplace Is Important, But They Need Help With The How

How do you create an inclusive workplace? Research shows that some of the keys to creating inclusive environments are exactly as you would guess: researchers see that when an employer focuses most on what a potential employee can do, instead of what they can’t, employees are more likely to succeed. Similarly, when an employer is willing to be flexible, and consider how an employee might work best, perhaps remotely or with a less than traditional schedule, talented people stay in their jobs longer.

In today’s labour market, where many industries are experiencing critical staff shortages, we know employers are primed to do what is needed to tap into talent they may have overlooked before. It’s prime time that employers looked to people with disabilities to fill their labour needs.

When Open Door Group and Presidents Group, two BC based non-profits focused on disability and employment, decided to partner on a project to help employers tap into this underutilized labour pool, that’s where we chose to focus. How do we make a practical tool that can help employers understand what it takes to create a truly inclusive workplace? How do we connect them to the knowledge and resources to get there?

The result is The Disability Inclusive Employer Self-Assessment.

Presidents Group and Open Door Group collaborated to dive deep into recent international research on practices that truly increase inclusion and retention of people with disabilities in the workplace. The result is a 35 question self-assessment which identifies the top practices in areas such as hiring and retention practices, employee benefits, physical and digital accessibility, organizational culture, and metrics.

The Disability Inclusive Employer Self-Assessment is the first of its kind: a disability inclusion self-assessment designed for Canadian employers which helps them gauge their current state and connect to resources to help them improve. It takes about 15 minutes to complete, and it’s free to access. After answering the 35 questions in the assessment, employers immediately receive a report with recommended resources and offers of free support in finding and retaining talent with disabilities.  

If you’re looking for one meaningful action you can take during National Disability Employment Awareness Month, consider taking 15 minutes to gauge your own company’s practices.

If you’re looking for two meaningful actions, fill it out yourself, and tell one other business leader about the tool. Your business will be better for it.

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Trish Kelly is the in-house Accessibility Consultant for Open Door Group, and was project lead in the development of the Disability Inclusive Employer Self-Assessment. She lives in downtown Squamish on unceded territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation).