At last week’s Manager Briefing we were joined by Stephanie Siv, Relationship Manager at the Australian Network on Disability (AND), who provided some practical tips and advice on being disability confident managers.
Being disability confident can enable us to anticipate that those around us – such as our colleagues and patients – may have disabilities, and to remove barriers to meet their needs.
Why does being disability confident matter?
When we remove barriers that result from injury, illness or disability, we can provide equal opportunities for all employees. It is important to remove barriers to create physical and virtual environments that are accessible to all job candidates and employees, allowing them to reach their full potential.
AND identifies the following business benefits of being disability confident managers:
- Recruitment – reducing barriers for people with a disability widens the talent pool when recruiting
- Reputation – fostering an inclusive workplace can bolster an organisation’s reputation, attracting more talent
- Retention – meeting the needs of all employees can assist with employee satisfaction and retention
- Risks – there are legal risks with failing to meet legal obligations in the disability space
- Rights – ensuring the rights of people with a disability are protected, and that they are not directly or indirectly discriminated against.
Stephanie says that while it’s important to note that you can never be an expert when it comes to disability confidence, there will always be opportunities for continued learning.
For practical and helpful tips on how you can improve your disability confidence as a manager, you can refer to the Training Workbook and the below factsheets supplied by AND.
The Training Workbook provides advice on a range of topics such as person-first language, conducting accessible digital meetings, drafting inclusive job listings, and making workplace adjustments.
Also keep an eye out for our upcoming Workplace Adjustment Policy, currently under development, which will strengthen inclusive recruitment processes and provide reasonable adjustments to employees and volunteers with a disability.
For more information about the work of AND, you can visit their website.
Approved by Karen Lowe