Wrapping up 5 Ways to Celebrate NDEAM in the Workplace

It takes a lot of strength and courage for workers with disabilities to make a space for themselves in any organization and recognizing NDEAM in the workplace is the least employers can do to show appreciation for these workers. National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) is celebrated in the month of October and if you haven’t done anything to mark the occasion already, it may be a good idea to spend the last few days setting up an initiative to support workers in the upcoming year.

The importance of NDEAM celebrations cannot be written off as it shows the employees and the community that the organization is a supportive and welcoming place for all talent, regardless of the personal limitations they might face. 

Image: Pexels

5 Ways to Acknowledge NDEAM in the Workplace

While it might be a little late to celebrate NDEAM in the workplace in a big way for this month, it is never too late to acknowledge and recognize Disability Month at work. Celebrating the occasion doesn’t require a big party or an awkward felicitation of the disabled employees as this could be an uncomfortable experience of drawing attention to the workers not for their performance or quality of work, but to a feature that is not within their control.

Instead, when it comes to ideas for observing disability employment month, the majority of it focuses on creating a work culture that accommodates and works around their various conditions. The employees are faced with various forms of discrimination to begin with, and while some of them are overtly recognizable, others are not so obvious and hence go unaddressed.

Importance of NDEAM Celebrations

Employers need to recognize Disability Month at work even if there aren’t any employees within the organization who explicitly need disability support, as it is essential for them to create a welcoming work environment for all of their employees. NDEAM is as much about awareness as it is about celebration.

In the future, if an employee with a disability does happen to join the team, it reflects poorly on the organization when it does not have any support or infrastructure to offer to its new employees. Attempting to make changes at that stage can be expensive and lead to half-measures that cannot stand the test of time.

For organizations that do have employees who require disability assistance, the month offers a good opportunity to set other matters aside to focus on their needs and plan ahead for the changes necessary in the organization in the long run. 

5 Ways to Celebrate National Disability Month in the Organization

The Department of Labor has its own elaborate article on the various factors HR teams and employers should consider as they “celebrate the value and talent workers with disabilities add to America’s workplaces and economy.” If you’re looking for a few ideas on how to acknowledge disability employment month over the next few days, here are some ways you can get started.

1. Invite Employees to Start a Conversation with Senior Management

National Disability Month is an ideal time to bring in workers who have insights and experiences with the matter to come in and talk to a senior team about the changes that the workplace can benefit from. Managers can conduct these conversations on a smaller scale or employees can even be given time to write in, anonymously if preferred. 

Gathering feedback from the team on the disability support at the organization and what can be done to improve it will ensure that the implementation stage has real-world effects. These discussions should end with a word of appreciation for the employees and all that they do for the organization.

2. Review Policies and Announce Short-Term and Long-Term Goals

NDEAM is coming to an end but that does not have to mean an end to conversations about disabilities in the workplace. Employers should conduct a thorough review of the workplace regulations and its culture to see where improvements need to be made, and then share the update with employees. 

Organizations need to make a commitment to supporting their differently-abled employees and openly state these goals so employees are also aware of where the organization is headed next. Not all changes can be put into effect immediately as some will require considerable planning, but it does not hurt to set milestones that the company can target for the next year. 

This gives employers room to make the changes over the next few months and mark the progress that has been made during disability employment month in October next year.

3. Conduct a Review on Accessibility and Workplace Design

Accessibility to company resources needs to be distributed fairly and all employees should be able to access them equally. Organizations should make a dedicated attempt to bring in an expert to review the physical workspace to see if the infrastructure is actually accessible or only appears to be so on the surface level.

Oftentimes, disability-friendly features are installed in a way that is not actually useful. Some ramps are too steep or narrow for someone with a wheelchair, while some elevators are not easy to use for workers with a visual disability. Reviewing the physical workspace to ensure it is comfortable for all workers to use is a great way to recognize Disability Month at work so that necessary changes can be made over time. 

Additionally, organizations don’t have to stop at the physical workspace and can also look into technological advancements that can make the work resources and data more accessible to workers. 

4. Organize Training Programs on Etiquette

Recognizing Disability Month at work goes beyond just the employers acknowledging the occasion. The workforce at any organization needs to be aware of the etiquette surrounding the act of communicating with employees with different disabilities and a refresher course on it never hurts. 

Sensitivity training, basic sign communication, language usage in reference to the different aspects of the individual’s physical limitations, etc. can help ensure that all employees are aware of how to interact with each other respectfully. An employer’s commitment to a healthy work culture motivates employees to be mindful as well.

5. Collaborate with NGOs and Other Organizations

NDEAM in the workplace doesn’t explicitly have to be limited to the office building and can extend to the community that surrounds the organization as well. Businesses that really want to make a difference can take the opportunity to reach out to non–profit organizations or other private institutions and collaborate on creating opportunities for more workers.

These organizations can be a good source of information on the challenges faced by the community and what you can do to help. This can also set up a direct channel to the various talents available in the industry and how you can collaborate to work to their benefit and the well-being of the entire organization.

Every individual faces their own list of challenges, but for some, it is much harder to operate within the traditional work setup despite their enthusiasm to do so. Allowing for some flexibility and opening the door to interacting with differently-abled individuals provides employers with an opportunity to grow their organization in a holistic way, while also creating a work environment where every individual feels valued and recognized. 

The post Wrapping up 5 Ways to Celebrate NDEAM in the Workplace appeared first on The HR Digest.

Source: New feed