by Blake Hunsley
When we talk about workplace accommodations for employees with disabilities, many employers and managers immediately think about changes to the built environment of their workplace that will be costly and customized to one particular employee. They see the price tag, the questions from other staff about one person getting “special treatment”, and the potential that if this new hire doesn’t work out, all that time, effort, and money was spent for nothing.
The truth is, accommodations rarely work this way. Or at least they shouldn’t. If you’re having to make expensive customizations to a large part of your physical work environment to make it suitable for one employee, that person likely isn’t the right person for that particular job. (And that’s okay! Not every person is suitable for every job, and forcing a bad match does nobody any favors.)
Done well, accommodations shouldn’t be a hardship, they shouldn’t be prohibitively expensive, and the benefits they provide should be available to multiple team members. Here are five examples of inexpensive accommodations you can make in your workplace that benefit everyone.
- A clutter-free space. When we think about accommodations for folks using wheelchairs and other mobility devices, we often think about ramps and little else. But an accessible entrance is only the first stop on an accessible pathway through your work environment. Look around your workspace for any obstacles that create narrow pathways or cause unnecessary choke points. Consider re-arranging furniture in public spaces to ensure wide, clear pathways in and out of the space are available. This benefits your wheelchair-using staff and clients, but it can also help prevent injuries by removing tripping hazards and obstacles blocking evacuation routes in the event of an emergency.
- Detailed, written meeting agendas and clear meeting notes shared with all participants. Meetings can often involve a lot of cross-talk that can be difficult for some hard of hearing folks to pick up, or for some neurodiverse folks to focus on and retain. Clearly written agendas and comprehensive meeting notes can be a great help in keeping everyone on task and ensuring no important details are missed.
- Adjustable lighting. Some people need a bright environment to accommodate low vision. Others need dim light as harsh lighting gives them headaches. The solution doesn’t need to involve bringing in an electrician to install dimmer switches far and wide. Often it’s as simple as buying a small desk lamp, having folks with similar lighting preferences share a space, and giving employees permission to turn off bright fluorescents. (I’ve heard an employer say “Your office looks like a night club!” as if the ambiance is more important than the fact that an employee is able to work without a headache.)
- Chairs. Hotel clerks, bank tellers, cashiers, and many other employees are often forced to stand in a single location for their entire shift because it apparently looks “lazy” or “unpresentable” if we let them sit. They are literally standing on ceremony. Give them chairs so they can sit when they want, or if they need. This is less an accommodation and more basic human decency.
- Managerial flexibility. This accommodation is free, but for many managers it’s not easy. Flexibility doesn’t have to mean letting everyone work when they want, where they want, exactly how they want. It often means simply staying curious, asking why employees do the things they do in the way they do and being open to the answer. It’s about checking your biases, responding (measured, thoughtful) instead of reacting (instant, instinctive), and resisting the urge to micromanage.
Flexibility and an awareness of bias are really the keys to any workplace accommodation being handled well. Consider ways the job can be done differently, or done by someone different than you might have envisioned for the position. If you find yourself having to rebuild the entire work environment to accommodate your new hire, you’ve likely gone too far, and the person probably isn’t right for the position. If you have to remind yourself that an employee is taking half as many sick days to stop yourself from commenting on the “mood lighting” in their workspace, or that all humans need to sit sometimes even if it somehow looks “unpresentable”, that’s a small price to pay for reaping the benefits of higher productivity, lower turnover, lower sick days, and a more diverse and representative staff made up of happier employees.
Need advice on accommodations and universal design in your workplace? reachAbility is here to help. Reach out to us at info@reachability.org or by calling 902-429-5878.
