Accessibility, a shared responsibility

Yesterday Accessibility Week in The Netherlands ended, like last years this week was filled with posts on accessibility in business. Given this year’s topic of accessible employment. Within ING the week started with a sessions hosted by Enable NL featuring Fleur van Puijenbroek , facilitating an open conversation about “what does accessibility mean to you?”

Accessibility is personal

Ask 100 people and you hear 100 versions of what accessibility means to people. From customization till stepping up and sharing your needs. From basic standard till flexible working opportunities and all kinds of variations in between. My definition of accessibility as an expert is probably not basic enough for such a session. Hence my eager to join and learn from colleagues as their expectations form the base of my daily work.

I do like to share the ones which I liked most:

• A hygiene factor
• Collaborative thinking
• Make happen what is needed
• The base for buildings, policies, processes, products, etc.
• Flexibility
• Us
• Stepping up and share

Can you see the match between these? For me obvious, I’m not sure if it is not clear for those outside the field of accessibility and/or disability inclusion. Accessibility is not just a starting point; accessibility can only happen if all involved work together to make it happen.

How can we make accessibility happen?

All people with disabilities experience barriers differently, hence the importance to step up and share your needs and requirements in an accessible workplace. We also must think about servicing as many as possible with ‘single efforts’ if we see accessibility as a base for buildings, etc. This means, that we search for a solution which serves multiple requirements instead of requirement by requirement. Servicing multiple requirements is more cost efficient and above all more practical.(Example: an induction loop services part of the Hard of Hearing community, while live captioning serves all, and many others without disabilities in the room). Accessibility is more than digital and physical, it is about flexible working hours and places to perform your tasks, so people with disabilities can perform best in their day to day work.

Crucial ingredient

Still the most crucial ingredient is missing in this equation of an accessible organization. As we all talk about the need for an accessible workplace, people will only step up and share all their needs if they feel free to do so. This calls for trust, psychological safety, or better said “a workplace where you feel safe to share, without judgement and pity”

This brings me to my closing message for this year’s Accessibility Week, “freedom of barriers relies on a safe & respectful work environment where you can be at your best!” without this ingredient all accessibility talks during this week end up in vain.

Accessibility is the fast evolving business role to include people with a disability in business. With LinkedIn #TheIncluencer articles Bianca is sharing insights on accessibility business opportunities, challenges and struggles towards a sustainable and disability inclusive world for all!

#accessibility #a11y #disability #DisabilitySmart #DisabilityInclusion #Diversity #Inclusion #business #chage #trailbazer #strategy #HR #DiversityAndInclusion #D&I #sustainability #IAAP #CPACC