A&L Goodbody (in this article) states that “Section 16 of the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015 (the Act) forms the bedrock of the duty to provide reasonable accommodation in Ireland. Put simply, section 16 places a duty on employers to provide “appropriate measures” to enable an employee to carry out their employment duties, provided the employee will be “fully competent” once “appropriate measures” have been provided, and such measures do not result in a “disproportionate burden” for the employer. The provision places a positive duty on employers to place people with disabilities on an equal footing with their able-bodied counterparts in accessing employment.”
However, the terms in that definition are so vague that often employers don’t know where to begin or don’t have the knowledge or awareness within the sector. During my training, I often asked for examples of reasonable accommodations. More often than not, the reasonable accommodations mentioned are expensive or the most extreme examples.
So to counter that misinformation, here are 30 inexpensive, reasonable accommodations I’ve seen working in Irish businesses
If you would prefer to see this in a video summary, please do so here:
Accessible how-to guides on a shared drive
Often, when you first join an office, it’s overwhelming. There’s so much information to process that it can be difficult to store everything. So for those questions like how do I install a printer (cause let’s face it, we all hate printers), or directions to a certain room in a large office, these can be shared on a shared drive that everyone can access, and it reduces the amount of anxiety someone would have over asking their manager so often.
Assistive technology
This is different for everyone. Assistive technology could include using Grammarly on an office laptop, using a Dyslexia pen, or using a particular software programme that helps the person perform at their best in their job. There are several Irish examples of this, such as Helperbird, which “is designed to make web pages, PDFs, and documents easier to browse, read, and write”
Allyship in the office
Allyship is having people who are impacted by disabilities in the office to be there in case the person feels like they’re on their own or nobody understands them. The term impacted by disability means that they may have a disability or someone close to them, such as a child, sibling, or close friend, has a disability. It shows that the person has someone they know to go to if they have a question or are feeling like they need to talk to someone.
However, it’s important to train all the allies in the office and remember that as Dr Stephen Shore says “just because you have met 1 person with Neurodiversity, you have only met one person with Neurodiversity.”
Calendar management
In an office environment, it can be difficult to carve out a time to do the specific tasks you’re given. This is where you block out time on your calendar and only focus on one specific task. If you have a deadline for a task, block out 3-4 hours on your calendar and focus on getting that specific task done. So I don’t get distracted by unrelated issues.
The link shows that Ahead Ireland researched 460 needs assessments of people placed with some of Ireland’s biggest employers. They asked what reasonable accommodations were most requested. 66% said that the main thing that they needed from their employers was an explanation of workplace tasks. Ensuring there is clear communication and regular feedback to see if they are doing the task correctly. That’s what’s most important to people with disabilities.
Clear parameters for communication
In Ireland, the Right to Disconnect Code of Practice was introduced in April 2021. It empowers employees to switch off from work outside of normal working hours, regardless of location, without fear of reprisal. Put parameters on when communication can be sent. In some offices, they go further to ensure that parents of small children are empowered. No team calls before 10 AM, or 2-3 PM for school pick-up. It then became a major selling point to attract staff to the organisation.
Different types of communication
Codex, together with Braver Coaching and Consultancy, surveyed 220 neurodivergent employees about what issues were most important to them in an office environment. 55% of respondents said written and oral communication. Some people absorb information through hearing it, others through seeing it, and others need to review the information several times to ensure they have the correct information.
It’s why I include a video at the top of this article
If you give instructions to someone, ensure you follow up with an email telling them exactly what you’re looking for. It’s also better legally if the person is underperforming in their tasks.
Don’t assume – ask
Sometimes colleagues or managers say, ‘Sure, you can’t do that,’ or ‘I’ll do that for you. Other times, it’s not being asked to go to lunch or to company functions. Always ask first, don’t assume the person won’t do something. If the person feels they’re capable, they’ll tell you. It’s better than hurting their feelings in the long run.
Education around Government-assisted schemes that can help
The Work and Access Programme is a Department of Social Protection initiative that provides financial support to help people with disabilities find or stay in employment, covering employees, self-employed people, and private/voluntary sector employers. Applicants must be over 18, have a disability lasting more than 12 months, and be working or seeking work. Grants range from workplace adaptations and equipment to training and in-work coaching, with individual awards up to €25,000.
Employee Resource Groups
Employee Resource Groups are internal groups within organisations dedicated to a particular area. For example, it could be female empowerment, advancing LGBT+ issues in the workplace, remote working, etc. At Dell Technologies, I joined Trueability to amplify the voices of people with disabilities in the workplace. These give people in the groups a sense of belonging and that they have like-minded people in the organisation.
Headphone signage
In the Codex and Braver Coaching and Consultancy research, sound was the number one issue for Neurdiverse employees in an office environment. If your attention span is affected, it can be incredibly distracting to focus on your tasks.
One of my previous employers had a rule that if you had your headphones on, it meant that you were unavailable to talk. They were noise-cancelling headphones, so they would block out the office noise and let you focus on the task at hand.
Train HR/TA and all those involved in hiring
I once got to the building of the company where I was having an interview. I said to the doorman, “Hi, I’m here for an interview with…” and said the name of the company. He said, “Sorry, they moved last week. There around the corner if you run, you should make it” With my anxiety through the roof, I ran to the door, and the doorman said, “Ah, no, I’m only joking, they’re on the second floor!”
Unsurprisingly, I didn’t get that interview. This is what I mean by ensuring everyone involved in the process is fully trained
Mentoring or Job Coaching
Mentoring is incredibly important in the process of onboarding a person with disabilities into a company. The person may be anxious about going to their manager with questions, but may not know how to complete a task or ask a general question to their colleagues. The mentor can act as someone the new employee can go to to ask questions or seek guidance from. It allows the employee to have another person to check in with about how things are going or seek advice from.
Oral and written communication
The research I mentioned earlier proves how important oral and written communication is to people with disabilities. It can be the difference between the task going well and the task not being completed. The person giving the instructions must communicate with the person in their preferred communication style, or multiple communication styles, to ensure the successful outcome of the task. For example, some people prefer typing WhatsApp messages, while others prefer voice notes.
75% of companies don’t have a disability friendly workplace policy. If you don’t have a policy document for hiring people with disabilities, then mistakes will be made. I’m a freelancer for them, so I might be biased, but for me, the best policy document I’ve ever seen in this area is Bank of Ireland’s Neuroinclusion policy. What did they do:
- Got training from industry experts
- Asked internal ERGs what would have helped them
- Redesigned their careers page to include a video of where the location is and what’s it like internally
- Published their interview questions on their careers page
- Increased their multimedia on their careers page
- Asked interviewers if they needed reasonable accommodations and gave examples of staff who requested them in the past
Remote Working
This depends on your remote working policy and on the person. Some people with disabilities like to work from home because they can control their workspace, while others need more office stimulation. A mix of both can also work well.
Workplace Routines
This works well for those who are Neurodiversity, specifically people on the autistic spectrum. Ensuring that the training is of a high standard so that the person gets into a routine of doing it correctly from their first day is essential. Otherwise, the person may get into a routine of doing the wrong thing, and this could lead to the underperformance of the employee. Routine could be, on Monday morning, we have our team meeting. On Wednesday afternoons, we have our 1:1. But it is important to build in resilience so that if this gets changed, the person will be notified in advance.
Send interview questions in advance
This is another huge anxiety reducer. The best interview I ever had was when the company sent me the questions in advance, so I was able to prepare my answers, rather than thinking about them in the room. It was a far more natural conversation, and didn’t feel like an exam.
Senior Management buy-in
“You can’t be Dyslexic because your emails are overly wordy”. That’s what a CEO once said to me in a company that promoted neurodiversity. If you don’t get senior management on board early in the process, you risk the success of the entire process. If you have a senior manager who is impacted by disability, it’s even better. They can become the cheerleader for the policy or hiring programme, but they must be fully trained.
Sensory rooms
These are called different things. Quite rooms, sensory rooms, office pods. They all essentially serve the same purpose. Rooms in an office environment where someone can just take 5-10 minutes out and de-stress, particularly if they are anxious. Some people listen to music, meditate, or just sit in silence, but it can be very effective for people with high anxiety or who are neurodiverse.
This is similar to a task manager you open on your laptop if your laptop freezes and you have to do Ctrl, Alt, Delete. It shows you what programmes are running and how well they are running. Sometimes you may have to delete the task and reinstall it to ensure it runs more smoothly.
Open a spreadsheet and put everything the person is working on in it. No matter how big or small the task. Then use a traffic light system. It is:
- Going well, use a green highlighter
- If there is a small issue causing a delay, use an orange highlighter
- If it is not going well, use a red highlighter
Then, when the person has their 1:1 with their manager, the manager can see what’s going well and what isn’t. The manager may be able to pinpoint that it’s not the fault of the person, but the information isn’t getting to the person to proceed with a task, for example.
Training
Obviously, as a neurodiversity awareness trainer, I’m going to say training. But training can be the silver bullet for hiring people with disabilities, it gives people without disabilities a greater understanding of the issues people with disabilities have accessing employment, which then creates greater understanding all around. There’s also funding available for disability awareness training so that it comes at little or no cost to the employer, and it creates a more welcoming workplace where existing staff may choose to disclose they have a disability, so that they can perform better with reasonable accommodations.
Unconventional working methods/hours
Some people with disabilities experience the working environment differently. Some are morning people, others work best in the afternoon. Some people with ADHD, for example, may look disorganised for 2-3 hours and then more than make up for that by hyperfocusing on a task.
As a former boss said to me, “I don’t care if you do the work at 3 AM in Barcelona, just do the work!”
Use Alt-text
According to this EU white paper, “Alternative text, also called ‘Alt text’, is a textual description for non-text content that explains the presence or function of an image on a webpage. It is inserted in HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) documents, which is very important for screen readers used by blind and visually impaired people. This is so that screen readers read aloud this alternative text as a description of the image, so users with disabilities can understand what is on the website or document they are using.”
It also:
- Makes the information accessible for everyone
- Improves Image Search Ranking
- Increases User Engagement.
- Creates a better user experience for slow broadband users
- Plus, it’s easier than ever to use. If you use AI Alt-text image generators, put the image into an AI Alt-text Generator, and it will tell you what to include
Use Subtitles on videos
A recent survey revealed that 30% of Irish people now watch TV, films, or social media content with subtitles. A Facebook report said that adding subtitles to videos increases view times by 12%. Including a full transcript of the video on the same page increases keyword density and improves searchability, making it easier for potential customers to find the content. Many viewers prefer to watch videos without sound, especially in public spaces or at work. Subtitles allow these viewers to engage with the content without disturbing others, such as on public transport
An up-to-date welcome pack
Having a welcome pack and keeping it up to date can hugely reduce the anxiety of a person with disabilities on their first day. There can be the nice-to-haves like:
- Company merch and local food outlets
The really important ones are:
- Office policies,
- Unspoken rules of the office,
- If there are issues about which to go to a specific topic (building maintenance, for example)
- As mentioned, a seating plan of the office with up-to-date names, org charts, etc.
Basically, put in everything that the person needs so that they can go back and look up in future.