Top 5 Disability Awareness Activities for the Workplace
Disability awareness activities in the workplace can be scheduled year-round in addition to celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) in October. There are many fun and informative ways to spread awareness about different disabilities, and you can take advantage of national disability awareness days to schedule special events and activities.
Including your disabled employees in the planning process could be the perfect way to create an inclusive workplace and celebrate the diversity you have in your workforce. This type of activity can also help to build a better work environment and increase understanding between communities that are all too often undervalued and misunderstood.
Top Disability Awareness Activities for the Workplace
There are many ways to embrace disability awareness in your company, from social media posts to publications and training classes.
1. Feature NDEAM (and Other National Disability Days) in Social Media Posts
Featuring employees with disabilities is an interesting angle for social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Nationwide observance of National Disability Employment Awareness Month is October 3rd; businesses should include the hashtag #NDEAM for all related posts.
Putting disabled employees at the forefront of your business's social media campaigns can help them feel included, show them that they are valued members of the team, and also gives your business an edge on social media. Addressing the current lack of representation is not only the right thing to do, but taking advantage of disability awareness days is also a savvy PR move for your company.
2. Participate in Disability Mentoring Day
Disability Mentoring Day is observed every third Wednesday of October and promotes career development for young people with disabilities. Activities can include hands-on work experience, job shadowing, and ongoing mentoring.
This type of event opens up your business to the community and allows young people with disabilities to see what types of work are available to them in the future. These initiatives can be instructive, fun, and interactive, and can help disabled young people become more aware of what they are capable of doing.
3. Publish Articles on the Subjects of Disability, Inclusion, and Accessibility
National disability days throughout the year provide fresh monthly content for a company newsletter or internal website or blog. Articles can cover a range of topics, including the company's policies on building an inclusive workplace, how to request accommodations or adaptations in the workplace, and recognizing disabled individuals' contributions to the company.
Publishing regular material acknowledging your employees' challenges and how they overcome them provides refreshing, inspirational, and motivational material for readers, and gives a well-deserved boost to the disabled community. Better still, request contributions from disabled colleagues who can explain their experiences first-hand.
4. Sponsor a “Lunch and Learn” Series About Disability Issues
"Lunch and Learn" events for employees could be held monthly or even quarterly. In a Lunch and Learn event, internal or external presenters from a disability organization are invited to talk about disability-related subjects. These types of talks can be either informal or more training-based, focusing on how to make the workplace more accessible or teaching employees how to communicate more effectively with disabled colleagues.
Lunch and Learn events shouldn't feel like a chore or an extra burden; that's why making them a social event is a good idea, giving employees the chance to learn and socialize at the same time. Asking for feedback at the end of these sessions can help you gather ideas for new topics and receive constructive criticism to make the event even better next time.
Ideas for Lunch and Learn Talks
There is no end to the possibilities for interesting subjects for talks, but some ideas could include:
Visual-Impairment Inclusion in the Workplace
How Businesses Can Adapt to Workers with Motor Disabilities
Accessibility Issues for Wheelchair Users and Users of Other Mobility Devices
Businesses that have employees with disabilities may also choose to focus on the issues facing their own employees.
5. Offer American Sign Language Training Classes to Your Employees
Many businesses across the country offer development and training opportunities; learning American Sign Language could be an excellent addition—whether you have deaf employees or not. Sign language is fun to learn, opens doors to potential future deaf employees, and, if you already have colleagues who are hard of hearing, strengthens relationships between workmates.
Classes can be taught on-site, or the company could sponsor external classes in local colleges such as those offered by the Metropolitan State University of Denver, Colorado. Learning sign language is a wonderful opportunity for employees, and can also serve as a team-building exercise for those who sign up for the course.
Disability Awareness Activities: A Powerful Step Towards a More Inclusive Workplace
Disability awareness shouldn't just be a box that companies have to check; it is a necessary and forward-thinking step for workplaces across the country. Though October is the obvious choice for many businesses to schedule disability-inclusive activities, there are national disability days throughout the year, so there's no need to limit your participation to a single month.
The disabled community has so much to offer in the workplace but is often overlooked due to prejudice or misconceptions. Offering activities and events that embrace differences can go a long way to breaking down negative stereotypes not only in your workplace but also in society—so start planning and looking for ways to get involved this year!