Task 22 - Disability

Research on the current legislations and laws for disability in NSW will help the company restructure its attitude and workplace confines to suit people with any kind of disability. To have a diverse and accepting workplace, the company should cater to everyone, including people who have some sort of disability holding them back to perform certain tasks under the current parameters provided. The benefits of diversity in the workplace have been proven in multiple studies but when we look at the statistics we learn we have quite a way to go. Particularly when it comes to the integration of people with disabilities.

1) Define Disability

Disability is a term that is used to refer to a broad range of impairments that makes it more difficult for a person with the challenge to do certain activities or interact with the world around them. Some disabilities are relatively mild while others have a major impact on a person's life. More of us have a disability than we may realise. The WHO estimate about 15% of the global population experience a disability of some kind, two to four percent are thought to experience significant difficulties functioning.

A disability in the workplace is any impairment that requires some accommodation by an employer to allow their employee to succeed in their role. Although disabilities are complex and varied in nature, many of them fall under a number of broad categories:

• Physical Disabilities: This includes mobility, physiological or functional impairments that impact a person’s daily life. Physical disabilities can be present from birth or they may be acquired. The impact of a physical disability can fluctuate or may be constantly present. It may also be chronic, stable or progressive. Multiple Sclerosis or muscular dystrophy are just two examples of a disability that may be progressive and likely to fluctuate. Vision and hearing impairments are physical disabilities that can vary significantly from person to person. In many instances treatment for physical disabilities is limited and likely to focus on pain management, stabilising a condition or enhancing ability. 
• Mental Health Disabilities: The WHO estimate that one in four people globally will be affected by a mental health issue at some stage in their lives. Like physical disability mental health conditions are varied in nature and duration. It is only in the last number of decades that we are beginning the long journey towards viewing mental health as another facet of human wellbeing. Some of the most common mental health issues include mood disorders like depression, anxiety and eating disorders, and can be treatable. However, depending on location and socioeconomic factors treatment options may be limited. In recent times some employers are making treatment more accessible for employees through the provision of Employee Assistance Schemes.
• Acquired Disabilities: While many disabilities are present from birth others occur during a person’s lifetime. Accidents, injury or illness may leave an employee with an acquired disability.
• Unseen Disabilities: An unseen disability is a condition that cannot be seen on the outside but they still challenge the person impacted. Examples of an unseen or invisible disability include chronic pain conditions, fatigue, epilepsy or diabetes. Like all other disabilities, having a condition like this does not mean a person is disabled, they just need to manage work and life differently to those who do not.  

2) What can an organization put into place to accommodate a staff member, work mate or customer who has a disability?

Now that we know what workplace disability is, it's integral to understand what an organization can put into place to accommodate a staff member, work mate or customer who has a disability. 

Workplace Adjustment could help achieve this. Also referred to as a 'reasonable adjustment', a workplace adjustment is a change to a work process, practice, procedure or environment that enables an employee with disability to perform their job in a way that minimises the impact of their disability. Workplace adjustments allow a person to:

• perform the inherent or essential requirements of their job safely in the workplace 
• have equal opportunity in recruitment processes, promotion and ongoing development 
• experience equitable terms and conditions of employment 
• maximise productivity

Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA), employers are obligated to make adjustments to accommodate an individual’s disability, unless that adjustment would result in unjustifiable hardship. Many employers accept that workplace flexibility is an attraction and retention strategy.

How can businesses consistently deliver a dignified experience for customers who experience disability? Here are the top five things to consider:

1. Accessibility - The first step is to ensure that the premises or store is accessible. If a customer cannot get in and around independently, their service experience is not very relevant. This also includes access to online stores and websites.
2. Service Principles - Agree on simple principles or steps that team members can follow that lead to an independent, dignified experience.
3. Training - Training is one aspect of learning and is very important. As research suggests, having staff members who have been taught what to do is very important. Training needs to be current and reinforced.
4. Employment of people with disability - A study from the Australian Network on Disability tells us that people with disability as customers perceive this as an important way for the organisation to learn about disability and to drive more acceptance. Retail environments that are built for staff members experiencing disability are more likely to be accessible for customers.
5. Non-property related inclusions - Accommodating customers with disability extends beyond how team members behave with customers. There are many small features that can be used to assist in delivering and reminding staff of their responsibility to customers with disability

3) Provide a list of the disabilities and what can be done to accommodate them

Now that you know all about workplace adjustments and where you can find support to make your workplace more flexible and accessible to employees with disability, here are some more examples of adjustments that may help your employees to perform at their best. Keep in mind that everyone's needs and capabilities are different. The most important thing you can do is to ask the person.

For a person with a mobility impairment (including dexterity impairments):

• Ramps 
• Scooter 
• Stair lifts 
• Automated doors 
• Height-adjustable work stations 
• Vehicle modifications (work-related) 
• Accessible bathroom 
• Accessible lift Handrails 
• Accessible computer keyboards, mouses 
• Adapted office furniture or equipment 
• Speech-recognition (speech-to-text) software

For a person who is deaf or hard of hearing

• Hearing loops 
• Vibrating or visual alarms 
• Text Telephone (TTY) or Short Message Service (SMS) text messaging 
• Live captioning 
• Auslan interpreters 
• Video phones Subtitling

For a person who is blind or has low vision

• Screen-magnification (e.g. ZoomText) or screen-reading software (e.g. JAWS) 
• Magnification software for Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) and mobile phones 
• Braille machines and printers 
• Video magnifiers for reading printed material 
• Tactile Ground Surface Indicators (TGSI) 
• Contrasting work surfaces or trays 
• Braille or tactile maps

For a person with a mental health condition

• Flexible working arrangements, e.g. working from home, working part-time, change of start/finish times
• Longer or more frequent breaks
• Partitioned area or private office to reduce noise/distractions
• Division of large projects into smaller tasks
• 'To-do' lists or checklists
• Regular meetings with supervisors

For a person with a learning disability (e.g. Dyslexia)

• Smartphones or PDAs, to assist with memory and planning 
• Task cards ‘To-do’ lists or checklists 
• Screen-reading software (e.g. JAWS) 
• Speech-to-text dictation software 
• Verbal instructions

For a person with a long-term or chronic health condition

• Cooling collars
• Air-conditioning
• Height-adjustable work stations
• Building modifications
• Changes to lighting, e.g. increased natural light, removal of fluorescent lighting
• Flexible working arrangements, for example working from home, working part-time.
• Progression planning may be required for degenerative conditions, e.g. car parks, ramps, lifts, bathroom modifications

Some of the most common workplace adjustments

• Allowing a person with disability to have some flexibility in their working hours, such as working part-time or starting and finishing later
• Moving a person with disability to a different office, shop or site closer to their home or onto the ground floor, or allowing them to work from home
• Moving furniture, widening a doorway or providing a ramp so that a person using a wheelchair or other mobility aid can get around comfortably and safely
• Redistributing some minor duties (not inherent requirements of a job) that a person with disability finds difficult to do 
• Allowing a person with disability time off during working hours for rehabilitation, assessment or treatment (e.g. physiotherapy or psychotherapy appointments)
• Providing additional training, mentoring, supervision and support
• Purchasing or modifying equipment, such as speech recognition software for someone with vision impairment, an amplified phone for a person who is hard of hearing, or a digital recorder for someone who finds it difficult to take written notes
• Making changes to tests and interviews so that a person with disability can demonstrate their ability to do the job 
• Providing Auslan interpreters for a person who is deaf or hard of hearing, or readers who will read out documents for someone with low vision or learning disability
• Modifying disciplinary or grievance procedures 

Provide a list of other policies, acts or legislation that provide a guide to organizations on how to ensure the organization takes into consideration disabilities in the work place

One of the most prevalent policies that governs organizational treatment of disabilities in the workplace is the Disability Discrimination Act ("the DDA").

The DDA provides for the Attorney-General to make "Disability Standards" (subject to approval or amendment by Federal Parliament). The main purpose of DDA Standards would be to make rights and obligations under the DDA clearer and easier to understand, enforce and comply with.

The Federal Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) provides protection for everyone in Australia against discrimination based on disability. Disability discrimination happens when people with a disability are treated less fairly than people without a disability.