Creating an Accessible Workplace

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What is accessibility?

Accessibility in the workplace is about removing barriers so that everyone has equal access. This includes providing accessible premises, services and facilities.

Accessibility can be influenced by a range of factors. The design, lighting, signage, parking and facilities of a building may all present barriers for people with disability, along with technology and communication.

All employees have a right to accessibility. It is unlawful to discriminate against a person with disability in terms of access. There are many ways employers can ensure accessibility across all areas of the workplace. Some changes can be made quickly at very little cost while others may take longer to implement.

What is universal design?

Universal design refers to the design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability. If an environment is accessible, usable, convenient and a pleasure to use, everyone benefits.

Universal design considers the diverse needs and abilities of all throughout the design process, creating products, services and environments that meet people’s needs. Simply put, universal design is good design.

There are seven principles that guide universal design, including:

Equitable use: the design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities.
Flexibility in use: the design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities.
Simple and intuitive use: use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user’s experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level.
Perceptible information: the design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s sensory abilities.
Tolerance for error: the design minimises hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions.
Low physical effort: the design can be used efficiently and comfortably and with minimal fatigue.
Size and space for approach and use: appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use, regardless of a user’s body size, posture, or mobility.

These principles apply to all types of design, including the design of both the physical workplace and workplace technology.

The physical workplace

A workplace’s physical environment refers to the building employees work in, lighting, ventilation, signage, amenities such as toilets and kitchens and the furniture, materials and equipment employees use to do their work, such as desks and chairs.

Agencies can assess the overall accessibility of the physical workplace by considering questions such as:

Is there a clear accessible path of travel from the street to the building entrance (without stairs or other obstacles)?
Are the lifts accessible (lift buttons have tactile elements or braille, handrails and an emergency button or phone)?
Are the building facilities accessible such as the toilets, meeting rooms, staff kitchens, first aid and/or parenting rooms?
Is the workplace clear of clutter and barrier free?
Is the signage outside and inside the workplace large, clear, easy to read and provided in accessible formats including braille?

Meetings and events

People with disability should be able to access and participate in meetings and events on an equal basis. This includes regular team meetings, training sessions, large events and meetings with external stakeholders. Meetings and events that are accessible and inclusive automatically cater to the needs of a diverse audience.

Here are some considerations to increase the accessibility of a meeting or event:

Offer both online and in-person options for participation. Providing attendees with this choice vastly increases the accessibility of a meeting or event for anyone that has a flexible working arrangement, geographical challenges, transport issues, health and safety concerns or a disability that may impact their ability to participate in-person.
Include with your event or meeting invitation, a short sentence asking if anyone has any accessibility requirements. This indicates that accessibility has been considered by the host and may encourage people to be more comfortable in voicing their adjustment needs.

For example:

“If you have any dietary, access, or support requirements in order to participate fully, please let us know when you RSVP to ensure that we can arrange any reasonable adjustments. Please note: the venue is accessible for people using wheelchairs and other mobility aids.”

Take regular breaks if the meeting or event runs for longer than one hour. A 5-10-minute break every hour is recommended in any work setting.
Check the physical accessibility of the venue. Is it accessible for wheelchair and mobility aid users? Are there accessible toilets and facilities nearby? Is there assistive technology available such as hearing loops and microphones in case any attendees may be deaf or hard of hearing? Is there accessible transport and parking nearby?
Make sure the meeting or event presentations, technology and materials are accessible for all participants. Is there live closed captioning available?

The key to inclusive and accessible meetings and events is to ask attendees if they require any adjustments and what their preferred method of communication is. Do not make assumptions about what people’s needs are.

Technology

Ensuring equitable access to workplace technology is important to ensure all employees are empowered to undertake their work duties independently and efficiently.

It is important that the following workplace technology is accessible and compliant with the latest Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

the agency’s website
human resources and people management systems
training and learning systems
financial management and accounting systems
customer management systems
document management systems
communications (e.g. intranets, internal emails)

If you do not ensure your workplace technology is accessible, you may create barriers to career progression for a person with disability.

Documents

Written communications can be inaccessible to people with low vision, blindness, dyslexia and low literacy levels. There are a number of steps you can take to ensure all of the documents you create are accessible.

Firstly, consider providing documents in a number of alternative formats such as in Microsoft Word and PDF. It is important to note that converting an accessible Word document to PDF does not guarantee that the PDF document will automatically be accessible. Vision Australia provides some tips on how to make PDFs accessible and compliant with WCAG.

The Microsoft Office 365 suite provides a range of features that support the development of accessible documents and is compatible with screen-reading programs. When using Microsoft Word, you can use the free, inbuilt accessibility checker to automatically check the accessibility of the document. It will find any accessibility issues and offer ways to resolve them.

Whilst Microsoft Word and HTML documents are preferable to other formats (particularly for screen-reader use) it is important to use headings and styles to allow a screen-reader user to easily navigate the content of a document in a logical way. This includes ensuring tables are formatted appropriately to allow for screen readers to accurately read them. The Web Accessibility Initiative provides more information on how to make tables accessible.

If you are using images in your documents, ensure that you accurately classify them. This could be either as a decorative image such as an agency banner, or an image that adds meaning to the document which requires an alternative text (alt-text) description. This is important for individuals using a screen reader to ensure they are not missing any important information communicated through the image.

Vision Australia have developed a Document Accessibility Toolbar (DAT) that can be added to the ribbon menu in Microsoft Word to make it quick and easy to create accessible documents.

Lastly, creating documents in an ‘Easy Read’ format helps people with a range of disabilities and also makes content easier to read and comprehend for people who use English as a second language.

Easy Read information:

is clear and easy to understand
is written in plain language with short words and short sentences
avoids jargon, acronyms and complex language
only includes the main points
uses clear headings or bold font to provide direction and highlight important information
incorporates text and images to improve context and clarity.

Workplace adjustments

Ensuring your workplace is accessible for all employees may require you to implement workplace adjustments on a case-by-case basis. Some people with disability may face barriers at work that can be removed with a simple workplace adjustment.

A workplace adjustment is a change to a work process, practice or environment, depending on a person’s individual needs and circumstances, that allows a person to perform their job free from barriers.

Workplace adjustments can be requested by anyone, as we are all unique individuals with different needs.

Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, employers must provide reasonable workplace adjustments if requested. It is against the law to discriminate against a person due to any workplace adjustments they may require. This also includes providing adjustments in recruitment processes.

There are many types of workplace adjustments including:

Flexible working hours or working from home
Providing assistive technologies such as screen readers and voice activated software
Making physical changes to the workplace such as installing adjustable-height desks

See the Workplace support and adjustments page in the Disability Employment Portal on the Tasmanian Government Jobs website for more information.

Accessibility audits

You can engage an access auditor to assess the accessibility of your workplace and provide specific disability access advice.

Access auditors will identify any work required to provide appropriate access. Many auditors will also provide indicative costings and advice about compliance with the law. To find an access auditor near you, visit the Association of Consultants in Access Australia website.

Vision Australia is an industry leader in the provision of digital accessibility services, and they offer digital access consulting, training and testing to help businesses and government make their digital presence accessible and inclusive. Vision Australia can also help deliver information in accessible formats for people with a print disability who cannot access standard printed material.

JobAccess and the Australian Network on Disability (AND) also provide services and training to help employers make the workplace accessible and inclusive. AND offers organisations support in scoping, consulting, developing and launching an Access and Inclusion Plan.

Remember to review the accessibility of your agency's services and premises on a regular basis.

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