This week sees the last few days of UK Disability History Month, with the theme this year being 'Disability, Livelihood and Employment'. In support of this awareness month, we would like to take the opportunity to talk a little bit about Access Riders.
Several years ago, somebody we worked with provided us with an access rider. It is a document tailored to an individual with a disability, detailing their access needs and any barriers they might face. The document we received stated how this person’s invisible disability might manifest, how to best communicate with them, and what to do / what not to do in certain situations. It gave us a clear idea of how to best support this individual and it helped everyone involved to feel confident in the workplace.
This really got us thinking. How could we best provide a safe environment where those we work with feel comfortable and get the support they need? We decided to include a question about access riders in the welcome email we send out once we have contracted people. This enables us to make any necessary adjustments and support each individual in the best way possible.
