Disability Awareness Month it's not just about acknowledging the difficulties that come with disability – it's also about recognizing the work of disabled people and how we can make physical spaces, policies and practices more accessible in the workplace.

I've lived with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, but I've never let it affect my corporate position for over two decades, and I've seen firsthand what it's all about inclusion can do for an organization.

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Here are three meaningful ways companies can observe Disability Awareness Month and make lasting change:

1. Organization of educational seminars and training sessions

Team building training and workshops are the best ways to celebrate Disability Awareness Month. Workshops can dispel myths and SUPERSTITION for persons with disabilities and to educate employees on proper etiquette and awareness when discussing and working with persons with disabilities. This includes appropriate and inappropriate behavior and language, accessibility considerations and more. Workshops and training sessions can serve as the basis for creating an inviting environment that can promote inclusion of persons with disabilities in the workplace.

• Bring guest speakers: Invite experts, advocates or a person living with a disability to share their knowledge and experiences. Real-world stories can help employees better understand the struggles and triumphs faced by people with disabilities. These events are also a way for employees with disabilities to be guest speakers, further enhancing dialogue and building a sense of community and belonging.
• Awareness workshops: Conduct a workshop to educate employees on how to interact with people with disabilities and use correct terminology. The workshop should also create a safe environment where people can learn more about people with disabilities.

Employees will have a better understanding of disability, which can lead to more friendly and supportive work policies and better accommodation practices and policies within the workplace.

2. Increase accessibility and accommodation practices

In honor of Disability Awareness Month, take a closer look at the current accessibility and accommodation practices within your company. Ensuring that your work environment, from a physical perspective, is universally accessible to all provides a foundation for creating an inclusive environment. Accommodation policies aim to provide a barrier-free environment that enables people with disabilities to access employment, public services and facilities as independently as possible.

Accessible workplaces are not just about meeting minimum legal requirements; they ensure that all employees can perform to the best of their abilities without undue hindrance.

• Accessibility audit: Let accessibility experts do physical and electronic workplace assessments. This will reveal where accessibility may be lacking, whether it's ramps and signs or websites and indoor platforms that are more visually or hearing impaired friendly.
• Update accommodation policies: Re-evaluate your policies frequently to ensure they are fully implemented across the workforce. Requests to update accommodation policies shouldn't be met with friction – don't automatically reject an accommodation request or have an inflexible policy that doesn't allow for exceptions. Implement a simple and straightforward procedure for employees to submit an accommodation request through a dedicated portal with step-by-step instructions where they feel heard and supported. Doing so can alleviate potential aggression or bullying and create a more inclusive and supportive workplace environment. This can also lead to an excellent opportunity for empathy training for HR and upper management.
• Invest in assistive technologies: All employees should be equipped with tools and equipment that will increase their productivity, such as screen readers, voice recognition technologies and ergonomic office supplies.

Employers who make their workplaces accessible to all consider this a good thing inclusion politics. Such actions would benefit not only specified employees with disabilities, but also all employees, as diversity is an aspect of mutual respect for employees and results in higher morale and productivity.

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3. Celebrate and recognize the contributions of employees with disabilities

Another effective strategy for observing Disability Awareness Month is to celebrate employees with disabilities. Recognition and appreciation can be given in a variety of ways, including honors, awards and talent performances.

Recognition illuminates and emphasizes the sense of value that comes with disability among employees.

• Stories in the spotlight: Feature stories of employees with disabilities in company newsletters, social media and internal communication channels. Share their stories, achievements and contributions because they will help the team feel inspired and educated.
• Awards and Acknowledgments: Incorporate dedicated awards to honor hard work and achievements everything employees, including disabled personnel.
• Talent Shows: Organize an event where employees have a platform to showcase their talents and skills, such as art, music, writing or any other art, to appreciate the diversity of talent within the organization.

Celebrating and recognizing the contributions of all employees enhances them MORALE and makes them feel part of the team. It also creates an excellent opportunity to appreciate all forms of diversity in the workplace.

CONCLUSION

Disability Awareness Month offers companies the perfect avenue to grow inclusion and support for their employees with various disability conditions. Ways to achieve this would be through educational seminars, increasing access to offices and recognizing the contributions of people with disabilities.

These would not only benefit employees with disabilities but would also really improve the organizational culture making it stronger and much more cohesive. Embracing all of these makes real life changes where every employee feels valued and can contribute to their best. Having lived through the challenges and triumphs of being in the corporate world while disabled, I can attest to what a tremendous difference true inclusion makes.

Let this month be not only for awareness, but for concretizing actions that will make life different for employees with disabilities. Together, we can build workplaces where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.