The crucial aspect of every business is the well being of it’s employees. When you have people with special needs, you have to ensure that they are comfortable in their working environment. Catering to the needs of people with physical challenges can be a little challenging; but with proper planning and consideration of their situation, you can make it easy for them.
It is all about making small adjustments
People who have physical and audio challenges can prove to be good workers and contributors to your business. It is all based on the talent that they have. You need to ensure that you have a working environment that provides all the support they need while they are working. Let us look at some ideas how a business can make the environment better for people with disabilities.
Choosing the right type of furniture
While selecting the workstation furniture, keep in mind that there should be enough of room space. This will make it easy for your employees to move around without bumping into things. Even the height of the furniture should be suitable for them. Here are some tips on this front
- Using curvy shaped desk designs will offer the comfort of adjusting their wheel chair while working.
- Incorporate the motorized table concept so that they can adjust the height to their preferences.
- You can also choose to have a small ramp right in front of their workstation that allows them to move from one level to another easily.
For better accessibility
When there are wheelchairs moving around on the floor, you need to ensure that there is easy accessibility to move in and out. Placing an employee close to an exit and washroom will reduce the strain and disturbance. Tips to keep in mind for better accessibility includes
- Reserved parking space for people on wheelchairs
- Special entrance and exit points on the floor so that they can go through easily
- Have at least one bathroom that is purely meant for their use
- Make sure that all the necessary equipments are at arm’s reach.
- Install ramps and chair lifts in case there is no provision for a bigger lift
Lockers and cabinets
The biggest drawback with physically challenged people is that they cannot access lockers or cabinets placed on a height. Make sure that they have the necessary resources close to them. Keep cabinets as low as possible but not on the ground level. Similarly, if you provide lockers to your employees, keep a separate row just for the employees on wheelchairs.
Helping employees with hearing impairments
When you talk about people with disabilities, it is not restricted to only those who are on wheelchairs. You may also have people who have hearing issues. In this case, you can help them by providing certain features and facilities. Let us look at a few tips on this front
- Install a special light alarm that will blink incase of any danger like a fire breakout. This will help them to know when they need to get out.
- Considering their condition, install special screens with speech to text facilities so that they can read what you are trying to say. This way communication becomes easy.
- If there is any important announcement to make, send the information across through mail.
- Have special signboards that will guide them across the floor and make them feel independent.
Conclusion
Just because a person has a particular disability, it does not mean that they are not capable to work in a regular office environment. As a company, you can incorporate small and useful methods and ideas to make the space comfortable for them.
