There are several ways you can support disability pride for your employees. We'll discuss a few of them in this section.
Allyship
Allyship is a verb and requires actions, big and small.
Allyship can mean speaking up when you witness something that makes you or another employee feel uncomfortable.
Allyship can mean doing research if you're not sure about something or there's an area you'd like to learn more about, rather than expecting or relying on disabled people to teach you. You can start by reading our blog post about disability terminology.
It can mean saying "[your name] speaking" before you contribute in an online meeting, as one way to be accessible.
This can help orient people who are blind or have low vision and cannot see who is speaking. It is useful for Auslan interpreters, who need to indicate the person speaking as they interpret. And it can support people who are new to the organisation and might be getting to know everyone.
You should say your name before you speak in online meetings, even if there might not be a disabled person in the meeting. If you get into the habit, it will be easier to remember when there's an Auslan interpreter present, for example.
Allyship can also mean seeking out content by or featuring disabled creators and starting conversations about the content you read, watch or listen to. For some ideas, you can read our blog post about media to evoke disability pride.
Disabled people shouldn't have to be the only ones advocating for accessibility. If you're in a long meeting (an hour or more) and there's no break scheduled, why don't you suggest one?
Make sure that there's a hybrid attendance option for every meeting you have. If there's not, ask: why? And will employees unable to attend in person be able to contribute another way?
If someone uses ableist language – either deliberately or through a lack of knowledge – gently explain to them why this is not okay, and what they could say instead.
For online meetings, make sure that staff can contribute either verbally or by using the chat function.
In a time when many disabled people are still restricted by the pandemic, wearing a mask indoors is a powerful act of allyship, as is staying home if you feel sick.
If someone speaks up about their access needs or offers feedback on how the organisation can be more accessible or inclusive, listen to them.
Know that every action you take, big or small, is important. The support of even one coworker or manager can be deeply reassuring and empowering for disabled employees.
Ongoing self-reflection
Accessibility and inclusion are not tick-box exercises. They are part of an ongoing process that requires everyone to be committed to making an organisation the best it can be.
You can check in with yourself and the organisation at regular intervals about the accessibility or inclusiveness of your organisation.
Here are some examples of questions you might ask yourself:
"Am I being a good ally for the disability community?"
"How can we push the organisation to become more inclusive?”
"How can we make workplaces safer for those with invisible disability?"
"How can we prevent people with disabilities from feeling like they have to hide their identity to have job security?"
Events
You could celebrate Disability Pride Month in July or International Day of People with Disability (IDPWD) in December.
Ways to celebrate could include
- having a watch party of a film such as Netflix's Crip Camp or the Australian equivalent, Defiant Lives
- a panel of disabled people talking about what Disability Pride Month or IDPWD means to them.
Celebrations like this can make learning about disability pride fun and enjoyable.
Events or activities associated with Disability Pride Month or IDPWD can also be a great way for staff to bond and get to know each other better.
Professional development
You can organise disability awareness training to give your staff an understanding of disability. There are many disability-led organisations that offer this kind of training.
You can check out our Together training on how to make your organisation more accessible and inclusive for disabled young people.
You can also make sure that your staff learn about how to make all your content accessible.
This could mean
- making your website accessible
- making your social media content accessible
- using plain language and creating Easy Read resources.
Seek and implement feedback
If you're creating a new service, product, or project, seek feedback from employees with disability at every stage of the process.
Take action to remedy any accessibility issues they might identify and let them know how their input has informed your work or decisions.
Make sure there are options for employees to provide feedback in various ways. For example, some people might not find filling in forms accessible and would feel more comfortable recording a voice message.