This article is written by Jordana Globerman, manager at the Data Authority, Government of Canada. The views in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily represent those of her employer.
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As we begin 2021, many of us are returning to a new normal for work: home offices, Zoom meetings and a fast pace of work.
Though our lives may have arrived at a certain stability in the midst of the chaos of the pandemic, it’s important to take the time to ask whether this stability is balance. Are we taking the time to consider new caring duties or the emotional impact of a world overturned?
Are we considering the needs and limitations of those we work with and are we providing the most inclusive working environments possible?
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This new reality offers us the opportunity to improve the inclusiveness and accessibility of how we work. Accessibility ensures that people of all walks of life have their needs better met — persons with different disabilities, the elderly, those with a temporary disease, pregnant women, children — basically anyone that doesn’t 'fit the mould' of broad strokes design. As more of the world adapts to the mental and physical impacts of Covid-19, accessible design solutions are crucial.
There are many small things we can do today to make meetings more accessible and work more inclusive.
In 2020, I had the honour of working for the ESDC Innovation Lab on a design project geared at improving accessibility in Canada. We held workshops across the country, bringing together diverse persons with disabilities and representatives of companies to co-design solutions for accessibility.
To ensure workshops were as inclusive as possible, we had to test and alter many of the design thinking approaches we normally use.
The difference between exclusion and inclusion is often a small amount of effort — which can have major consequences. Putting that effort into meeting people where they are at ensures stronger solutions that meet more needs. I learned a lot about hosting accessible meetings and I want to share those lessons I have learned, as I am asked about this a lot.
The ideas in this article are my own and, I should add, I am not an expert in accessibility. I encourage all the real experts out there to correct, add or share their thoughts — most of what I’ve learned, I’ve learned by asking others.
The pandemic is scary, and is certainly impacting many people who see their stability or work threatened, or find themselves at risk. Though months have gone by, this threat has in no way diminished. There are many small things we can do today to make meetings more accessible and work more inclusive.
1. Give more time
Accessible workshops take time. This means longer breaks to take service dogs outside, get lunch, go to the bathroom and recalibrate between deep thought. This also means more time for working — more time for interpreters and for persons to share their perspectives in the manner most comfortable to them.
Right now, the whole world needs more time — time to grab our kids lunch, to wash millions of tinned beans, to close our eyes when it all seems like too much.
2. Be collaborative with deadlines and commitments
When running a collaborative workshop, it's important to practice what you preach. All decisions that affect participants should be made through consensus with participants.
There is nothing more uncomfortable for a Canadian than being perceived as impolite. As a result, it’s terribly unpleasant for any of us to have to ask for something.
For our workshops, if we meant to achieve a certain objective by lunchtime, we shared that timeline with the group and adjusted our expectations based on participant feedback.
3. Offer frequently so others don’t have to ask
There is nothing more uncomfortable for a Canadian than being perceived as impolite. As a result, it’s terribly unpleasant for any of us to have to ask for something.
Therefore, it’s important to make sure the onus is never on persons with disabilities to ask for accommodations. When one has the power to offer an accessible solution or accommodation, one should take the initiative to offer it, rather than put the pressure on others to ask.
4. Report back what you heard
Measure twice, cut once. This is saying I’ve heard among carpenters and tailors — two professions where accuracy matters — but I think it also applies to our work in the public sector.
It’s always good to go back to participants with what you heard, in case you heard it wrong. It’s good practice to return to teammates or workshop participants with what you have heard from them. If you get something wrong, it’s never too late to fix it!
5. Offer different modes of communication and engagement
In our workshops we offered different interpretation services, real-time captioning, and multiple alternative formats of documents. We also asked participants if there was something else we could provide ahead of time.
Giving options is always a good approach to accessibility. With all the digital engagements solutions in play during the pandemic, it’s great to offer options to colleagues so that they can communicate in the manner most comfortable to them.
I hope these few ideas are helpful to people looking to be more inclusive as we continue to live with the impact of Covid-19. If you are looking for more ideas on how to encourage accessibility in your organisation, I highly recommend checking out accessible employers for case studies and tools, like accessibility self-assessments. Let’s continue to look for opportunities to support each other and improve wellbeing, despite the hardships we’ve been dealt. — Jordana Globerman
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(Picture credit: Unsplash)
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