Disability Pride Month: accessibility needs to be at the top of the business agenda

As Disability Pride Month 2022 comes to a close, I am feeling optimistic having seen some impactful conversations happening around the topic. However, there is still plenty of room to improve. Accessibility and inclusion still seem to be taboo topics, or a lesser priority for many. 

The annual report from Advanced Business found that 55% of UK senior employees believe the main focus of their organisation is business growth and development, with D&I at 34%. Unfortunately, this is not surprising. We are working hard to help firms better understand how closely growth and diversity are connected.

Even when Disability Pride Month is over, I want people to be proud of their diverse abilities in a workplace setting. Yet in a market where there are more vacancies than there are job hunters, businesses are still overlooking talented and skilled people with disabilities. This manifests in many ways. For example, many inconsiderate barriers to entry exist for those who are neurodivergent or visually impaired - the inaccessibility to job postings closes the door for millions of job seekers too early and too frequently in the application process. Our goal is to help every candidate find the right opportunity and for companies to access the best talent for their business.

To encourage businesses to improve and diversify their hiring practices I’m proud to say PageGroup has brought together key charities, social enterprises and changemakers to launch a set of free resources designed to foster accessibility in recruitment across all industries. These resources are specifically aimed at providing advice on how to cater for those with visual impairments, learning disabilities, and the neurodiverse.  

We have also installed Recite Me’s accessibility plugin software across many of our sites to increase accessibility for candidates applying for roles, and we are continuing to roll the service out globally in the coming months. 

As most job searches begin online, if job hunters cannot read or dissect the information on the job posting site, they are immediately at a disadvantage. The Recite Me toolbar is a radical improvement for job searchers included in the approximately one billion web users with dyslexia, visual impairments, autism, ADHD, epilepsy, and hyperlexia. 

The fact of the matter is that workers with disabilities are less likely to be employed than able-bodied people, with nearly 55% of people with disabilities finding themselves out of work – this is through discriminatory practices, inaccessible applications or offices, and limited effort from companies to recruit workers with disabilities.

Accessibility in the recruitment process is crucial, but that is just the first step for businesses – it’s important to remember that it doesn’t end there. Whether it’s introducing new technology, designing accessible offices, or creating layouts with spaces for everyone to thrive, businesses must realise that they can never be truly done, only constantly striving to do better. 

Let’s keep the conversation going throughout the year and see where we are next Disability Pride Month.