Creating a Wheelchair-Friendly Workplace

Published: November 17, 2014

Whether or not you currently rely on a wheelchair for mobility purposes, it’s still important to become familiar with how to create a wheelchair-friendly workplace. If you’re not in a wheelchair, yet run a company, then learning these adjustments could help in making working conditions for some much easier. If you’re in a wheelchair, then brining these tips to your superior’s attention could be useful. Take a look:

Start a Training Program

The best way to get people involved and help them become educated on specific matters is to inform them. Though you don’t necessarily have to create a training program, doing so may be the best way of teaching other employees proper wheelchair etiquette. If you don’t feel as if a training program is necessarily appropriate for your particular company or business, then at least have information readily available for employees to pick up and read.

Form a Support Group

You may find it necessary to form a support group to further support those who happen to be in a wheelchair. You may wish to first ask those in wheelchairs if they’d appreciate a support group — they may not.

Equal Employment

One great way to ensure that all employees feel equal is to create and promote an equal environment. To do, make sure that people in wheelchairs and with disabilities are employed at all levels of the organization. Merit should be the defining factor of who gets the job — nothing else.

Is Proper Assistance Readily Available?

It’s important to make sure that workers know help is readily available if needed. Yes, those in wheelchairs and with disabilities will need to ask for help if they need it, but make sure that said help is available to pursue. No matter what type of help you deem appropriate, make sure employees are aware of it and know how to use it.

Be Respectful

You should always remember to be respectful of others — whether or not they happen to be in wheelchair. Creating a wheelchair-friendly workplace will help demonstrate a certain level of respectful.