But it’s all very well to aim to become an  Implementing can be daunting and restricted by initial push back from staff who may  To ensure inclusion actually happens, take the following five steps:

1.     Devise a well-documented plan

2.     Incorporate inclusion principles across all of the business

3.     Create opportunities for cross-functional interaction among the team

4.     Regularly invest in staff training

5.     Support middle management to understand, implement and assess progress.

Even though each workplace is different, there’s no use reinventing the wheel when some aspects of planning, implementation and training can be copied and/or modified to suit. In this vein, I’m basing my five steps on Diversity Journal’s excellent list, taken from T. Hudson Jordan’s article.

This is ‘the how’ of disability inclusion. If you need to chat about how to implement ‘the how’ please seek advice. I’m always happy to discuss how we do it at NOVA, including describing the bumps and potholes along the way. For more details on the steps, tap into monthly e-zine Working Together. We’re currently covering one step per edition. 

– Martin Wren