Active workplaces make sense

They boost employees morale and positivity, reduce the number of sick days and increase productivity.

And at a time when we’re more sedentary than ever, we need ever opportunity to get active – including while working.

But disabled employees, as well as being much more likely to be inactive, face additional challenges to being active in the workplace, and it can be difficult for employers to understand how they can best support

We’ve helped GM Moving make their Inclusive Active Workplace guidance better consider how employers can support activity for disabled employees.

With likely the biggest push ever to diversify our workforces, resulting in many organisations tapping into the potential of disabled people, we wanted to share our learning and insight in case useful for others.

So, here’s three ways organisations can #DoItDifferently to support active workplaces for disabled employees…

First up, don’t assume

It’s many disabled people’s worst nightmare that they’ll be left out of an activity or not considered because it’s assumed they’ll be unable to participate

But this can happen quite frequently in many facets of disabled peoples lives.

So, don’t make the workplace one of them and ensure you’re considering disabled people in all you do at work – including activity

Second up, speak to your disabled colleagues

It’s unlikely you’re going to be able to make a completely inclusive activity offering from your own knowledge and experience — even if you know your disabled colleagues really well

The good thing is, you don’t have to do this alone. You have an expert in your disabled colleagues to understand how you can make activity work for them

So don’t be scared of offending, approach in a tactful and sensitive way and explain how you want to make sure whatever you’re doing meets their needs.

Most will appreciate this and be more than happy to oblige in supporting you.

Finally, act

We can do all of the considering and talking in the world but if we don’t act on this then it’s for nothing.

Ensure that you’re implementing learning and insight from your discussions with disabled colleagues to make you’re active workplace activities accessible to them.

This will provide assurance to your disabled colleagues that you’re taking inclusion seriously and will support a more inclusive and active workforce.

And that’s there ways organisations can #DoItDifferently to support active workplaces for disabled people

Let us know how your active workplace programme has been made accessible to you as a disabled employee or how you’ve made your active workplace programme accessible to disabled colleagues as an employer.

And follow @BeyondEmpowerUK and sign up to our mailing list, to learn how we can #DoItDifferently to make more of what we do work better for disabled people.