Tag: Public sector equality duty

Creating Dyslexia Friendly Workplaces

It is estimated that 15% of the population have dyslexia and/or other specific learning differences (SpLD), therefore it’s highly probable that there will be neurodiversity within any workplace. Organisations must commit to being a dyslexia-friendly organisation by supporting staff with dyslexia and/or other specific learning differences (SpLD) by applying reasonable adjustments to their workplace.

Dyslexia is a hidden disability and is therefore a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 which the Trust is under the Public Sector Equality Duty to uphold. As such, where a diagnosis of dyslexia is made then the Trust must make reasonable adjustments to staffs working environment or working conditions to reduce h the impact of the SpLD. For example, if a member of staff has difficulties working with a computer for long periods then a reasonable adjustment might be to ensure that they avoid continuous all day computer work.

Being dyslexia-friendly makes good business sense and embedding this ethos within the Trust benefits everyone; it enables our staff to fulfil their potential and also supports our dyslexic service users and other stakeholders.

Dyslexia is a neurological difference and can have a significant impact during education, in the workplace and in everyday life. As each person is unique, so is everyone’s experience of dyslexia. It can range from mild to severe, and it can co-occur with other learning differences. It usually runs in families and is a life-long condition.

It is important to remember that there are positives to thinking differently. Many dyslexic people show strengths in areas such as reasoning and in visual and creative fields.

Neurodiversity can be a significant asset to an organisation, bringing a different dimension to problem-solving or creativity in the way that an organisation operates and delivers its products and/or services.

Alongside meeting legal requirements there are many benefits to raising the awareness of dyslexia in the workplace and creating a dyslexia friendly work environment. It helps to establish an inclusive culture for all employees and ensures that individuals can use their strengths, such as atypical problem-solving and creativity. It means that organisations are striving to support staff, to get the best from them and the best for the organisation.

Creating a dyslexia friendly workplace doesn’t have to involve expensive changes. It often just takes some thought, and small changes can make a dramatic difference.

Things to consider:

  • Staff awareness of dyslexia, and the challenges and strengths it presents.
  • A flexible and supportive approach.
  • Introduction of assistive technology.
  • Changing communication methods i.e. printing company-wide information on different coloured paper, or in a larger font, or making it available as an audio file.

A dyslexia friendly workplace can reduce stress, increase morale and motivation. This is turn can have an impact on reducing staff turnover and sickness leave.

How can I support my dyslexic employees?

As well as meeting your obligations under the Equality Act 2010, supporting your employees makes good business sense. Effective changes don’t have to be expensive or time-consuming, often small organisational changes can help to get the very best from your employee.

It’s worth keeping in mind that any changes you make to your way of working can benefit all employees, not just those with dyslexia, and may also benefit your dyslexic customers and clients.

Examples of Reasonable Adjustments

The British Dyslexia Association provides the following examples of reasonable adjustments for commonly reported difficulties:

Reading

  • Give verbal as well as written instructions
  • Highlight important points in documents
  • Use voicemail rather than written memos
  • Supply screen-reading software or a Reading Pen
  • Print resources on coloured paper, and change background colour of computer screens and presentations

Reading and writing

  • Allow plenty of time to read and complete a task
  • Discuss the material with the employee, giving summaries and/or key points
  • Present information in other formats e.g. audio or video, drawings, diagrams and flowcharts
  • Offer/use mind-mapping software
  • Offer/use digital recorders
  • Offer/use speech to text software
  • Ask someone else to take the Minutes of meetings

Spelling and grammar

  • Spell checker on all computers
  • Offer assistive text software on all applications, where possible

Computer work

  • Change background colour of screen to suit individual preference
  • Supply anti-glare screen filter
  • Allow frequent breaks, at least every hour
  • Alternate computer work with other tasks where possible
  • Avoid continuous all day computer work

Verbal communication

  • Give instructions one at a time, slowly and clearly without distractions
  • Write down important information or encourage the employee to take notes
  • Write a memo outlining a plan of action
  • Provide a digital recorder to record presentations/training
  • Check understanding

Concentration

  • Make sure there is a quiet space available away from distractions such as doors, busy phones, loud machinery
  • Allocate a private workspace if possible
  • Allow an employee to work from home occasionally, if possible
  • Use a “do not disturb” sign when tasks require intense concentration
  • If interrupting, allow the person to pause and write down what they are doing to refer to when resuming work

Appointments and deadlines

  • Remind the person of important deadlines and review priorities regularly
  • Encourage the employee to use the daily calendar and alarm features on his/her computer or work phone.

Tips for organisation of property

  • Ensure that work areas are organised, neat and tidy
  • Keep items where they can be clearly seen for example shelves and bulletin boards
  • Ensure the team returns important items to the same place each time
  • Colour code items, if appropriate
  • Ensure work areas are well lit

Organising workflow

  • Prioritise important tasks
  • Create a daily, dated “To Do” list
  • Use and share diaries
  • Write a layout for regular tasks with appropriate prompts for example for meetings or taking notes
  • Build planning time into each day

Supporting directional difficulties

  • Always try to use the same route
  • Show the route and visible landmarks
  • Give time to practise going from one place to another
  • Supply detailed maps
  • Supply GPS car navigation system

JD

The Business Case for Diversity

Increasingly, the term ‘Equality’ (and what used to be referred to as Equal Opportunities) is making way for discussions on ‘diversity’ as this term is much broader in its scope and gets to the heart of the integration challenges facing the UK workforce.

Over the past five decades our society has become increasingly complex and multicultural as population growth continues, subsequently becoming more diverse and with an aging population. Furthermore, changes to employment law coupled with an increase of the age at which an employee can retire and draw a pension means we now have increased competition in the workplace for fewer and fewer jobs.

As Vijay Eswaran, Executive Chairman, QI Group of Companies, explains: ‘In this era of globalization, diversity in the business environment is about more than gender, race and ethnicity. It now includes employees with diverse religious and political beliefs, education, socioeconomic backgrounds, sexual orientation, cultures and even disabilities. Companies are discovering that, by supporting and promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace, they are gaining benefits that go beyond the optics.’

In the UK, it’s common for staff, when surveyed in the workplace, to perceive diversity as being a focus on ethnicity and race whereas issues of religion, education or culture are often overlooked or misunderstood. Subsequently, diversity is actually a much broader term than a few labels and includes those other – difficult to define – human qualities that are dissimilar to our own perceptions or those of our communities but are widely prevalent in other communities. It is this fundamental difference that diversity looks to both celebrate and include alongside our own perceptions.

Vijay Eswaran argues that workplace diversity leads to greater innovation. ‘The coming together of people of different ethnicities with different experiences in cities and societies is a key driver of innovation. The food that we eat every day is a result of this blending of cultures. The most successful musical genres, such as jazz, rock’n’roll or hip-hop, are the products of cultural amalgamation.’

Whilst recent equality laws have helped to challenge discrimination and prejudice we still face equality gaps in the workplace, some larger than others. In response to the increasingly diverse needs of our communities the government have delegated a duty of responsibility – known as the Public Sector Equality Duty – on councils and their partners, including publicly funded bodes, such as the education and health care sectors, to be more accountable for ensuring everyone has an equal chance in life regardless of background or start in life.

To this end, in order to meet both government legislation as well as the diverse needs of our workforce, organisations must ensure they build an inclusive culture where diversity and equality of opportunity work hand in hand. This is referred to as the business case for diversity, an organisational wide understanding of how diversity can benefit both the business aims of the organisation and the needs of the community.

JD