Improving your inclusive practice
Did you know that, according to the Equality Act 2010, activity providers have a responsibility to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people can take part in your activity? You can read more about the Equality Act here:
And here:
The good news is that there are lots of ways you can make services, activities and venues more inclusive; we have given you a few ideas below.
TOP TEN TIPS TO BECOMING MORE INCLUSIVE
Inclusion means feeling safe, welcome and able to take part. Making your setting or provision inclusive and accessible is a learning process involving discussion, ideas, actions, feedback and reflection.
1. Be welcoming – first impressions count. Be welcoming in person, ensuring disabled people feel you are pleased they are there rather than that they are an issue or a burden. Use positive words and images that include disabled people in your publicity/social media/website. And ensure your website or other marketing materials are clear and accessible to disabled people.
2. Your attitude is the most important thing. Be a ‘can do’ person: how can we make ‘reasonable adjustments’ so that this will work for you? Focus on what the person wants to do (not their impairment) and work together to make it happen. Communication is key – ask questions, listen and discuss together. You are not expected to be an expert. Beware of making assumptions!
3. Make sure people know your setting or provision is inclusive. Sharing your event, activity or venue on You’re Welcome is a great way to do this! You can also talk to organisations/people that disabled people already know and trust – Disabled People Led Organisations, Inclusion Gloucestershire being a local example. Also, Social Care Providers, Parent Carer groups, SENCOs, Special Schools, Charities, Advisory Teachers. Get the message out where disabled people may see it. Consider sharing information in accessible formats like British Sign Language, Braille, large print, easy read, video.
4. Give and receive information in advance. Provide clear, accessible information about what to expect at your sessions or venue and how people can contact you to find out more. If possible, arrange a meeting or encourage people to make contact and discuss their interests and requirements by phone/email/text before they come to you for the first time.
5. Review your venue’s accessibility; make access information easy to find. When you are answering the question ‘Is your space accessible?’ describe the access and facilities available, rather than assuming anyone can/cannot take part. Steps, slopes, toilets, exits and lighting may all be adaptable. Use the Accessibility Icons in our listings to show what you can offer. Ask for suggestions and work toward solutions to make things accessible.
6. Consider resources that will make activities more inclusive. Lots of simple adaptations can make your usual content, displays, games, resources and tools more accessible and inclusive. For example, you can provide written material in Large Print, Easy Read or Braille or offer audio tours or British Sign Language interpreted events.
7. Think about adding extra staff or volunteers to help everyone. If you run activities, adjusting staff ratios for the whole group can be more inclusive than assigning a 1:1 support person. Make use of ‘buddies’ and young leaders. Discuss all support options with the disabled person or their family. Read more about Support and Assistance.
8. Involve disabled and non-disabled people together. Can you be inclusive in your general sessions? If not, is a dedicated session possible? Could this benefit non-disabled people too? Are there other ways of being involved in your organisation? (including people socially and also through volunteer, employee, focus groups or trustee opportunities).
9. Write and publicise an Inclusion Statement. Try out some of these Top Ten Tips and use them to write your statement. Reflect what you say in your Inclusion Statement in any policies and procedures; share with staff, volunteers and members. For a guide on writing an inclusion statement, click here.
10. Ask disabled people and their families how it’s going. By responding to feedback you can keep getting better at being inclusive; it is an ongoing process for everyone.
BARRIERS
Barriers to participation for disabled people occur because the environment (built or natural) is generally set up with non-disabled people in mind; the way things are done (procedures) are not adaptable or responsive; or organisations have discriminatory or dismissive attitudes to disabled people and do not respond in an inclusive way to requests to make reasonable adjustments.
Understanding the barriers that might stop some people taking part is also important. The best way to learn more about this is to ask for and act on feedback from disabled visitors or get in touch with disabled people who offer Accessibility and Inclusion Consultancy. Once you understand some of the main barriers that occur because of how your service, activity or venue is currently set up, you can work towards removing them as far as is possible.
Training
You do not need to gain a lot of new specialist knowledge about the impairments or conditions your disabled visitors or participants may have in order to be inclusive. Instead, you can gain valuable new skills and awareness by taking part in training around inclusion. Find out more about Inclusion Training.