DESIGN & INTERIORS
push-release doors for easy access. Additionally, booths and collaboration desks with cut-out spaces and mixed heights allow everyone to participate – whether with a guide dog, in a wheelchair or sitting on a chair. Nobody is left to perch uncomfortably at the end.
10. Moveable furniture Offering a range of furniture options and having some on castors is another effective way to create parity in the workplace. For example, a breakout space might predominantly feature sofa-style seating, but if it’s quick and easy to move other pieces of furniture, it can help make everyone comfortable. Choice aids inclusion.
11. Wellbeing Wellbeing rooms provide safe and discreet spaces for those who need time to themselves. While these spaces can support everybody, in the context of inclusion, they can be used by someone to administer medicine, use for general rest if they experience fatigue or energy loss, take virtual medical appointments, or recover from migraines. These spaces should be more than simply ‘cupboards’ that allow employers to tick a box for wellbeing. Adding sinks and fridges makes these areas much more valuable and supports a wider range of employees’ needs. By prioritising wellbeing in the workplace, all employees are more able to contribute.
Tackling attitudinal barriers Inclusive design can ensure that workplaces are welcoming and accessible for a wide range of users, whatever their needs and impairments. It helps to bring underrepresented groups back into the workforce and, crucially, keeps expertise in workforces for longer. However, attitudinal barriers can be as disabling as physical barriers. Organisations must educate their workforces about diversity and inclusion, promote greater education and acceptance of difference, and use the workplace to reinforce the behaviours they want to see.
An effective way to achieve this is to give a voice to all those with disabilities and take the time to understand their lived experiences and needs. Organisations doing this will develop empathy and insight and create better inclusive environments. At Claremont, we regularly help our clients engage with internal user groups, consult with them about their wants and needs, and gauge their feedback on our designs. Listening is an essential part of tackling barriers and achieving change.
Once we recognise that 80% of impairments are not immediately visible, we must reframe our view of disability. In doing so, we must also revisit the workplace and ask ourselves if it’s really up to the job. As we’ve shown, there are many ways to create functionally accessible spaces but to provide colleagues with a meaningful and inclusive workplace experience; we have to address their specific needs and prioritise delivering equity through design.
www.claremontgi.com 22 | TOMORROW’S FM
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