Resources

Accessible communications – with thanks to Scope

• 1. Use plain English alternatives;
  • Cut jargon and use plain English alternatives
  • Be clear and direct
  • Keep your sentences short
• 2. Check your contrast – the WebAIM colour contrast checker is a good tool
• 3. Add image alt-text to meaningful images;
  • Describe the useful information
  • Don’t write “image of” or “picture of”
  • Decorative images should be ‘mark as decorative’
  • Scope has produced a useful guide on alt-text
• 4. Share accessible formats;
  • Avoid PDF, webpages are more accessible
  • Use Office 365 documents
  • Easy contact to ask for an accessible format
• 5. Review text formatting;
  • Avoid italics and all capital letters
  • Do not use underline unless it’s a link
  • Text size 12pt or above
  • Left align

Inclusive recruitment – with thanks to Murray McIntosh

• 1. Inclusive advertising;
  • Accessible content
  • De-gendered language
  • Use a range of channels and job boards
  • Make benefits accessible to every applicant
  • Make commitments part of the job description, not an afterthought
  • Advertise salary
  • Spotlight flexible, hybrid and part time working at every step
• 2. Anonymous shortlisting – helps to reduce unconscious bias;
  • Focus on evidence and aptitude
  • Ask for a version of CV with name, gender, age, education, faith, race, location and hobbies removed.
  • Once candidates reach interview stage, ask them to share pronouns
• 3. Diverse panel – culture add not culture fit;
  • Disrupting group think
  • Different perspectives, accountable to an evidence-based selection panel
  • Be transparent – don’t create a false illusion of what to expect
  • Only effective when the role and criteria are clear
  • Caveat: Offer alternatives to a panel interview
• 4. Make requesting adjustments easy;
  • Ask at application and at every interview stage
  • Include the offer in all confirmations; 1st, 2nd stage interviews and beyond
  • “If you require any adjustments or additional support during the recruitment process for any reason whatsoever, please do not hesitate to let us know”
  • Offer repeatedly – some candidates may not feel safe requesting them, even if they need to ensure a fair process
• 5. Provide interview structure – level the playing field;
  • Share the full interview process in advance
  • Structure of each stage, including the questions- to all candidates, not just those who request it
  • Not every individual is aware they are neurodivergent; diagnosis is a privalege
  • Even if someone is aware, that doesn’t mean that they know exactly what they need to make the process fair for them
  • Consider offering interview expenses to candidates

Be an inclusivity champion – with thanks to Men For Inclusion

n.b. this talk focussed on gender, with Mark Freed noting that inclusivity is much wider than that at the beginning of the talk.

• 1. Engage positively with men
• 2. Ensure this is an “all of us” conversation
• 3. Transform rather than transact
• 4. Celebrate male role models and behaviours
• 5. Make the focus culture and inclusion

Become a neuro-inclusive employer – with thanks to Lexxic

• 1. Change the narrative of neurodiversity across the organisation;
  • Provide company-wide awareness training to help educate staff on what neurodiversity is and the value it can bring to your organisation
  • Create a platform for neurodivergent voice to be heard – such as an internal network or resource group
  • Share lived experiences stories of neurodivergent talent within your organisation
• 2. Be proactive not reactive when offering workplace supports;
  • When support is not put in place to enable individuals with challenges in the workplace, it can impact their performance and wellbeing
  • Proactively implementing support can ensure that individuals are not disadvantaged at work
  • The earlier the support is provided the sooner individuals are able to thrive at work!
• 3. Consider how the working environment may impact people differently;
  • Not everyone can thrive in an open planned office space – be mindful of individual preferences in the workplace
  • Ensure there are areas to suit everyone’s needs – such as quiet zones, away from where people congregate
  • When designing office spaces, it is important to consider sensory challenges that individuals may experience
• 4. Ensure change is communicated effectively, and support an individual’s communication preferences;
  • Change can be challenging for some individuals, and can cause some resistance to change – be mindful of this
  • When changes occur, it is important to communicate the change early as possible and give reason for the change
  • Communicate change in the style that suits an individual’s communication preference(s)
• 5. Provide managers support to enable neurodivergent individuals to be empowered in the workplace;
  • Empower line managers with the resources they require to provide effective support
  • Ensure managers are aware of the support processes available, and what they are able to agree with employees, and what may require further sign-off/investigation
  • Provide guidance for managers on how to develop a psychologically safe environment for their teams