The Commonwealth Games are an example of the power of inclusive communities – how can we do more?

Kurt Fearnley’s outstanding performance at the Commonwealth Games demonstrates what can be achieved when people with disabilities are supported to reach their full potential. Alongside his praise for the disability-inclusive organisation of the event, his appeal for greater inclusion of people with disabilities reflects that despite the issue gaining traction in recent years due to the National Disability Strategy, we’ve still got a long way to go.

More than 4 million Australians disadvantaged by a lack of inclusion
Fearnley’s comments are especially timely given recent findings from a survey by the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealing that 1 in 5 Australians is living with a disability. Of those people, 1 in 3 have reported that their customer needs are often unmet, with others reporting they had experienced discrimination or that their needs in areas such as communication assistance remained unmet.

Businesses are community pillars, and yet many are not inclusive
The 2017 report from the Human Rights Commission and Deloitte Australia reveals the concerning statistic that 62% of SMEs had done nothing in the preceding 12 months to make it easier for customers with disabilities to use their services. This may be partly due to the perception outlined in the report that there isn’t demand for it, but it may also be because the realm of disability inclusion planning is uncharted territory and is perceived as much harder work than it really is.

Disability inclusion is a marathon, not a sprint – with big rewards
There is no denying that to become and remain truly inclusive, companies must commit to investing time and resources in getting it right. But the effort can yield significant benefits not only for communities, but also for a company’s culture and bottom line. When you consider that in Victoria alone, inclusive companies can see up to 25% increase in turnover, the business case for inclusion is clear.

Inclusion is not something you say, it’s something you do
There are many practical steps businesses can take towards becoming inclusive that extend beyond making their premises physically accessible.

Here at Scope, we have supported many customer-facing organisations in the government and transport sectors to achieve their disability inclusion goals. Supporting organisations to implement Disability Engagement e-learning training for all staff at induction stage and as refresher training is just one cost-effective way to become more inclusive.  Noting that inclusiveness is not just about physical access, we have also conducted communication access assessments and focus groups to support the implementation of customised communication aids such as picture boards and spelling boards to support conversations with customers with communication difficulties. It’s changes like these that can transform the customer experience for the better, in any service.