Inclusion By Design
Inclusion by design is a term I first heard about around five years ago while working as a self-employed joiner. I was tasked with designing and building several spaces, and the instructions were that disabled access needed to be harmonious with the overall project design. Like most joiners, I immediately turned to Pinterest / Google and stumbled across this little-spoken-about design principle.
From a construction/design point of view, inclusive by design it’s about creating spaces that allow people to participate fully, safely, confidently, and most crucially, without separation or exclusion. So when designing, I would pause and consider, can all participate fully? Safely? Confidently? Will this design decision potentially create separation or exclusion?
My view is that this utopian principle beautifully lends itself to the world of management, policy development and decision-making at every level.
Consider does this management style or system of work exclude rather than include? Does this policy exclude rather than include?
Why is now time for a radical shift in upper-level management thinking?
A recent ONS parliamentary briefing revealed that 82.7% of working-age adults are employed in the UK. This drops to just 53.7% of disabled people[1]. Most alarmingly, research from Autistica shows UK autistic employment is hardest hit and currently stands at just 21.7% of UK autistic adults in employment [2].
Charities are absolutely right to call our times a crisis for autistic employment – but – what’s the solution?
First thoughts?! Management training – after all, lower-level managers are the guardians of reasonable adjustments, and as an autistic person, I categorically agree that often, the reason why employment fails autistic individuals is due to poorly trained managers.
Beyond lower-level management, perhaps the world of business requires a shift in thinking from policy and right through the entire management chain.
A radical approach – that little spoken about construction principle of inclusion by design.
Exclusion is often subtle, hard to detect, and not often done intentionally or by design. Let’s create workplaces that work and include everyone regardless of ability! Companies and leaders, please be the pioneers and weave those three words into every level of management, policy development, and decision-making.
INCLUSIVE BY DESIGN
[1] https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7540/
[2] https://www.autistica.org.uk/news/autistic-people-highest-unemployment-rate
Written by John Hugill
January 2024