Our latest thoughts from the world of technology in education & the workplace

Texthelp Blog - Our latest thoughts from the world of technology in education & the workplace

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If you work in HR or management, you’re probably familiar with DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion). DEI is a commitment to creating work cultures based on fairness. A fair workplace respects its employees’ rights and dignity, offers equal opportunities for progression within the organisation, and is welcoming to people of different backgrounds, circumstances, abilities and ways of thinking. 

Fairness shouldn’t end at the hiring process. A truly supportive workplace provides continual support so that all employees can fulfil their potential.  As a result, supportive workplaces are more successful in retaining and developing their employees. 

In our podcast with Sainsbury’s, we heard about the initiatives the supermarket chain has put in place to support its employees, including those with disabilities, long-term health conditions or neurodiversity.  Inspired by those initiatives, here are six strategies you can implement in your business. 

Investing some time into understanding your employees and their working requirements will help you tailor your workplace setup. Consider having your team members take a workstyle test. Specially formulated for employees, the results will inform management on how best to accommodate their employees’ varied needs. They also make great icebreakers for new recruits and help build team cohesion! 

Many companies assign mentors to new employees to offer them guidance and support in their new role. However it isn’t only during the onboarding process that an employee can benefit from a listening ear. Mentor schemes and support networks build trust, grow office friendships (proven to boost intrinsic motivation and staff retention), and provide an informal space to discuss problems and share those all-important coping strategies.  

Productivity thrives in workspaces that are flexible and fit for purpose. Address whether or not your workplace accommodates a range of workstyles and requirements. For example, the layout of an office can have a huge influence on how employees work and interact. Large, open-plan offices are great for collaborative work and team-building, but can easily become noisy and distracting. These spaces aren’t suitable for tasks that require high degrees of concentration, and can be overwhelming for staff who struggle with sensory processing. 

Remote working has taught us that this principle extends to the virtual workplace. Establish flexible communication channels so colleagues can choose the option that best suits their query. Keep colleagues in the loop with email, chat messengers or Trello boards, and avoid over-scheduling meetings. A calendar overloaded with meetings isn’t the most efficient use of time or resources. 

People do their best work when they are healthy, engaged and motivated. Establish internal initiatives that champion employee health and wellbeing, such as cycle to work schemes, subsidised gym memberships or flexible working options. 

In our podcast with Sainsbury’s Colleague Inclusion and Engagement Executive, we heard how the supermarket has integrated an Employee Assistance Programme into the employee benefits package, making this available to all employees regardless of department or seniority. Not only does this help staff at all levels to feel valued and supported, but it also operates as a key aspect of risk management, catching problems before they develop into more serious issues. As a result, Sainsbury’s saw staff morale and productivity increase, while absenteeism fell. 

Understanding the challenges employees face in the workplace (and the accommodations you can provide) will ultimately pay dividends in staff morale and productivity. You’ll understand your rights and responsibilities as an employer, as well as the strategies you can implement to attract and retain a diverse workforce. 

Awareness days are great opportunities to shed light on issues such as hidden disabilities or neurodivergence, and to signpost staff to the supports available to them. Activities can include lunch-and-learn sessions, a talk from an invited speaker, or a charity fundraising event - anything that gets your team together and thinking about the cause at hand.  Events like this are a great step towards creating a workplace that’s inclusive and understanding of difference, where employees feel able to share their own experiences and ask for help if necessary. 

Ensuring your staff are properly equipped and supported to fulfil their role is part of your responsibility as an employer. For example, staff with visual impairments or dyslexia may benefit from text-to-speech software. The Access to Work Scheme offers workplace assessments for employees with disabilities or long-term health conditions, providing guidance to employees and organisations alike. Where possible, the scheme can also offer grants to cover the cost of assistive technology. 

With these measures in place, employees will feel respected, valued and equipped with the tools they need to produce their best work. 

Partnerships with external organisations can offer a wealth of expertise on inclusion practices. This is especially helpful for small businesses which don’t have a dedicated HR department or DEI specialist. 

One example is the Business Disability Forum, an organisation that connects businesses with the resources they need to support employees with disabilities or long-term conditions. They offer guidance for removing workplace barriers and aiding development at every stage in an employee’s career, from recruitment to retention to promotion. 

Companies can also get onboard with schemes such as the UK government’s Disability Confidence Scheme. These programmes provide a roadmap for making your business more accessible, giving you actionable steps and expert advice. Becoming an accredited Disability Confident employer signals your commitment to fair and inclusive employment, recognising your organisation as one which actively recruits, retains and develops a wide pool of talent. That’s good for you, and your employees. 


Want to learn more about supporting neurodiversity in the workplace? We’ve put together a guide for managers and HR professionals. Or if you’re looking to get started with tools to support your staff, take a look at our Read&Write workplace solution. 

What inclusive strategies can a business take to support its employees? How can technology provide employee support?

Creating a Supportive Workplace

6 Steps towards a Supportive Workplace (inspired by Sainsbury's)

Recently on our Texthelp Talks podcast we were joined by Toby Hopkins, Colleague Inclusion and Engagement Executive at Sainsbury's. As a Texthelp customer, Sainsbury's provide Read&Write as a support tool for their staff - just one of a number of key measures they've taken to create a great place to work. This got us thinking: what does it mean to be an inclusive employer? What does this look like in practice? And how can technology help create more equitable work environments? 

Check out this video to see the Irish voice in action in Read&Write:

Setting up Irish voice and playback in Read&Write for Google Chrome

Texthelp is happy to announce that Read&Write for Google Chrome now supports text-to-speech in Irish! Learn how to start using Read&Write in Irish.

Read&Write now supports text-to-speech in Irish

Read&Write supports text-to-speech in Irish

Texthelp is happy to announce that Read&Write for Google Chrome now supports text-to-speech in Irish! The new update was released last week, in time for Seachtain na Gaeilge. This is especially exciting and long awaited for schools in the Irish-medium sector in Northern Ireland. The update means that we’ll also be able to support Irish Language Learners in all other schools too.

In this blog, 12 business leaders and HR professionals share with us what they think are the biggest strengths that come from thinking differently.

12 neurodiversity strengths that come from thinking differently

From absorbing information to drawing connections, there are several strengths that come from thinking differently and having neurodiverse teams in the workplace. Here, twelve business leaders and HR professionals share with us what they think are the biggest strengths that come from thinking differently.

The new site looks very different to the old one. We’ve got lots of new features and functionality. Please have a look around and let us know what you think. We’d love to get your feedback to help inform our future development. There is much more to come! 

As a technology leader, it’s important for us to make information regarding our software, the sectors we serve and our thought leadership easily accessible for our current and prospective customers. 

Above all, we wanted to make a new website that is easy to understand, easier to navigate, and is more user-friendly. 

We are excited to announce the launch of our newly designed website. It's been built in prismic with a big focus on UX, accessibility with a clean and clear UI. Take a look and tell us what you think

A new look for the Texthelp website

After nine months of hard work and dedication, we are excited to announce the launch of our newly designed website.

Champions of choice for disabled students

We understand that the impact of a disability on a student is unique and therefore the AT solution needs to be tailored. Together, Texthelp and Lingit are committed to making sure that the range of tools that end users can currently choose from is maintained. In the future, we will be able to use our combined capabilities and knowledge to add to the range of tools available, ensuring the best possible outcomes for students.    

Lingit tools already help millions of students across Europe. Texthelp and Lingit can work together to bring these tools to students in more countries, making an impact on even more people’s lives. 

For assessors and students, there will be no noticeable change. How students are supported by Texthelp, Claro Software and LexAble tools will remain the same, as will the experience of Needs Assessors and the wider community.  

In the future, our combined expertise and knowledge will drive more rapid product improvements for many more people around the world. One of the first examples of this will be an accelerated delivery of ClaroRead 10 to the market (more information on that coming soon).

This is the first step in an exciting journey for us all. But for now, it’s very much business as usual. We have compiled this FAQ,  if you have any other questions you can reach out to any of your key contacts in each company as you would normally do:

Rick Bell, Texthelp

Alasdair King, Claro Software

Neil Cottrell, LexAble

We are excited to announce that Texthelp has acquired the Lingit Group. This means that the Claro Software, LexAble and Lingit tools are now part of the Texthelp family.

Texthelp acquires the Lingit Group

Today, we are excited to announce that Texthelp has acquired the Lingit Group. This means that the Claro Software, LexAble and Lingit tools are now part of the Texthelp family.

Texthelp and the Lingit Group’s vision and purpose are strongly aligned. We share a belief that everyone has the right to understand and be understood.

You may ask why accessibility to training is so important? First, it is the law, ADA section 508, which states that federal entities must be accessible.  “But I am not a federal entity, so why should I comply?” you ask.  Simply, because ADA accessibility lawsuits are on the rise. Businesses in the USA pay an average of $16,000 per ADA settlement. This does not count the cost of fixing the infraction. The cost of fighting the allegation (not settling) is typically four to five times the average $75,000 in annual income generated by the business.  (Forbes The ADA Lawsuit Contagion Sweeping U.S. States

But now to the good stuff.  Why is it important to have accessible training?  There are many reasons!  Research shows that companies who recruit and hire employees with disabilities have:

30% greater economic profit margins on average

2 times the net income of industry peers (2015-2018)

Those rated as “Disability Inclusion Champions” are 2 times more likely to have higher shareholder returns than their peers.

Not to mention, accessible training helps employees who do not have disabilities as well.  They can help the second language learner and they help the employee who learns best by hearing information vs seeing it and vice versa, to name a few.  So, making your training accessible is beneficial to the growth of your company.  Think of accessible training like the curbside ramps at corners.  Not only did those ramps help those who use wheelchairs, they also help parents with strollers or pedestrians with rolling carts walking to do errands. One minor change has helped a lot more people than just those who use wheelchairs.

“Accessible” means a person with a disability is afforded the opportunity to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as a person without a disability in an equally effective and equally integrated manner, with substantially equivalent ease of use. The person with a disability must be able to obtain the information as fully, equally and independently as a person without a disability. (ed.gov)

There are 3 main types of training: In person, online/instructor led, online/self-paced. Your company may use one or all of these types of training.  Regardless of the type of training there are four areas of access to consider. These include: Visual, Auditory, Cognitive, Physical

These areas of access can be used across one or more of the three types of training and will help make your training more accessible.  Some considerations support more than one area of access and will be noted as such.  Remember, you may not think of all aspects the first time around.  This is a process that continues as needs arise and technology changes.

Considerations that provide access for more than one area are marked as follows:

Things to consider for visual accessibility

Providing alternate copies of the information. This could be in a hardcopy or computer document.  If you are using a PDF make sure it is screen reader accessible. Or if you have PDFs that are not readable by a screen reader, software like Read&Write can help. It has a scan feature that can convert inaccessible PDFs into accessible formats that can be read aloud. (A)

Create Alt-text for all pictures and graphics.  This is a detailed description of the picture or graphic.  Depending on the program you are using you can search “alt-text” to learn how to insert it into your design.

Pay attention to color contrast.  People with low vision or color blindness can have trouble distinguishing between different colors. If you are using colors in a graph try using different variations of the same color. This will make it easier for those with visual impairments to discern between different elements. And, when it comes to choosing text and background colors, it’s best practice to set the contrast ratio to at least 4.5:1. If in doubt, use a color contrast checker such as WebAIM’s Contrast Checker. 

Make sure everything is keystroke accessible.  Many who have visual impairments do not use a mouse.  They use a keyboard to navigate.  So, it is important that they can make choices and “click” via the use of the keyboard arrows and other keys. (P) (C)

If you have a “live chat” feature, make sure it is accessible via screen reader.

Things to consider for auditory accessibility

Make sure all training is closed captioned (live or pre-recorded). This also helps second language learners. (C)(P)

If you know you have a participant who is deaf, offering an ASL interpreter or having ASL video to accompany your trainings is very helpful.

If possible, develop a script prior to the training and have it accessible to participants who need it.  If a predetermined script is not an option, create a post training script so that participants can revisit the information. There are several programs out there that will create a transcript from a recording.(C)

Things to consider for cognitive accessibility

Variety is important.  The more ways you can deliver the same information the higher the accessibility.  This could mean speaking the information, having a picture/graph/video, having a hands-on activity or group activity that supports one concept. (V) (A) (P)

Be flexible with time and timelines and remove time-based restrictions.  Cognitive disabilities can be invisible, like dyslexia or a learning disability.  This will help participants who haven’t disclosed a disability as well as those who have. (P)

Things to consider for physical accessibility

Location!  Both physical and virtual.  If you are in a building, can a person with a physical disability access the building and classroom?  Do they need any assistive technology to participate fully?  If it is a virtual training is your online platform accessible to keystroke choices, screen readers, closed captioning and other technology that assists a participant?

Allow extra time for transitions and assignments. (C)

Make sure directions and schedules are clearly communicated both auditorily and visually in clear concise methods.

Everyone experiences their disability in their own way.  If a participant requests assistance and accommodation listen to their needs and make the best accommodations possible.

Test the training to make sure it is truly accessible.

Never assume a participant with a disability can’t participate.  Instead ask them how you can facilitate their complete participation in the training.

The great thing is that there is technology out there to make accessibility for training and beyond easier to accomplish.  Texthelp has several tools to help make your training more accessible as well as helping you make your day-to-day work environment more accessible for everyone regardless of ability.  Remember, creating an accessible training and work environment for everyone increases productivity and helps your company reach its goals and positions you as a leader in your industry. Discover more about Texthelp solutions.

Amy has extensive experience in the disability community. Having a sister with a disability, being a special education teacher and working in job development and placement, she witnessed the struggle of both prospective employees as well as the employers and has seen the need for company wide training and support.  She has seen businesses miss out on the benefits of hiring people with disabilities because they didn’t have the support to overcome the perceived challenges. Through Strategic Employment Solutions she creates a customized experience, from recruiting through training and cultural change, that helps businesses reach their diversity and inclusion goals while overcoming the fears of hiring from the disability community.

In this blog Amy Ostrowski from Strategic Employment Solutions talks about the importance of accessible staff training.

4 areas to consider when creating accessible training

People with disabilities make up 20-25% of our population.  80% of people with disabilities who are of working age are looking for a job.  This means that more than likely you have employees who have a disability in your workforce and more people coming into your workforce annually. They may have disabilities you can see or they may have invisible disabilities.

Blog

6 Steps towards a Supportive Workplace (inspired by Sainsbury's)

Read&Write supports text-to-speech in Irish

12 neurodiversity strengths that come from thinking differently

A new look for the Texthelp website

Texthelp acquires the Lingit Group

4 areas to consider when creating accessible training

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