General guidance

In this section we provide some general good practice for supporting people with barriers. If you have any employees with specific conditions, please see the relevant page and discuss the support strategy with the person directly.

Develop strategies together

Each person and organisation is different. Talking to the employee is a great place to start.

• Speak directly to an employee to ensure you are aware of their disclosed needs and any support they require
• Ask the employee what they find challenging and their strengths or goals, and avoid making assumptions
• Listen to what they say, they are the experts on the effects of the difficulty they face and will be able to express what they need
• Ask the employee if they wish to share their support requirements, as other staff involved can ensure the work environment is collaborative and inclusive
• Where appropriate, develop a joined-up support strategy by working together with other departments across the organisation

Prepare in advance

It’s really important to ensure that all the tools and resources that an employee needs are accessible and available. It’s a good idea to provide materials in a range of different formats where possible to cover a variety of needs.

• Provide materials (meeting plans, documents, PowerPoints etc) in advance so that the new starter has an opportunity to become familiar with the materials, reduce anxieties about content and therefore make the most of the information. If you take this approach, you may be able to ask more of the participant – the extra time to prepare could enable them to lead on tasks and you will bring out the best in them!
• Provide guidelines on organising, dating and filing notes at the start of the employment
• Plan into your schedule, times when you can sit back and observe what works for an employee and what does not – and make sure this includes observing strengths as well as the things they find difficult.
• Build in opportunities to promote awareness of the importance of accepting and celebrating difference and incorporate diversity into everything you do.
• Be aware of and manage the physical environment – accessible spaces, sensory stimulus, and distractions.

Make the most of physical and digital resources

• Support the use of technology in the workplace. For example, digital voice recorders allow the employee to reflect, revisit content and independently take slower-paced informed notes after the event. For some work you do of significance (visitors, important concepts being introduced, etc.) consider a single recording made available to all.
• Provide materials online so that individuals can access them using appropriate software and adjusted settings to remove barriers to learning.
• Use accessible text size 12+ point font for handouts and 28+ for PowerPoints (Arial or similar Sans Serif recommended), left aligned (not capitals) for easy reading.
• Consider the colours you are using. People with visual impairments may react differently to individual colours. Discuss requirements with the employee.
• Provide activity instructions on a photocopied sheet or electronically so its separate and clear.
• Enlarge photocopies and articles that are to be read. Pictures and diagrams need to be clear and readable.

Keep it clear and concise

• Maximise clarity of instructions and deliver information in manageable sections.
• Avoid jargon, ambiguous statements (‘get on with your work’, ‘do better’) or abbreviations, unless they are explained.
• Allow enough time and pace verbal delivery to include all.
• In whole team discussions, repeat any questions so that everyone can hear and benefit from the question and the answer.
• Provide advanced notice of a change of task or meetings.
• Use clear ground rules as a tool for a safe learning environment, revisit them when necessary. Add to them if more specific guidance is needed

Feedback, learning and progression

• Provide frequent feedback on work tasks and approach to learning to build confidence.
• Provide structured choice within the work you do.
• Be proactive in seeking feedback from the employee on how included they feel and how the working environment could be improved.
• Allow the employee to process information by taking notes.
• Assess the strengths and interests of the employee and build on them by giving them tasks that make them feel valued and hold their attention. Reduce the opportunity for any disruption or confusion.
• Allow assessment and achievement to be performed in a variety of ways to give all employees the best opportunity to demonstrate their individual skills and knowledge.