Action 1.1C: Set SMART targets specific to disability-inclusion and use evidence to shape future action.

Guidance

To effectively promote and advance disability inclusion, set Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) targets which are signed off by senior leaders in the organisation.

“Communicate inclusion targets and communicate progress on initiatives implemented.”

WIDE Consultation Participant – Employer

These targets could be contained within general organisational strategy documents, or an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion policy for medium-large companies, or within an internal memo communicated with staff within smaller organisations.

Targets should be clearly measurable and informed by quantitative and/or qualitative data collection methods, and accountability should be assigned for the implementation of related actions and the monitoring of progress.

Targets set should be contextual and relevant to the business but could include for example:

• Targets set for new hires accessing supports.
• Targets set for percentage of employees indicating a disability through anonymised annual staff surveys.
• Targets set around the progression of disabled employees to senior levels of the organisation within a specific time period.
• Targets set for improved accessibility levels in the organisation’s digital and physical estate, as determined through periodic accessibility audits.
• Targets set for the development of specific new policies and procedures concerning access and inclusion.

• Targets set for how companies use their resources to support external initiatives e.g. Company will sponsor one local disability partner by a specific date.

“Commit to progressive and evolving targets on the numbers of disabled people working in the company. Evaluate inclusion based on a range of metrics including, numbers, salary, progression, and qualitative measures.”

WIDE Consultation Participant – Disability Organisation

Additionally, it’s useful to monitor the need, implementation, use, and effectiveness of reasonable accommodations within the organisation. This data can help the organisation to make informed decisions about how to better support its employees and more effectively use its resources to promote inclusion.

Qualitative evidence gathered from engagement with disabled employees/staff networks (see Action 1.1D) to gain insights into the lived experiences of disabled employees will help to shape future actions and ensure that your strategies are responsive to the needs of your workforce. This also ensures disabled employees feel that their voices have been included in the decision-making process, a key tenet of disability rights mechanisms.

Piloting and subsequently evaluating new inclusion initiatives before being more widely rolled out can provide a more strategic and efficient approach to change within the organisation.

“Employers who do it well in my experience usually pilot initiatives in a small way, then evaluate and expand them if they work.”

WIDE Consultation Participant – Disability Organisation

By setting SMART targets and using evidence to guide your actions, you can create a more inclusive workplace that supports the growth and development of all employees.

“We have a disability survey, it used to be paper based, and we didn’t get too much engagement with it. People were not willing to disclose. We have since changed it to online and we make a point of telling people that this is strictly confidential and will never be disclosed to anyone else. Now, there are much more people disclosing disability, and this gives us a clear vision of disability across the organisation, and we can make plans as to how we respond to this”.

WIDE Consultation Participant – Employer