Disability Awareness Workshop Activities

Activity One: Disability-confidence


  • Your leader for this activity will be the person who was born in the earliest month of the year

•Your leader will select a speaker for the team, who will share a brief summary of what was discussed. If you prefer not to speak, choose another colleague

•Make sure that all voices are heard - consciously include all members of the team!



Reflect and Discuss

  1. How disability-confident do you feel?

2. What do you and your team already do well but could do more consistently?

3. Is there anything you'd like to do better? What could you do to be more inclusive?

Activity Two:

Receptive/Expressive Communication

The person whose first name is first alphabetically will be the leader of this activity.


Your leader will decide who will be Speaker A and who will be Speaker B.


Your leader will guide you through each part of the activity, following the instructions below.

PART ONE
  • In a moment, SPEAKER A is going to talk for one minute about their weekend and SPEAKER B is just going to listen.
  • OK – off you go [1 minute].
  • And stop!
  • How did that feel? Easy? Good!
PART TWO
  • Now, SPEAKER B is going to talk about their weekend for one minute. BUT they are not allowed to use any words containing the letter ‘e’.
  • Ready? Off you go! [1 minute].
  • And stop!
  • How did that feel? 
  • Were you able to speak as fluently as your partner? 
  • How did that make you feel? 
  • SPEAKER A - how did it feel listening as your partner was struggling to put their thoughts into words? Frustrating? Annoying?
Discuss:
What is the purpose of this exercise? 
How might it relate to your role? 

Activity Three: Accessibility Checklist –

Reasonable Adjustments


  • Your leader for this activity will be the most recent person to join the team

• Your leader will guide the team through the Accessibility Checklist below.

• Make sure that all voices are heard - consciously include all members of the team!



Discuss and assess the inclusivity of your physical environment

Place a virtual ✅ or ❌ against each question.

Place a❓ if you’re not sure.



Blind or sight loss     

1.    Time and assistance to get individuals familiar with the site

2.    Making individuals aware of evacuation routes and/or drawing up Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan         

3.    Large print, tape or Braille transcription       

4.    Menu in Braille or in large print, audio format, or via email

5.    Exercise area for guide dog   

6.    Good lighting, adequate signs and good colour contrasts on signs and buildings   

7.    All staff to be aware of specific needs so they can support appropriately   


Physical

1.    Physically accessible toilets, catering and leisure facilities

2.    Personal assistants or mobility helpers

3.    Adapted furniture

4.    Facilities for charging electric wheelchair

5.    Parking space

6.    Reserved seating to ensure an accessible seat


Deaf or hearing loss

1.    Human aid to communicate, e.g. sign language interpreter or lip-speaker

2.    Changing the language of menus if individual is pre-lingually deaf

3.    Induction loop system

4.    Radio or infrared microphone system

5.    Flashing light or vibrating pad for the fire alarm

6.    Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan to ensure indivduals can evacuate the building safely in an emergency


Adjustments for Neurodivergent individuals

1.    Written materials (menu), e.g. on electronic device or on different coloured paper

2.    Use of literal language and keeping oral instructions simple and concise

3.    Be mindful of sensory overload; consider lighting, background noise, visual distractions

4.    Build in regular movement breaks

5.    Optional positioning

6.    Materials in literal language

7.    Break larger tasks down into chunks

8.    Provide list of steps to complete task

9.    Quiet area to rest in

10. Named contact to go to for support when necessary

11. Quiet room to rest in

12. Sufficient information and awareness among staff who do know about individual’s difficulties, to prevent misconceptions

13. Rest breaks

14. Provide opportunity for individual to develop relationship with named voluneers they will encounter

15. Give clear information about the location, including where to go on arrival, who will be meeting them, description and image of the building and room

16. Give extra warnings for transitions between activities


Discuss: What improvements, if any, need to be made?