3 underlying challenges to address for a truly inclusive workplace

If you haven't read our interview with Cécile Fons regarding disability and the question of accessibility in the workplace, here is where you can find it! As a referent on disability, Cécile shared a great deal of information on how to identify and overcome remaining bias so that companies would stop seeing accessibility as an additional constraint and turn it into an opportunity to make everyone's life easier. In a nutshell, here is what sprung from our conversation.

• The first challenge is for companies to understand how to leverage the means they already have. Due to a lack of information and training, "some people keep seeing disability as an additional challenge. It can be, but in most cases, you can overcome them quite easily with the right preparation and knowledge," explains Cécile.
• You cannot claim to be an inclusive employer and disregard the specific challenges people with disabilities face daily, especially because not all disabilities are visible. According to Cécile, "we raise awareness a lot about inclusion, but we need to address the specific challenges related to accessibility; From how we recruit people with disabilities to how we accompany them once they’re with us. Awareness is the first step, and now we are switching to action mode at Criteo, launching a new global training on accessibility."
• Another underlying challenge is the lack of information about the legal landscape and the help people could get if they came forward. There is a lot of secrecy about the potential difficulties people may face in the workplace. But never forget that some things are easily improved when voiced out. For instance, "a person with a severe ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) will find it hard to work in a noisy open space. Their life could be way easier with just noise-canceling headphones, but not everyone knows they can ask for it. At Criteo, we’ve made it possible to book a separate desk for a month even though we’re in open-space mode. We call it flex’ office, so we care to be flexible with everyone."

Every difference can be seen as an opportunity to improve if we are ready to broaden our minds and stir our creativity to find new solutions. Where some see a constraint, why not see a challenge we can all take up together? Diversity of backgrounds, personalities, and capabilities is an infinite source of wisdom and knowledge. So it is essential to team up and continue to advocate for a more diverse and inclusive future for all!

"There is still a great deal to be done to move away from the guilt, and the stigma and help everyone to feel truly included and free to be as they are. But I believe we’re on the right track," concludes Cécile.

Read her interview here