Employer Toolkit Actions and Sources of Support

How to use these resources

This set of resources can be used to support identification of actions against each of the toolkit themes where lower scores may have been achieved.

In some cases the content of the questions within each theme itself provided a clear indication of potential action that would be required. For example, in Theme 1 if no reasonable adjustments policy is in place within the organisation this should prompt action to design and implement such a policy.

The potential actions listed below expand from this and provide a starting point through recommendations of ways to support disability-inclusive organisational policy and practice, and suggested further sources of support that can be sought to assist achievement of identified actions.

If you would like support in interpreting the toolkit results and identifying actions please contact the AI-empowered project team via the Contact Us section of this website, or via the Project Lead Professor Daniel Wheatley at d.wheatley@bham.ac.uk.

Theme 1 Actions

Organisational capabilities to support disabled workers

  • Representation added from staff networks / employee representation groups (if present), or direct calls for representation, onto senior decision-making committees / groups.

    Establish an advisory group including disabled workers to consult and feed into decision-making and/or seek external support from Disabled People’s Organisations (see further sources of support below).

  • Sign up (minimum) or achieve Level 2 or 3 of Disability Confident scheme (see sources of support below).

    Develop guidance and put in place ‘as-standard’ provision of reasonable adjustments in recruitment processes, e.g., advanced provision of interview questions.

    Provide more opportunities during recruitment and onboarding for disability declaration and clear signposting on assurances around confidentiality of sensitive data.

    Assign role responsibility for support with Government employment support schemes and ensure points of contact are communicated clearly to employees.

    Review and/or implement monitoring of recruitment and onboarding processes including gathering feedback from candidates (e.g., via surveys) during processes. 

  • Review reasonable adjustment policy and processes responding to specific low scoring areas.

    Implement a reasonable adjustments passport scheme providing a live record of adjustments agreed between a disabled worker and their employer, supporting disabled people when transferring roles/functions within the organisation or where new line managers come into post.

    Seek external support (see sources of support at bottom of this table).

  • Develop/review in-house, or source external, development programmes which have tailored components to support disabled workers.

    Co-design development programmes with disabled workers to ensure they are accessible.

    Trial mentoring and/or buddy schemes within the organisation and seek feedback from disabled employees on the support needed in these schemes.

    Collect and analyse disability pay gap data (may require actions on disability declaration to support).‍ ‍

Theme 2 Actions

Organisational capabilities for inclusive AI 

  • Review organisational governance structures to define (or refine) responsibilities and reporting lines for technology adoption and workplace inclusivity.

    Train senior leadership team to ensure AI-literacy in all leadership roles. Nominate responsibility for advanced AI expertise to senior leadership team member(s) and source (in-house or external) training.

    Develop AI strategy or strategic objectives within broader organisational strategy.

  • Undertake strategic review of job roles and functions, including consultation with disabled workers and other employee groups, to assess potential for AI relative to three categories of adoption: AI-integration, AI-augmentation and AI-automation.

    Build social value into organisational strategy including consideration of support for disabled workers and employment implications of strategic investment decisions around AI and automation technologies.

    Work with existing employee representation group(s), or in absence of employee representation group(s), form an advisory group which includes disabled workers to feed into organisational decision-making on AI.  

    Seek external support, e.g., Disabled People’s Organisations, professional bodies, trade unions, and membership organisations (see further sources of support below), to inform decision-making.

  • Design and implement a process for screening and periodic review of AI systems to ensure they meet requirements for accessibility, transparency and traceability of sources, risks around bias and ethics, and UK GDPR (see further sources of support below).

Theme 3 Actions

Digital technology and AI skills, training and usage

  • Develop ‘assistive technology menu’ and accompanying guidance for disabled workers of the available assistive technologies within the organisation.

    Assign responsibility / support structures for Government employment support programmes/schemes and ensure points of contact are communicated clearly to employees.

  • AI literacy training should be provided to all employees. This can be supported via UK Government ‘AI Skills Boost’, existing in-house capability or through other external sources.

    AI training programmes should be co-designed (or reviewed in cases of external provision) for accessibility with disabled employees. Additional support is available from organisations such as AbilityNet.

  • Design-in actions and mechanisms around monitoring usage of AI systems / tools within the organisation.

    Collect feedback from employees via staff surveys, focus groups, listening events and other fora to capture how AI is being used and its impacts across employee groups.

Theme 4 Actions

Organisational culture and practices supporting disability-inclusive AI

  • Co-design line manager disability inclusion training with disabled employees (and/or seek external support from e.g., professional bodies, trade unions and membership organisations).

    Review and design/implement processes (as needed) that provide alternative reporting pathways for employees to provide feedback, raise concerns or complaints.

    Put in place communications plan to provide clarity on alternative reporting mechanisms.

    Embed flexible job design principles and regularly review job roles and individual needs including assessment of how AI and automation technologies can support job personalisation for disabled workers.

  • If not present, establish disability representation through employee representation group(s).

    External disability representation and advice could be sought through trade unions, Disabled People’s Organisations and membership organisations such as Business Disability Forum.

    Collect feedback from employees via staff surveys, focus groups, listening events and other fora.

  • Add AI to the organisation communications strategy, or in absence of a strategy, create a clear communications plan to cascade information about AI adoption, integration, and feedback opportunities.

    Collect (or expand existing mechanisms for obtaining) feedback from employees via staff surveys, focus groups, listening events and other fora to capture how AI is being used and its impacts.

Further sources of information, guidance and support

  • AI Skills Boost: https://aiskillshub.org.uk/

    Free to access AI upskilling programme available to UK organisations and individuals.

    Disability benefits and financial support: https://www.gov.uk/browse/benefits/disability

    Provides details of support for those living with a health condition or disability.

    Access to Work: https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work

    Access to Work is a grant designed to help disabled people get into or stay in work. Details eligibility and application guidance as well as links to application form.

    Disability Confident: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/disability-confident-campaign

    Voluntary three-level framework supporting employers to improve hiring practices and reasonable adjustments.

    Health and Safety Executive (HSE) disability at work: https://www.hse.gov.uk/disability/index.htm

    Guidance for both employers and employees on supporting disabled people at work. Provide guidance on range of other topics including workplace stress and mental health.

    Information Commissioners Office (ICO):https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/

    UK General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) guidance and resources.

  • Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS):https://www.acas.org.uk/reasonable-adjustments.

    Independent advisory for employers and employees on workplace rights including reasonable adjustments.

    Business Disability Forum: https://businessdisabilityforum.org.uk/

    Business membership organisation on disability inclusion working with business, government and disabled people.

    Business in the Community: https://www.bitc.org.uk/

    Membership organisation championing responsible business as essential for long term economic growth and resilience. Offer free-to-access resources and membership-based support.

    Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD): https://www.cipd.org/uk

    Professional body for Human Resources (HR) and Learning and Development (L&D). Offer free-to-access resources as well as membership-driven support.

    Equality and Human Rights Committee (EHRC): https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/guidance/business/employing-people-workplace-adjustments

    Independent regulator enforcing Equality Act 2010 including duty to make reasonable adjustments.

    TechUK: https://www.techuk.org/

    Membership organisation championing technology's role in preparing and empowering the UK.

    Trade Union Congress: https://www.tuc.org.uk/

    Trade Union representation organisation providing support, advocacy, research and campaigning, and connections to specific trade unions.

  • Disability UK: https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/

    Led by, run by, and working for Disabled people. Offers information and support on disabled people's rights and resources on benefits, social care, and other disability-related issues.

    Scope: https://www.scope.org.uk/

    Offers free, independent, and impartial advice and support for disabled people and their families.

    AbilityNet: https://abilitynet.org.uk/

    Support for disabled people with technology and digital professionals advocating accessibility and inclusion best practices within their organization.

    British Assistive Technology Association: https://www.bataonline.org/

    Providing voice from disabled advocates to the assistive tech. industry. Offers information on sources of support.‍

  • Work Inclusivity Research Centre (WIRC): https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/centres-institutes/work-inclusivity

    Based at the University of Birmingham, WIRC advances the critical study of equality, diversity and inclusion in work and employment guided by principles of social justice and an impactful community of researchers, practitioners, and partner organisations. 

    National Centre for Accessible Transport (ncat): https://www.ncat.uk/

    ncat works with disabled people, transport organisations, and policymakers to conduct research, shape solutions, amplify lived experience, and influence policy through evidence and good practice.

    The Centre for Disability Studies (CDS): https://disability-studies.leeds.ac.uk/

    Established in 1990 and internationally recognised, research at CDS spans disability policy, social justice, human rights, inclusive design, transport accessibility, assistive technology and Deaf Studies.

    Centre for Disability Research (CeDR): https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/health-and-medicine/research/cedr/

    CeDR conducts research on the experiences of disabled people in Scotland, the UK and internationally, with a particular focus on disability rights and co-production with disabled people and their representative organisations.

    Intellectual Disabilities Research Institute (IDRIS): https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/centres-institutes/intellectual-disabilities-research-institute

    IDRIS focuses on improving the lives of people with learning/intellectual disabilities and their families through applied research, service evaluation and policy engagement.

    The Alan Turing Institute: https://www.turing.ac.uk/

    The UK's national institute for data science and artificial intelligence. Conducts world-leading research in AI, machine learning, data science, ethics, safety, public policy and real-world applications across health, government and industry.

    Centre for Human-Inspired Artificial Intelligence (CHIA): https://www.chia.engineering.cam.ac.uk/

    A large interdisciplinary AI research community covering machine learning, healthcare AI, robotics, data science and AI innovation.

    Imperial College London AI Group: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/artificial-intelligence/

    A large interdisciplinary AI research community covering machine learning, healthcare AI, robotics, data science and AI innovation.

    Oxford Internet Institute (AI & Society): https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/

    Globally influential research on AI governance, ethics, regulation, social impacts and responsible innovation.

    UCL Centre for Artificial Intelligence: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/centre-for-artificial-intelligence/

    Research across machine learning, computer vision, neuroscience, healthcare applications and responsible AI.

    AI Management Lab (AIM Lab): https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/centres-institutes/aim-lab

    AIM Lab serves as a hub for cutting-edge interdisciplinary research, student engagement, and industry collaboration in the field of AI use and innovation