Employer Toolkit Actions and Sources of Support
Theme 1 Actions
Organisational capabilities to support disabled workers
Actions on disability representation in senior-decision making:
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).
Actions on recruitment and onboarding:
Sign up (minimum) or achieve Level 2 or 3 of Disability Confident scheme (see sources of support below).
Implement a disability 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.
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.
Actions on reasonable adjustments:
Review reasonable adjustment policy and processes responding to specific low scoring areas.
Seek external support (see sources of support at bottom of this table).
Actions on development and promotion of disabled employees:
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
Actions on leadership AI capabilities:
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.
Actions on digital technology investment decision-making processes:
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.
Actions on AI system screening and review:
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
Actions on assistive technologies:
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.
Actions on digital technology and AI training:
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.
Actions on AI usage levels and monitoring:
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
Actions on support for disabled people to succeed in their roles:
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.
Actions on voice mechanisms and employee disability representation:
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.
Actions on communications strategies on AI and its organisational implications:
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
UK Government
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.
Independent bodies, professional bodies, trade unions and membership organisations
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.
Disabled People’s Organisations
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.