Ask about my access requirements as well as my dietary ones

Written by Manjula Patrick, FBS Disability Equity Lead

In the last decade, accommodating dietary requirements has become the norm. I am old enough to recall the panic that used to set in if someone requested a vegetarian meal, let alone one that was vegan or dairy-free, yet now, who doesn’t routinely (and rightly so) ask if someone is vegan, gluten intolerant, etc. and provide appropriate catering without a second thought? We have successfully adapted our behaviours and attitudes to ensure inclusion of varied dietary requirements.

However, we never ask about adjustments, we assume everyone is able to get into a building, hear, see, etc. to the same extent and so participate in a uniform way but we also advocate diversity. Isn’t that curious? Why is this? Perhaps we do not wish to be intrusive, cause offence, embarrassment. There are many possible reasons not to ask, but the impact of this is most significant – exclusion and marginalisation. None of us would advertently exclude or marginalise another person, but by overlooking accessibility we are complicit in doing exactly that.

Access/reasonable adjustments are vital to enable disabled and neurodivergent people to participate equitably but often the connotations around access requirements are less than positive… you need this because you ‘lack’ something – sight, hearing, etc. Is it then really any great surprise that disabled and neurodivergent people will not share information about their disability or neurdiversity? Yet, we agree diverse contributions enrich us…?

Let’s turn the accessibility tables for a moment, does providing access for disabled and neurodivergent colleagues not benefit everyone?… if you aren’t a British Sign Language (BSL) user and find yourself in a room with BSL users, who needs the interpreter to participate? So isn’t it time we embraced the view that to benefit from diverse contributions, we all need those accessibility provisions in place?

For those of us in privileged positions, the labour of always having to request access is one that we don’t give a passing thought to. Asking for access is having to share deeply personal information time and time again with strangers.

It is bad enough that disabled and neurodivergent people have to constantly ask, but we also overlook their ‘hidden’ labour organising access. I can turn up (currently, log in) to a meeting/talk at a moment’s notice, however, a deaf or hard of hearing person for example, has to plan way in advance – ask the organiser for access or book a captioner/interpreter themselves, and if an event is at short notice, odds are no service provider will be available. They cannot participate after all that effort, and also miss out on incidental opportunities, like networking that are so valuable. Imagine this hidden labour on top of your ‘day’ job. Effort that is not accommodated when objectives are set or indeed even acknowledged.

Even worse is when an access request is overlooked, refused or received with annoyance – the message we are sending to disabled and neurodivergent people is ‘you are a bother, your contribution is not of value or needed in this space’. How hurtful and damaging is that experience even once, let alone when it is repeated and routine? Yet we are all regularly party to perpetuating this exclusion of disabled and neurodivergent people and so we erode their self-worth and de-value their contributions to our community. Is it time we as individuals reflect more on how much we really value diversity?

We have it in us to change our behaviours and attitudes to provide access and create a culture that values and includes disabled and neurodivergent people; let’s start now by committing to taking a small step to progress inclusion.

Here are some simple steps we can each take:

• Ensure meetings/events are announced in good time to arrange access – at least 2 weeks in advance. Note: If a service provider is required use a professional service. UCL procurement has many such providers setup as suppliers.
• Whenever you send out an invitation to a meeting/event (even routine ones) ask – ‘please let me know if you need any adjustments related to disability and/or neurodivergence’… you never know who might need access but has not felt safe enough to ask.
• Don’t be concerned about causing offence by use of language or seeming intrusive; as long as you inquire with sensitivity and are open to learning, the response will reflect that.
• If someone makes an access request, don’t say no or assume it’s going to be hugely expensive and painful to organise. If you aren’t sure how to accommodate an access request, do not make assumptions, ask the person – they are the expert on what they need and what works best for them.
• When an access request is made respond and arrange it promptly. Most access requests are not fulfilled because organisers leave them until the last minute.

Here are some resources that can guide you further….

• the Business Disability Forum’s Meetings Matter guide.
• UCL’s Tips / checklist for making events accessible  
• UCL’s accessible remote working guidance

If you would like specific guidance please get in touch with your department or institute Disability Equity representative or contact the Faculty EDI team FBS.EDI@ucl.ac.uk