Business Disability Forum (BDF) has launched a free online toolkit to help companies support disabled colleagues and customers during the Covid-19 outbreak. It’s also running free weekly webinars every Thursday morning from 10-11am (from next week) offering organisations up-to-date advice and practical guidance on how to meet the needs of disabled employees and customers at this difficult time.
“We know that this is a confusing and stressful time for everyone. Our advice service has been inundated with calls from businesses wanting to understand how they should interpret the latest Government guidance and best support disabled colleagues and customers,” said BDF’s CEO Diane Lightfoot. “We hope our toolkit will be prove to be a valuable resource for all organisations during this time; offering clear and practical answers to the difficult questions being asked.”
TOOLKIT & ADVICE
The toolkit aims to help organisations understand the rights of disabled employees and customers and how to keep people safe. This is particularly important, given that some disabled people have conditions or take medication which may make them more susceptible to infections. It also offers advice on how to look after the physical and mental well-being of all employees during this difficult time.
Topics covered in the toolkit include:
- Supporting disabled employees working from home
- Reassuring disabled colleagues about the coronavirus and their job
- Working from home: Tech solutions (kindly supplied by AbilityNet)
- Working from home: physical and mental wellbeing
- Working from home: spotting the signs of physical or mental distress
- Rules around keyworkers
- Looking after transport keyworkers
- Serving disabled customers
- Essential and non-essential shops and public spaces
The toolkit includes also advice, factsheets, webinars and articles. It is the latest in a series of resources produced by the non-profit business and disability organisation to help businesses respond effectively to the coronavirus outbreak.
BDF is a non-profit membership organisation which works with over 300 businesses and organisations, offering advice on issues affecting disabled people in the workplace and as consumers.
Click here to download the toolkit and here to sign up for webinars.
Also, check out the latest interview with BDF’s Lightfoot on why disability inclusion is fast rising up the corporate agenda, and how organisations can become ‘disability confident’ through best practice, here.