Will the new ‘normal’ be a disability inclusive working environment?

A post currently circulating on facebook reads: “Things Covid has proven. 1. The job you were told couldn’t be done remotely can be done remotely. 2. Many disabled workers could have been working from home, but corporations just didn’t want them to.”

This briefing examines why, prior to the threat of Covid-19, employers were reluctant to facilitate home-working as a commonly requested reasonable adjustment by disabled employees. It will draw on findings from a survey carried out in July/ August 2020 in partnership with The Law Society of England & Wales. This asked disabled legal professionals about their experiences of working during and coming out of lockdown. What organisations need to consider to build disability inclusive workplaces of the future will then be considered, including how the experiences of disabled people, many of whom already had expertise in remote and flexible working prior to lockdown, can be harnessed.

Debbie Foster (Professor of Employment Relations & Diversity) and Dr Natasha Hirst (Independent Disability Researcher) will open the session. They will provide some background to the recent Covid-19 survey, which was conducted following the publication in January 2020 of a report: ‘Legally Disabled?: The Career Experiences of Disabled People Working in the Legal Profession’ (see: www.legallydisabled.com). This placed a spotlight on talented and ambitious disabled people and outdated working practices that impeded their progression. Research was chosen for funding by Disability Wales and was a unique partnership between Cardiff University academics and the group representing disabled lawyers within the Law Society, who will contribute to the session.

Links to additional resources developed by the project will be signposted during the session and include reports and recommendations on developing more disability inclusive working practices as well as personal profile interviews with disabled professionals that were created using Cardiff Business School public value funds.

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A fydd yr arferol newydd yn amgylchedd gwaith sy’n anabledd-gynhwysol?

Mae yna ddatganiad sy’n cylchredeg ar Facebook ar hyn o bryd, sy’n darllen: “Pethau y mae Covid wedi’u profi. 1. Mae’r swydd yr hysbyswyd nad oedd yn bosib ei gyflawni o bell, yn bosib ei gyflawni o bell. 2. Gallai llawer o weithwyr anabl fod wedi bod yn gweithio adref ond nid oedd y corfforaethau eisiau iddynt wneud hynny.

Bydd y sesiwn hwn yn ceisio archwilio pam, cyn bygythiad Covid, fod cyflogwyr yn amharod i hwyluso gweithio adref fel addasiad cyffredin a rhesymol y gofynnwyd amdano gan weithwyr anabl. Bydd yn tynnu ar ganfyddiadau arolwg a gynhaliwyd ym mis Gorffennaf ac Awst 2020, mewn partneriaeth â Chymdeithas y Gyfraith, Cymru a Lloegr. Gofynnwyd i weithwyr proffesiynol cyfreithiol anabl am eu profiadau o weithio yn ystod, ac wrth ddod allan o’r, cyfnod o fod dan gyfyngiadau. Yn dilyn hyn, bydd yr hyn sydd angen i sefydliadau ei ystyried er mwyn adeiladu gweithleoedd sy’n anabledd- gynhwysol yn y dyfodol, yn cael ei drafod ymhellach, gan gynnwys sut y gellir harneisio pobl anabl, nifer ohonynt oedd ag arbenigedd mewn gweithio o bell cyn y cyfnod o gaethiwo.

Bydd Debbie Foster (Athro mewn Cysylltiadau Cyflogaeth ac Amrywiaeth) a Natasha Hirst (Ymchwilydd Anabledd Annibynnol), yn agor y sesiwn. Byddant yn darparu ychydig o gefndir i’r arolwg Covid-19 diweddar, a gynhaliwyd yn dilyn cyhoeddi adroddiad ym Mis Ionawr 2020: : ‘Legally Disabled?: The Career Experiences of Disabled People Working in the Legal Profession’ (gweler: www.legallydisabled.com).

Rhoddodd hyn sylw i bobl anabl talentog ac uchelgeisiol, a’r arferion gwaith hen ffasiwn oedd yn rhwystro eu dilyniant. Dewiswyd ymchwil i’w ariannu gan Anabledd Cymru, a oedd hefyd yn bartneriaeth unigryw rhwng academyddion Prifysgol Caerdydd a’r grŵp sy’n cynrychioli cyfreithwyr anabl o fewn Cymdeithas y Gyfraith, a fydd hefyd yn cyfrannu at y sesiwn.

Bydd cysylltiadau ac adnoddau ychwanegol a ddatblygwyd yn ystod y prosiect yn cael eu cyfeirio yn ystod y sesiwn, gan gynnwys adroddiadau ac argymhellion ar ddatblygu mwy o arferion gwaith sy’n anabledd-gynhwysol, yn ogystal â chyfweliadau proffil personol â gweithwyr proffesiynol anabl, a gafodd eu creu cronfeydd Gwerth Gyhoeddus Ysgol Busnes Caerdydd

Os hoffech chi ymuno â'n Cymuned Addysg Weithredol a derbyn gwahoddiadau ar gyfer digwyddiadau yn y dyfodol, Sesiynau dros Frecwast, gwybodaeth am gyrsiau, a'n cylchlythyrau misol, dilynwch y ddolen yma (rydyn ni'n hoffi dilyn y rheolau GDPR).