contributed by Tracy Brower, PhD
Dr. Tracy Brower is a PhD sociologist and the vice president of workplace insights for Steelcase, a global design and thought leader in the world of work. She is the author of The Secrets to Happiness at Work and Bring Work to Life, as well as a senior contributor to Forbes and Fast Company. Her work has been translated into 22 languages and her TEDx talk has been viewed 8.1 million times. For more information, please see Steelcase.com or tracybrower.com.

Inclusive design has become a significant point of focus—and for good reason. It considers a wide range of human experiences, from ability, language and culture to gender and age. Designing for all kinds of capabilities and disabilities is the right thing to do for people, and it’s also powerfully effective for businesses.

And creating inclusive work experiences is especially important now. The talent shortage is significant, and business leaders must ensure they are tapping into people with all kinds of talents, skills and capabilities.

In addition, creating a society that embraces all of its members is an imperative as we seek to positively influence our communities. Inclusive design provides for people to feel more valued and empowered and to experience greater levels of belonging and psychological safety—and all of these inspire happiness and fulfillment in both work and life.

The conversation is critical. To-date, we’ve lacked a common language for the discussion of disability as it relates to the work experience. Existing research tends to focus on employment status, with less attention on the quality of employment or the contextual elements that influence someone’s ability to contribute fully. We have work to do—and opportunities for meaningful dialogue and improvement, according to research published in Human Resource Management.

Important Outcomes

Leaders are invested in how we address the issues. In fact, Steelcase research demonstrates that 81% of leaders are prioritizing wellbeing while 76% prioritize DEI. Inclusive design is an approach that can ensure work experiences are welcoming and supportive for all—and that they contribute to wellbeing in terms of physical, cognitive and emotional needs.

Additionally, inclusive design drives outcomes like talent attraction and retention and increased employee satisfaction, according to the Center for Talent Innovation. It also enables organizations to tap into the skills of a broad variety of people who may be under-represented or under-served in a traditional environment.

For example, when employees who identify as neurodivergent are able to fully contribute, they bring skills from hyperfocus and detail processing to visual reasoning, creativity and innovative thinking, based on research from the Birkbeck University of London.

Benefits to Plenty of People

Beyond its importance for leaders and organizations, inclusive design is also especially relevant because of the number of people who have unique and specific needs. Fully 30% of people in the workforce have a disability, and as many as 90% of disabilities are not evident, according to the Center for Talent Innovation.

So, while plenty of people need support, it may not always be evident. Creating work experiences that are inclusive allows for a wide array of people to take advantage of places that help them do their best—without having to ask for accommodations.

Inclusive design also accommodates a variety of circumstances. Consider a door that opens automatically. It is helpful to the person with a permanent disability who is in a wheelchair as well as someone who has a temporary disability like a broken arm. And it’s an advantage for the situational limitation of a person who is carrying an armful of books, or the sensory challenges of someone who avoids touch.

Concept designs that demonstrate a range of spaces

Create Inclusive Work Experiences

You can create the conditions for an inclusive work experience with a few key strategies. They include the following.

Start with Empathy

First, start with empathy. Too often the design process fails to include people we’re designing for and who represent a wide enough range of capabilities.

A better approach is to design with, not for those with unique or underrepresented needs. We can ask questions, understand challenges and foster empathy, so new designs are based on deep understanding of conditions that will foster inclusion.

As an example, Steelcase recently redesigned space for the Global Talent team on the Grand Rapids campus with a focus on accessibility, employee relationships and inclusion. They formed an Inclusive Design Advisory Group which provided input and perspective throughout the process. The majority of the Advisory Group identified with one or more of the Well Institute’s dimensions* (disabled, 1st generation immigrant, neurodivergent, racially and/or ethnically underrepresented or underinvested groups, LGBTQ+, primary caregiver and women + girls), so they brought diverse viewpoints and lived experience to inform the design decisions.

Take a Holistic View

Second, ensure you focus on culture. Inclusive design isn’t just about place, space, settings or furniture. It requires a holistic and integrated approach. Policies, practices and norms must also support inclusivity.

Cultures are most effective when they provide strong mission, vision and direction as well as the opportunity for participation and ownership. Cultures drive results when they have clear and consistent processes as well as the ability to adapt and shift as necessary.

These elements of culture inform organizations that respect people with a broad range of skills and approaches, and nurture involvement and empowerment–so they can perform today and develop and grow for continued contributions over time.

Focus on Ongoing Improvement

Third, emphasize the ongoing nature of the process for creating inclusive work experiences. It’s a mistake to believe that design has a static outcome. Instead, the best approaches recognize the need for continuous monitoring, measuring and improving work experiences.

No design is perfect, and design begins when people move in or when they begin using places, policies and practices. Humility in the design process guides us in expecting to get things as right as we can and then embracing the learning that will occur over time—with a commitment to ongoing improvement.

What Matters Most

Effective work experiences—for all kinds of people—focus on place and technology as well as process and culture. And as you consider the physical work experience, you can give thought to a wide range of factors like wayfinding, spatial planning, acoustics, air quality, materiality, lighting, privacy, tools and technology and furniture.

Overall, design should offer equity. Rather than seeking to optimize one set of standards that work for all, a better strategy provides a range of experiences so people can choose what works best for them.

And the experience should also include opportunities for control, so people can make easy adjustments based on their unique needs. This involves not only selecting various areas to work across a campus, but also in adjusting background music, temperature, lighting or even the opacity or privacy levels of spaces.

A Bright Future

The process of empathizing, exploring, creating, learning and improving are all fundamental to our success—for people and for organizations. We can embrace and celebrate all kinds of abilities to ensure people have the chance to achieve both happiness and fulfillment supported by inclusive work experiences.

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*The Well Institute is an organization dedicated to promoting wellness and health through research, education and community engagement initiatives. The Well dimensions are a framework encompassing various aspects of wellbeing to promote a holistic approach to wellness.

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“There’s not a lot that I can’t do, but now I do everything differently,” said Jimmy, who had a traumatic brain injury after being in a traffic accident.

After the accident as Jimmy began to heal, he noticed that things started to unravel for him at home, work and school. “I really thought I had developed a mental illness,” said Jimmy.

A neurologist confirmed his traumatic brain injury, and he began his path toward recovery. Jimmy connected with our brain injury services program where professionals work to remove barriers and integrate rehabilitation goals to get people back on a daily living path.

“There is no typical brain injury. It’s different depending on whose brain it is in. When someone sustains a brain injury, they may not know what they can do or even if they can learn. We help them figure out what is possible after a brain injury,” said Amy Miller, who is the director of brain injury services.

Jimmy began a new career after HVAC training. Once he obtained certification, he was able to start his own heating and air conditioning business. Jimmy has good days, bad days and those in-between days where he is reminded that this is his new reality. Prior to connecting to Easterseals Crossroads, Jimmy felt his future looked bleak. Now he is excited about his future possibilities.

“I never dreamt that after my accident I would be able to have my own business. If it wasn’t for Easterseals empowering me to empower myself, I would still be stuck,“ said Jimmy.

Terrell’s mom Adel knew that her son wasn’t meeting age-related milestones as his siblings did and she needed to learn why.

Doctors suggested early intervention services where Terrell began speech therapy to develop language skills. At 3, he still wasn’t using more than a couple of words, and Adel found out about autism services at Easterseals Crossroads. An autism diagnosis was confirmed and he began ABA services.

Adel didn’t know much about autism because it was new to her family, but she quickly learned. Starting with language development, Terrell began to make progress. Occupational therapy rounded out the program and Terrell continued to advance.

“Since day one, it has always felt like this is the right place for us. I have trusted the process every day for almost four years and every day I have seen change and growth,” said Adel.

Next up for Terrell is first grade. ”I’m a little scared about that, because it’s full days. But I am hopeful because he has the tools that he’s gotten from Easterseals Crossroads. It is so important that he is able to communicate his needs and wants. I think he is prepared and ready,” said Adel.

“With autism, change is not going to happen overnight. It’s going to take time and hard work. But if you work with your child, you will see the benefits. Having this team with you makes it possible,” said Adel.

Karrise was 26 years old when she had a stroke that changed her life. Instead of continuing her life as she knew it, she had to learn to walk, keep her balance and eventually drive again. And that was in addition to relearning how to read, tell time and use her phone, as well as other technology.

After several years of hard work, Karrise was ready to focus on her livelihood. Prior to her stroke, Karrise worked with toddlers in a childcare setting. “The stroke really changed my career path since I could no longer meet the physical or mental demands of working in childcare,” said Karrise.

Karrise learned about employment programs for people with disabilities at Easterseals Crossroads and found that she was a great candidate for the Pathways to Opportunity program. “This program is unique in that it seeks resources and training so that the outcome is a career focused on future growth,” said Diane Brown, who is a career navigator.

To begin a path toward a career for Karrise, she needed to develop and refine her digital literacy skills, an option offered from our assistive technology department. Karrise knew that enhancing her software and computer skills would help her become more employable.

“Possibility can actually begin with assistive technology and digital literacy. For an able-bodied individual, technology can make things easier. For an individual with a disability, assistive technology can make things possible,” said Josh Anderson, who is the director of assistive technology.

Karrise battled her way through a very tough and long recovery from her stroke. She now has the right resources for success in place, and she is dedicated to finding a career that will grow with her. “Looking back on what I have battled, what I have been through and where I am now, literally anything is possible,” said Karrise.

Just hours after her birth, Jessica began having seizures; 90% of her brain was damaged. “The expectations were that she would be blind and not able to walk or talk,” said mom Vicki. Jessica proved her original diagnoses wrong on all counts. She is able to see, walk and talk. Now 42, she lives in supported living and she attends our adult day program. The program is a unique model of service with a wide range of participants spanning age and ability. Participants are involved in determining the day-to-day activities where they share friendship and peer-to-peer support. “Our life would be a lot different without Easterseals. Jessica would not have the same quality of life.” said Jessica’s mom Vicki.

Jessica’s passion is walking. She walks every day with other program participants and staff. Not only has Jessica gained strength and balance, she feels healthier. She tracks steps
on her phone and watches her calories. “Walking kills those calories,” said Jessica.

“Before Jessica started walking, her mobility wasn’t good. She struggled getting in and out of vehicles. Walking has made her stronger and improved her balance,” said Jessica’s dad Dan.

At all stages of Jessica’s life, her parents have fostered possibilities for her. “If you don’t have a great team – a group who encourage your family’s vision – you don’t have possibilities,” said Vicki. They have always seen the ability in Jessica and have found environments like Easterseals where she can thrive.

Hannah is a single mom who was concerned about her daughter Elsie who was experiencing difficulties in daycare.

Hannah connected with resources from the Family Opportunity Program, a program that provides options to achieve self-sufficiency for families who have a child with a disability. Hannah learned that Elsie had autism. She enrolled her in autism behavior therapy, where she has made great strides for the past few years and has started kindergarten. This enabled Hannah to move from her current job and begin her search for employment that would provide opportunities for growth and stability.

Hannah has found what she needed as a career navigator in the very place where she sought help. She knows how scared she was when seeking services, and she is confident that her own experiences have given her the empathy and understanding to work with other families.

“When Hannah came to us, she knew she needed to be a working mom to a child with behavioral needs. We were so impressed with Hannah from the beginning that we immediately thought of her when a position opened. It really resonates with a family to have someone working with them who has had the same experiences,” said Emily Garvin, who is the program manager.

“Easterseals Crossroads helped me gain the confidence to be brave and focus on the services that I needed. As an employee, I can advocate for families; I can help them just like someone helped me,” said Hannah.