QUESTIONS TO ASK A DISABILITY INCLUSION FOCUS GROUP

QUESTIONS TO ASK A DISABILITY INCLUSION FOCUS GROUP

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General Perceptions & Experience

  • Describe your overall experience with disability inclusion while working in your organisation.
  • How do you view your organisation's efforts in fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion for people with disabilities?
  • Share an example—positive or negative—that reflects your organisation's approach to diversity and inclusion for individuals with disabilities.

Leadership and Culture

  • Do you believe your organisation's leadership and culture support disability inclusion? Why or why not?
  • How would you characterize general attitudes toward people with disabilities in your organisation? Are there specific behaviors or interactions that illustrate these attitudes?
  • Provide examples that reflect either positive or negative attitudes toward individuals with disabilities.

Manager and Peer Support

  • To what extent do your colleagues and managers understand and support the needs of people with disabilities?
  • Share examples of positive or negative workplace interactions that demonstrate how well colleagues and managers understand and support disability-related needs.
  • What additional training or awareness initiatives are needed to enhance disability inclusion in your organisation?

Empowerment

  • How effectively does your organisation support and empower individuals with disabilities to succeed in their roles?
  • Provide examples of instances where your organisation was either effective or ineffective in supporting individuals with disabilities.
  • If you’ve requested workplace accommodations, what was your experience during the process?
  • Do you feel your organisation adequately helps you identify and access supports that meet your needs?
  • How inclusive are your organisation's policies, practices, facilities, and technologies for individuals with disabilities? What improvements are needed?

Belonging

  • To what extent do you feel a sense of belonging in your workgroup and your organisation?
  • Share examples of behaviors or practices—positive or negative—that influence your sense of belonging.

Representation and Visibility

  • Do you feel individuals with disabilities are adequately represented in leadership and across the broader workforce in your organisation?
  • How visible are people with disabilities in the workforce, leadership, imagery, and diversity initiatives within your organisation?
  • How safe is it to disclose a disability in your organisation? What are the challenges or barriers? Share positive or negative experiences related to disclosure.

Voice & Decision-Making

  • Do you feel your voice is heard and valued in meetings and workplace discussions?
  • How well does your organisation engage with and listen to individuals with disabilities to improve their inclusion experience?
  • Do you feel empowered to voice your needs or concerns as a person with a disability? If not, what holds you back?
  • How can your organisation better involve people with disabilities in decision-making processes, particularly for policies and programs affecting them?

Fairness & Discrimination

  • Have you noticed or experienced differences in how individuals with disabilities are treated compared to others in similar roles or situations?
  • Have you experienced discrimination in your organisation due to your disability?

Talent Management

  • How accessible is your organisation's job application and recruitment process for individuals with disabilities?
  • Do you find job descriptions, interviews, and selection processes inclusive and fair to all applicants?
  • Reflect on your hiring process: was it accessible, fair, and unbiased? What stood out?
  • How fair do you find the performance appraisal process concerning disability inclusion? Have your evaluations ever been influenced by your disability? Share examples.
  • Are there equal opportunities for professional development and advancement for all employees, regardless of disability?
  • Have you faced barriers to career progression that you believe are related to your disability?
  • Are specific development programs or training opportunities inclusive or exclusive of individuals with disabilities?

Access to Flexible Working

  • Are flexible working arrangements supportive of individuals with disabilities?

Harmful Behaviors

  • Are you aware of instances of bullying, harassment, or other harmful conduct toward individuals with disabilities? How common or rare are such behaviors?
  • Are you familiar with the grievance process for addressing disability discrimination or harassment?

Safety and Comfort in Speaking Up

  • Do you feel safe and comfortable raising concerns about accessibility or disability-related issues with managers, leadership, or HR?
  • How confident are you that your concerns will be taken seriously and addressed appropriately?
  • How effectively does your organisation resolve disability-related concerns?

Feedback on Programs and Initiatives

  • Are there specific diversity and inclusion programs that have been particularly beneficial for individuals with disabilities?
  • What is the most significant change your organisation could make to improve inclusion for individuals with disabilities?

Open-Ended

  • Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experiences with disability inclusion and fairness in the workplace?

Bart Bailey, MBA (He, Him, His)

Owner & Principal Consultant @ Courage to Care, LLC, *Author* "It's in Our Bones"

3mo

Good Stuff Felicity Menzies

Inge Woudstra

Diversity and Inclusion Trainer * Diversity and Inclusion Consultant * Gender Diversity Expert * iMasons D&I Program Manager

3mo

A great and complete list. When we run a focus groups, there are typically around 8-12 people in the room, and we have 1,5 hour. So, depending on the issues or priorities in the organisation, I would reduce the list to 10-15 questions to really have a conversation about. Some of the questions can be done quickly when put in a Mentimeter survey, and gathering input from all at once using a 'slider' question, then discuss why they voted what they did. That also prevents group pressure to answer the same way. Less questions will allow for a more in-depth conversation, which will provide more insight.

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Alistair B.

Domestic Violence, especially #CoerciveControl - #NotViolentNotSilent McBean man, guest on Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar.

3mo

Love this! But one observation? Under the heading Open-Ended is, ironically, a closed question. Could it be recast as: "What else would you like to share about your experiences with disability inclusion and fairness in the workplace?"?

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