Have you considered hiring someone with a disability? What about your disabled clients? The inclusion of those with physical and other disabilities is often overlooked in insurance marketing. As your insurance agency becomes more inclusive, you can become more attractive to those with different abilities. Becoming an accessible workplace is simply better for business.
Attract Strong Employees
Did you know that approximately 14 percent of the population is disabled, according to DECSA? A disability doesn’t necessarily mean that someone walks on crutches. It could be a challenging health condition or a relatively invisible disability as well.
When you make a conscious effort to create an accessible workplace, many people will be interested in working for you, including amazing employees with disabilities. Creating an accessible workspace lets all people know that they will be welcomed and valued at your company, and people with disabilities will be more interested in applying.
Retain Employees and Improve Morale
Any time you let your employees know that you value them, this is an investment in workplace morale. According to DECSA, when you have an accessible workplace, “employees feel valued and accommodated, which boosts productivity, raises morale, and results in a more successful business.” Changing the layout of a meeting room for one employee shows all of your employees that you care about them – not just as employees, but as people.
Let People Know That You Value Them
When your workplace employs a wide variety of people, you show people that they are welcome in your workplace as clients and partners. This can hold true even if the clients you attract do not share the specific abilities of people in your workforce. It makes a statement that you are an inclusive organization that will value all of your clients, no matter what background or ability they have. This builds trust in your business.
Create a Safer Workplace
Workplaces that are accessible are often safer for all. For instance, good lighting makes a workplace more visible and makes writing easier to read, but it also prevents falls. Keeping corridors free from obstructions or ensuring that meeting areas have ample space can make it easier for everyone to navigate. Design that is accommodating to people with different abilities often makes your workplace better and safer overall.
How can you become a more accessible workplace? There are so many ways. Consider:
- Completing more communication electronically instead of on paper, since it’s easier to do things like change the font size on your computer.
- Making physical changes to your workplace, such as adding ramps.
- Reducing the clutter around your office to make it easier to navigate.
- Creating positive messaging about ability at your workplace; happily work on these projects so that you have a better workplace for everyone.
Making your insurance agency accessible can be a benefit to all of your customers. Over time, most people become less physically able, and by creating an inviting agency that also happens to be more accessible, you’ll encourage your clients to continue visiting you, calling you, and asking questions for many years to come. Are you interested in learning more about how to be a stronger insurance agency? Contact us at American Agents Alliance, and we’ll help you create a strong and growing agency.
