New EU Directives formalize disability as a sustainability matter. Here’s how.
In our recent webinar we explored what the new EU directives mean for businesses, and for corporate sustainability. Below, we identify some key insights that were shared around these three new directives, and tips to help you comply.
- The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)
- The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD)
- The European Accessibility Act (EAA)
Kicking off the conversation, Reid Jewett Smith, Vice President of Research & Policy at Disability:IN, shared that with these new directives, the European Union has essentially formalized disability as a sustainability matter.
But how does disability relate to business sustainability?
Companies that are choosing to benchmark their disability initiatives generate more in terms of revenue, more profit margin, and more net income. They see a 25% increase over their peers in individual productivity - in profits by their employees.
At least that’s just one of the reasons…
Improved team collaboration, employees that feel empowered, increased staff morale, positive brand reputation, and the ability to attract and retain diverse talent - they’re a few others.
Continuing the discussion, Ryan, Chief Technology Officer at Everway, emphasized;
“The business case for disability and neurodiversity inclusion is clear and it's undeniable. Companies that prioritize inclusion don't just comply, they thrive…Inclusion is not a cost, it's an investment in people, in performance and in profitability.”
But what does it mean to formalize disability as a sustainability matter?
It means that with this new legislation, the EU can hold companies accountable on accessibility and disability inclusion. If your business operates in or with the EU, then this new legislation will impact your business operations. This includes businesses that are headquartered in the EU as well as those doing business in the EU.
But don’t worry. In our recent webinar with Disability:IN we explored these three new laws in detail. We also explored solutions that can help you to comply. Watch the webinar for an in depth view. Or read our summary below.
A quick overview of the directives
Providing a simple summary of the new legislation and why it exists, Reid shared;
“Companies are now required to implement comprehensive policies, conduct diligent risk assessments, and ensure product and service accessibility. By adhering to these directives over the remainder of the decade, companies can contribute to a more inclusive and equitable business environment. And compliance with these new measures not only mitigates the increasing sort of legal risk environment, but it also enhances corporate reputation and fosters a more inclusive European Society.”
The new legislation will require a coherent approach across your teams - from sustainability, HR and diversity teams - to product development, marketing, and beyond.
The new directives encompass various stakeholders. Reid shared;
“There are standards related to your own workforce, standards related to workers in your value chain, and standards related to consumers and end users. And in some cases, companies might actually also choose to report on the disability composition of their management, administrative and supervisory bodies or sort of a director diversity.”
Let’s take a look at each new directive…
- The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)
- The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD)
- The European Accessibility Act (EAA)
Purpose:
A reporting framework that aims to create a unified regional set of standards that all companies can use to report on sustainability matters.
What’s included?
This directive requires a mandatory audit of the impact of your company on people and the planet. Companies operating in and with Europe must publish regular reports on risks and opportunities around social and environmental issues.
As Reid shared, “It measures your risks and opportunities associated with people. It elevates your company’s impact on people and the planet to the same place as your financial performance, and your financial due diligence. That means it’s as relevant to your stakeholders, investors and employees as your financial performance.”
In relation to disability, the CSRD includes nine standards specifically related to disabled people. It also mandates that your sustainability reports must be accessible to people with disabilities. From disabled investors and civil society organizations, to disabled consumers and other stakeholders.
What does it mean for you?
It means that your company must report on information around sustainability including the inclusion of disabled people in your workforce. As well as your impact on disabled consumers and/or end users.
This means:
- Collecting and reporting on data around disabled employees such as their inclusion in management, administrative and supervisory roles
- Implementing policies which outline how you’re promoting equal opportunities and preventing discrimination of disabled employees
- Produce reports that meet accessibility standards
In our webinar, Reid shared some questions you might want to ask yourself as a starting point:
- What are the potential positive or negative impacts on people with disabilities in your company's operations?
- Does your business impact people with disabilities in the workforce? Are you taking care of disabled workers? Is your business attracting people with disabilities, and tapping into the opportunities they could offer your business?
- What’s the impact on the 101 million people with disabilities in the European Union that make up your employee base, investor base and consumer base?
If your company is already measuring and reporting on disability, then you’ll want to think about:
- What do I disclose?
- What targets have we set? What risks have we discovered?
- How are we going to address negative impacts, and advance positive impacts?
For more information on this directive, check out Disability:IN’s EU report.
What support is there for you?
As Chief Technology Officer, Ryan shared how technology can support you as you comply with the directives;
“Technology plays a crucial role, not just as a tool, but also as a catalyst that will help to continue to drive inclusive practices and to keep businesses compliant. This really isn't about just simply ticking off requirements and check boxes. It's about transforming your workplace into a place where everyone can contribute, collaborate, and thrive equally. The path that transformation starts now. And technology, I believe, is your best partner throughout this journey.”
3 ways technology can help
1. Ensuring workspaces are inclusive of disabled employees
Assistive technology can help us to create workspaces that are flexible to different needs. Tools such as text-to-speech support those with visual impairments. Word prediction and dictation tools support people with mobility and dexterity challenges. There are also plenty of tools that empower neurodivergent people in the ways that they think, communicate and work best. For example, screen masking features help those with ADHD and dyslexia to remove distraction and hone in on digital content, one piece at a time. AI-powered summary tools support those with dyslexia and dyspraxia by making large documents easier to process and remember.
Not only does technology allow us to create flexible digital workspaces, they also improve employee performance. In fact 92% of employed people with disabilities say that assistive technology helps them in some way work faster or work better. 75% of managers say that providing technological support to disabled annual Divergent employees helped their employees be more productive.
The tools mentioned - and many more - are all available with our software, Read&Write.
2. Making your reports accessible
Technology that allows us to check accessibility helps us to quickly identify accessibility issues with internal and external facing content. From our website, to PDFs, and other online resources. For example, with our ReachDeck software you can:
- Check your website for accessibility and readability errors at scale. This means any issue that impacts disabled people from being able to access and understand your web content
- Use our readability editor to create content that’s easy for everyone to read. As you write content it highlights readability issues including long sentences and complex words
- Provide assistive technology features to visitors to your website
ReachDeck can help businesses to meet the new sustainability directives by making all your internal content easy for all employees to access and understand. As well as helping you to write reports that are easy for external stakeholders to digest. It also supports the European Accessibility Act which mandates digital accessibility for all users.
3. Accessible products and services
With the above in mind, ReachDeck can help you to comply with the European Accessibility Act by offering features that help you to ensure that your online services are fully accessible. For example, discover how it’s helping health services and recruitment agencies to make their services accessible to diverse communities.
Summarizing these tools Ryan shares;
“These technologies are designed not just to make your content accessible, but to drive real, inclusive practices to help you both comply and thrive.”
In our webinar, Ryan also shared examples of features that can help support you to comply with these new directives. As well as what you should look for when selecting the right technology. He also shared 5 steps to help you take action now.
Ready for the webinar? Watch the recording for free. There you’ll also be able to access resources to help you take the next step.