Eating Elephants is an exciting and unique applied strategic diversity process to taking one bite at a time.
This four fold approach to disability management systematically and effectively addresses the above concerns and deficits, thereby guaranteeing an inclusive, disability confident organisation.
Eating Elephants does not advocate a strict step-by-step approach, but rather encourages an integrated process incorporating all four parts. Invariably these parts need to run in parallel and may often feed-off or build from each other. However exclusion of one or more of these elements will definitely negate progress and success.
One bite at a time
- Leadership – Showing up at the Diversity Table
- Barrier Analysis – Identifying portions and dividing the elephant
- Barrier Removal – Tucking in
- Maintaining a Barrier-free environment – Digesting the Elephant, making sure it stays eaten.
The course includes examination and discussion of our own and our associate’s unique research data:
- Public and private sector
- Accessibility findings and solutions.
- Experiences of Employees with Disabilities research
- Management Attitudinal Awareness study
Four Elements for an holistic integrated Disability Strategy
Leadership
Any successful initiative requires a political will. Without exception, sluggish activity and wholesale non delivery in this area of equity and diversity, can be attributed to non participation at an executive level. Lack of involvement simply highlights the lack of knowledge and understanding, which offers no foundational purchase for a successful campaign.
Aware and committed executives ensure sustainability and a return on future investment.
Analysis
No change or sustainable action can be expected until a perspective has been gained in terms of what needs to be acted on, what changed and what the status quo really is regarding:
• Managers understanding
• Employees with disabilities experience
• Policy comprehensiveness
• Access and the physical environment
• Thorough assessment of barriers minimizes wastage and duplication and therefore saves time and money
Implementation
Sporadic, ad hoc event-based activity will not ensure disability-equity or confidence within an organization. However, planned actions guided by the assessment process and endorsed and championed by executive leadership and strategically aligned to the company’s policy, invariably succeed and show a return on investment.
Most importantly is the planning, budgeting and implementation of recommendations such as:
• Rolling out of awareness and skills transfer to staff and management
• Increased recruitment activity
• Access implementation.
Maintenance
All too often, initiatives and strategies peter out if not strategically linked. Energy needs to be maintained in order to ensure sustainability particularly of disability confidence.
Clear strategies, designated functions and demonstrable leadership go a long way to maintaining a barrier-free environment. As well as permeating disability confidence this also shows an undeniable return on previous investment.