Accessibility Best Practices in the Workplace: How to Celebrate Disability Pride Month and Build Inclusive Workspaces

In today’s diverse professional world, workplace inclusion is more than a buzzword—it’s a business imperative. Understanding what are accessibility best practices can help organizations create an environment where everyone, including individuals with a disability, can thrive. July is Disability Pride Month, an important time to reflect on the importance of workplace accessibility, honor voices in the community, and take meaningful action to improve equity across organizations.

What is Disability Pride Month and Who Is It For?

Disability Pride Month is celebrated every July to honor the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. But who is Disability Pride Month for? It’s for everyone who lives with a disability - visible or invisible - as well as allies, advocates, and organizations that champion disability inclusion.

Disability Pride Month isn’t just about celebration. It’s also about challenging ableism, promoting equity, and recognizing the value that individuals with a disability bring to every space, including the workplace. It’s a reminder that disability is a natural part of the human experience—not something to be pitied or “fixed.”

Why Workplace Accessibility Matters

Workplace accessibility means creating physical and digital environments where employees of all abilities can perform at their best. Accessible workplaces empower individuals with a disability, encourage diversity of thought, and promote equal opportunity.

Accessibility is a cornerstone of workplace inclusion. Without accessible hiring practices, technology, and office environments, many talented individuals are systematically excluded. That’s not just unfair—it’s also a missed opportunity for businesses to innovate and grow.

What Are Accessibility Best Practices?

So, what are accessibility best practices? They are policies, procedures, and tools that make work environments inclusive to people with disabilities. Best practices span everything from hiring to email communication. Here are a few key areas every workplace can focus on:

1. Equitable Hiring Practices

Inclusive organizations start with equitable hiring. This means ensuring that recruitment materials, job postings, application platforms, and interview processes are accessible to all.

Accessibility best practices in hiring include:

• Using plain language in job descriptions

• Allowing accommodations during interviews (e.g., video calls, interpreters)

• Ensuring online application forms are screen-reader friendly

• Training HR teams to recognize and mitigate unconscious bias
  

2. Digital Accessibility in the Workplace

Digital accessibility ensures that internal systems and tools are usable by everyone. This includes platforms like Zoom, Slack, intranet portals, and more.

Key digital accessibility practices include:

• Providing alternative text (alt text) for all images

• Using clear, high-contrast color schemes

• Ensuring compatibility with screen readers

• Avoiding flashing content or complex motion that can trigger seizures
  

3. Email Accessibility: Small Change, Big Impact

Email accessibility is often overlooked, but it plays a big role in workplace communication. Making emails accessible helps ensure that everyone on your team receives and understands important information.

Tips for accessible email design:

• Use clear subject lines and concise language

• Structure content using headings and bullet points

• Add alt text to embedded images

• Avoid large blocks of text and use readable fonts (e.g., Arial, Verdana)
  

4. Website Accessibility for Internal and External Users

Making your organization's website accessible is a critical step toward inclusion. Website accessibility affects internal stakeholders, external candidates, and customers with disabilities.

Use the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as your framework. Key elements include:

• Keyboard navigation support

• Captioning for videos

• Text descriptions for buttons and images

• Logical content order for screen readers
  

A fully accessible website also demonstrates your company’s commitment to disability rights and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion).

5. Social Media Accessibility: Reaching All Audiences

Social media accessibility ensures your content is inclusive to people using assistive technology. As your organization shares content during Disability Pride Month or year-round, consider:

• Adding alt text to every image

• Including video captions and transcripts

• Avoiding jargon or excessive emojis

• Using CamelCase for hashtags (e.g., #DisabilityPrideMonth)
  

This isn’t just good practice—it also increases your content’s reach and engagement.

How to Celebrate Disability Pride Month in the Workplace Wondering how to celebrate Disability Pride Month at work? Here are a few impactful ideas:

Host Educational Events

Invite speakers with disabilities to share their stories and professional expertise. These sessions can cover everything from disability justice to how to be an ally in the workplace.

Audit and Improve Accessibility

Use the month as a catalyst to conduct a company-wide accessibility audit. Review your hiring practices, digital tools, and physical spaces for barriers.

Amplify Voices of Individuals with Disabilities

Feature employees and advocates with disabilities on your blog or social media channels. Highlight their contributions, career journeys, and perspectives on inclusion.

Offer Allyship Training

Educate staff on how to be an ally to colleagues with disabilities. Allyship training should cover respectful language, active listening, and inclusive meeting practices.

Support Disability-Owned Businesses

Show support by partnering with or promoting businesses owned by individuals with a disability. Consider using your platform to uplift these voices during July and beyond.

How to Be an Ally to People with Disabilities

Being an ally isn’t about speaking for people with disabilities—it’s about standing with them, listening, and taking action to remove barriers.

Here’s how to be an ally at work:

• Don’t assume what someone can or cannot do

• Always ask before offering help

• Respect personal space, especially mobility aids

• Educate yourself on disability history and language

• Advocate for workplace accessibility even when it doesn’t affect you directly
  

True allyship means recognizing ableism, speaking up against it, and fostering a workplace where every individual feels seen and valued.

Final Thoughts: Inclusion Is a Year-Round Commitment While Disability Pride Month offers a vital opportunity for celebration and awareness, accessibility isn’t a one-month project. Workplace inclusion must be embedded in your organizational culture, systems, and values.

By embracing accessibility best practices, committing to equitable hiring, and investing in digital accessibility and physical accommodations, companies can build workplaces where everyone—not just some—can succeed.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Start with one initiative this July. Conduct an audit, update your hiring policies, or simply send your first accessible email. Progress doesn’t have to be perfect—it just has to be intentional. Let this month be a turning point, not a checkbox.