Raising awareness of disability in the workplace: issues, approaches and resources (games and free kits)

Raising awareness of disability in the workplace: why is this a strategic issue?

Raising awareness of disability means first and foremost changing perceptions: overcoming preconceived ideas, showing the realities of disability and developing empathy within teams.

Within the company, these actions contribute to cohesion, quality of life at work and a more inclusive society.

They are also part of a regulatory framework: companies with at least 20 employees are subject to the obligation to employ disabled workers (OETH), set at 6% of the workforce, with an annual DOETH. (To find out more: Service-Public - OETH (private sector) - Fiche Ministère du Travail - OETH)

Beyond the obligation, progress remains slow: in 2023, the rate of direct employment in companies subject to the obligation reached 3.6%, a signal that awareness must be accompanied by educational initiatives and management tools.

What do we mean by "disability"?

In contemporary French logic, disability is not reduced to an individual deficiency: it also arises from interaction with an unsuitable environment (tools, premises, organization). Talking about a "handicap situation" allows us to focus on the barriers that need to be removed: accessibility of spaces and content, organization of time, workstation adjustments, etc.

Beyond motor disabilities: types of disabilities & invisible disabilities

Reducing disability to the wheelchair is misleading. Public sources distinguish several families of disabilities: motor, sensory (visual, auditory), psychological, mental, cognitive (e.g. DYS disorders), as well as chronic disabling illnesses that can generate lasting limitations. This plurality implies a variety of responses (technical, organizational and relational adaptations).

Another common misconception is that a large proportion of disabilities are invisible. Government communications suggest that around 80% of disabilities are not immediately visible, which raises the issue of reporting and support in the workplace.

It should be noted, however, that the notion of "invisible disability" does not have a strictly standardized definition, so care must be taken when interpreting the figures.

Raising awareness of disability in the workplace

RQTH: a useful benchmark for disabled workers

Recognition of the status of disabled worker (RQTH) is an administrative decision that facilitates access to accommodation and assistance for integration or job retention. It is obtained via the MDPH (Maison Départementale pour les Personnes Handicapées) and remains confidential.

Approaches to disability awareness in the workplace

  1. 1) Information & acculturation

Conferences, in-house articles, workshops with associations, feedback from employees. The aim is to change the way people look at disability, dispel preconceived ideas and situate RQTH and reasonable accommodation within an overall HR policy. General guides and tickets are available to help frame these messages.

  1. 2) Accessible communication

Make supports and meetings more inclusive (subtitling, legible documents, alternative versions). The diversity of situations (sensory, cognitive, psychic, etc.) requires anticipation: contrasts, legibility, rhythm, redundancy of formats.

  1. 3) Learning experiences and "awareness games

Playful formats (quizzes, micro-learning, challenges, serious games) develop empathy and bring the subject to life. Inspirational content details this "game" approach and its benefits for all audiences.

However, beware of role-playing situations (e.g. "wheelchair courses"): expert voices point to their ethical and pedagogical limits if they are not co-constructed and debriefed. The aim is not to "play at disability", but to identify and correct real environmental barriers, so that you emerge "updated".

  1. 4) Collective moments & anchoring in time

SEEPH (European Week for the Employment of People with Disabilities) offers a useful window of attention, but awareness-raising is better done year-round (onboarding, QWL, CSR, management). In 2025, SEEPH will be held from November 17 to 23.

Where can I find a free disability awareness game or kit?

A number of associations provide free disability awareness kits (films, guides, workshops) that can be reused in the workplace, adapted to your culture and audience. In particular, Handicap International offers a variety of resources for distribution during your awareness-raising initiatives. These materials are not "copy and paste": think of them as reservoirs of ideas to be integrated into your inclusion strategy.

Raising awareness of disability in the workplace

Measuring without "gasworks

The important thing is not so much to quantify to the extreme as to verify that your actions are changing attitudes and practices: employee perception (reduction in preconceived ideas), participation in actions, increased accessibility of supports and meetings, use of systems (accommodation, Disability Referent contacts, RQTH procedures) and, over time, OETH indicators monitored by the organization.

Ethics & posture: a few guidelines

- Co-construct with the people concerned (in-house/associations) and avoid caricatures.

- Prefer a "barriers to be removed" approach to "putting yourself in the shoes of...".

- Protecting confidentiality: disability-related procedures are a matter for the individual's right to privacy; the RQTH secures the individual's career path without forcing him or her to reveal his or her identity publicly.

And what about mobile gaming?

Without prescribing a "turnkey" system, it's worth noting that a fun, 100% mobile format often stimulates participation (rankings, challenges, customized rewards) and anchors concepts in micro-learning sequences. This is OuiLive's philosophy: to transform HR, internal communications, CSR and sales topics into engaging experiences, with analytics to objectivize impact in the service of sustainable inclusion.

Want more? OuiLive is here, with connected challenges!

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