In my last edition of Making Inclusion Work, I shared 10 practical steps organisations can take to advance disability inclusion — even when DEI conversations feel noisy or polarised.
Those steps are essential. But action alone isn’t enough.
👉 The real test is whether those actions lead to change—change that people feel, see, and trust.
So this edition focuses on the following question:
💬 How do you know if your disability inclusion work is making a difference?
⚡ Why measuring disability inclusion matters
It’s easy for inclusion efforts to stop at good intentions. A workshop was delivered. A policy has been updated—a statement made.
But without measuring impact, we risk:
🚩 Assuming change has happened when it hasn’t
🚩 Missing the gaps and barriers people are still navigating
🚩 Creating plans that look good on paper, but don’t align with real-world experience.
Disability inclusion isn’t a trend or a tick-box exercise. It’s essential. And that means tracking what changes, not just what gets done.
👉 Measurement helps us move beyond activity reports and checklists to focus on outcomes.
📊 What should we measure?
✅ Impact, not just intent. Ask: What has changed because of this action?
- Did disabled staff or clients experience fewer barriers?
- Did accessibility improve, or was it just promised?
- Did people feel safer asking for adjustments?
It’s not enough to say we ran training or we added a policy. What difference did it make?
✅ Feedback from lived experience: The best measure of inclusion is whether people with disabilities feel included.
📌 Build in ways for disabled staff, clients, and community members to share their views — safely and honestly.
- Anonymous surveys
- Focus groups
- Regular check-ins
And crucially, act on what they tell you.
✅ Accessibility in practice. It’s easy to focus on physical spaces, but inclusion is much broader.
Ask:
- Are our digital systems accessible and user-friendly?
- Are our meetings and events inclusive in their operation?
- Is our process for workplace adjustments smooth, or is it a barrier in itself?
✅ Representation and retention Hiring matters — but so does what happens after.
Look at:
- How many disabled people are in your workforce?
- Are disabled staff staying and progressing?
- Are disabled voices included in decision-making and leadership?
👉 Representation without inclusion doesn’t last.
🔑 How to measure in a way that matters
🌱 Set clear, realistic inclusion goals tied to action. Broad statements won’t cut it. Be specific.
🌱 Be transparent about where you’re starting. It’s okay to say we have work to do. People will trust you more if you’re honest about the areas where you need improvement.
🌱 Use the data to improve, not just to report. Measuring should help you learn and adapt, not just tick boxes.
🌱 Make measurements ongoing. One survey won’t give the whole picture. Build in ways to regularly check progress.
🚀 Moving from action to impact
💬 If inclusion work is going to create real change, we must stay curious and accountable.
Measuring disability inclusion is about asking the hard questions, listening, and being willing to do things differently as we learn.
💡 What’s one way you’re measuring disability inclusion that’s helped you move beyond good intentions? I’d love to hear what’s working—and what’s challenging—for you.
If your organisation is ready to move from actions to measurable impact, I can help.
👉 Book a chat with me to explore how.
🤝 How I can support
✅ Disability Inclusion Action Plan development
✅ Inclusive Committee Reviews
✅ Focus group and stakeholder engagement facilitation
✅ Data analysis that centres lived experience
