I have a question for you:
Are you really setting sail on disability inclusion in 2026 — or just hoping the winds will change on their own?
At this time of year, most of us are running on a little holiday brain. Anything that isn’t urgent becomes a “circle back in 2026” task, filed neatly away for Future Us to deal with.
And disability inclusion? It’s often one of the first things to be pushed to the bottom of that list, pinned to the 2026 folder with good intentions but no real momentum behind it.
January becomes February, February becomes April, and suddenly it’s mid-year and your DIAP, workshop plans, and inclusion commitments are sitting untouched in the corner of the ship, gathering dust and barnacles.
So the question becomes:
How do we break the cycle now, while we’re still at the dock, and make sure your disability inclusion ship actually leaves the harbour in January?
This week, I’m giving you three steps you can take before December 19th to ensure inclusion doesn’t just become another item drifting into the new year — but something you deliberately set in motion.
1. Book the meeting
True disability inclusion doesn’t happen through enthusiasm alone — it happens through leadership.
Your management team is the crew that sets the course, keeps the ship moving, and makes sure inclusion isn’t left to one person rowing against the tide.
Leaders should be there to:
- Establish goals: What results does your organisation genuinely want to achieve? Name them. Write them down.
- Set timelines: Decide when deliverables will be met. Timelines create accountability, and accountability keeps the ship moving forward.
- Allocate resources: Disability inclusion is not a side project. It requires people, budget, and authority, not just goodwill.
So lock in that January leadership meeting now. Don’t wait for calm seas or perfect timing. Get the ship out of the dock.
2. Establish your destination
It’s not enough to raise a flag and declare disability inclusion a priority for 2026. You need a destination, a clear point on the map that everyone can see.
And it needs to be realistic, actionable, and meaningful.
Because the only thing worse than no disability inclusion is poorly executed disability inclusion — the kind that’s reactive, rushed, or performative.
Here are some destinations worth charting:
- Develop a Disability Inclusion Action Plan: Think beyond policy. Focus on practical, lived-experience-led change.
- Audit your committees: Who’s missing from decision-making spaces and why? Inclusion begins at the table where decisions are made.
- Book your workshops now: Invest in your people. Bring in an expert to run disability inclusion training early in the year so the whole crew understands the direction of travel.
A destination gives your efforts shape, purpose, and momentum and it prevents your ship from drifting aimlessly.
3. Audit the existing structure
Even with the best intentions, many organisations are unknowingly creating barriers for employees with disability. Ableism often hides in plain sight; in processes, in assumptions, in “how we’ve always done things.”
These barriers impact everything: safety, wellbeing, culture, performance, and belonging.
So before January arrives, take a clear-eyed look at your current vessel:
- Where are the pinch points?
- Where might the design be unintentionally excluding people?
- What needs reinforcing, rebuilding, or reimagining?
To make it simple, I’ve created a free Workplace Ableism Self-Audit. It will help you assess where you currently stand and highlight the areas that most need attention.
Think of it as checking the hull for cracks before you set sail.
Ready to set sail?
As we close out 2025, this is our moment to choose whether disability inclusion becomes another “later” task, or the work we actively step into at the start of the new year.
Because ships don’t move by accident.
They move because someone takes the wheel.
And inclusion doesn’t gain momentum through hope — it gains momentum through intention.
