A roadmap to inclusive leadership: emergency preparedness (key no10)

Welcome to the next milestone on our roadmap to inclusive leadership. Today, we dive into the 10th key, one that is largely overlooked, even by some of the most experienced inclusive leaders: emergency preparedness. In this part of our series, we won’t just be talking about planning and being ready for workplace emergencies — we’ll focus on creating protocols that keep the safety of everyone in mind, especially our colleagues who have disabilities.

Imagine being in a workplace where emergency alarms go off, and not everyone can hear them. Or where evacuation routes are planned without consideration for those who navigate differently. This is a reality for many, including our friends Uma, a Deaf Senior VP; Khaleem, a blind co-worker; and Vivian, a 68-year-old consultant experiencing sensory decline due to aging. Hearing about how the three of them handle emergency procedures really drives home the point that including everyone is not just a nice to have — it’s downright necessary.

Inclusive emergency preparedness might be something that is implicitly covered by the law, but it goes beyond mere compliance. Much like every other key we’ve explored so far in this series, emergency preparedness is about creating safe spaces where every team member, regardless of their abilities, can feel secure and valued…