By Krati Vyas, Senior Consultant- HR & DEI
During an infrastructure audit at a client site, we asked a simple question: "Why aren't there any curb ramps?"
The answer? "We're only hiring hearing-impaired individuals, so we don't need ramps."
That response stopped us in our tracks.
It's like saying, "We don't need Wi-Fi-we only hire people who do paperwork."
Curb ramps aren't only for wheelchair users. They help parents with strollers, delivery staff with trolleys, and even that coworker who twisted their ankle last week. They're about access, not assumptions.
But this isn't just about ramps. It's about the mindset behind decisions like these.
Inclusion Is Not a Checklist
Too often, accessibility in the workplace is reduced to a list of physical modifications. If there's a ramp, a lift, and maybe a braille sign somewhere, then "the job is done." When we equate accessibility with just physical infrastructure-like ramps and lifts-we miss the full picture.
The truth is, inclusion isn't one-size-fits-all.
And it's definitely not one-and-done.
The RPWD Act, 2016 recognizes 21 types of disabilities-from physical and sensory to intellectual, mental health, and chronic conditions. Yet, conversations in most workplaces remain narrowly focused on visible disabilities, leaving large segments of the population underserved and unheard.
If policies are written without input from lived experiences, they might look good on paper-but fail to make people feel like they truly belong.
The truth? Inclusion isn't a quota, a poster, or a box to tick.
Real inclusion begins with one essential question: "Can every person here fully participate, contribute, and thrive?"
Inclusion Starts with Listening, Not Assuming
When the client dismissed ramps as "unnecessary," it revealed a common blind spot.
Disabilities aren't one-dimensional. A hearing-impaired employee might also have mobility issues. Or be a parent. Or be recovering from an injury. Accessibility isn't siloed. It's about designing for real lives-not neat labels.
Shift the mindset:
Inclusion Isn't Only Functional-It's Social, Too
Designing workplaces that truly listen is only half the battle-inclusion falters if we don't dismantle the invisible barriers to social belonging.
Social inclusion is equally critical-yet often overlooked. HR teams, tasked as custodians of inclusion, sometimes reduce it to token gestures.
A person with a disability might be hired, but if they're not invited to events, Friday evening hangouts, spoken over in meetings, or assigned roles with no growth path, it's not inclusion-it's tokenism. A friend once shared how, at a large Indian firm, a person with a disability was objectified in photos to come across as "inclusive," yet was relegated to a stagnant "runner boy" role, isolated socially, and barely engaged in conversations. Only a colleague's deliberate effort to engage him broke the silence. How many others did?
True inclusion demands meaningful roles, growth pathways, and daily belonging-not optics. If hiring ends at a desk or a press release, we've failed.
Action Step: Audit not just hiring numbers, but role equity and social integration. Ask: "Do marginalized employees have agency, mentorship, and authentic connections?"
Build Everyday Connection, Not Just Compliance
Hiring is only the first step. Belonging happens when someone feels seen, heard and spoken to-literally.
For hearing-impaired colleagues, sign language can be the bridge.
You don't need to be fluent. Just knowing how to say "Good morning" in Indian Sign Language (ISL) can create moments of connection that matter deeply.
I speak from experience. A while ago, I started learning ISL-and it completely shifted how I view communication and inclusion. As an abled person, I had never realized how much I took auditory interactions for granted. Even the simple act of signing "thank you" brought surprise and delight to people who are so often left out of everyday conversations. It made me more mindful, more patient, and honestly-more human.
Why it matters:
Only ~30% of speech is visible on the lips. Lip-reading alone is exhausting and unreliable-it requires intense concentration and guesswork, especially in group settings, unfamiliar accents, or when people speak too fast, or many people are speaking. It also doesn't work well in poor lighting or when speakers turn their heads.
Sign language isn't just a tool. It's a language with its own grammar, structure, and emotional depth-and it carries a rich cultural identity for the Deaf and hearing-impaired community. Respecting and embracing it builds trust, signals inclusion, and acknowledges the dignity of diverse communication styles.
Interpreters can't do it all-especially not nonstop in meetings. Did you know interpreters need to be rotated every 20-30 minutes? That's because interpreting, especially simultaneously, is cognitively and physically demanding. They're processing and translating language in real-time, maintaining accuracy, emotion, and context. Beyond that, interpreters may not be available for all conversations, and even when they are, relying entirely on them puts the hearing-impaired individual in a passive position-always waiting, always being mediated. Empowering direct communication, even in small ways, can be transformative.
How to start:
Small Behavioural Shifts = Big Impact
Inclusion is often in the details: how you communicate, how you present, how you respond when someone says, "I didn't get that."
Here's what helps:
Make Accessibility Effortless with Smart, Simple Tech
You don't need fancy budgets to create accessible workplaces. Many tools are free or low-cost, and they make a huge difference for hearing-impaired employees-and everyone else, too.
Tech to try:
Action Step: Pick one tool to try this month-start with enabling captions in your next Zoom meeting. Type "CC" in the chat and say, "Captions are on-let us know if they're accurate!". It's one click, and it says, "Your experience matters."
Inclusive Design Is Just... Better Design
Here's the secret: what you do for hearing-impaired inclusion ends up benefiting everyone.
Captions help non-native speakers and people in noisy environments.
Visual alerts help when headphones are on or someone's multitasking.
Sign language fosters empathy and human connection.
Accessible meetings reduce misunderstandings across the board.
And the impact?
Stronger teams: Inclusive workplaces see higher retention and collaboration.
Brand lift: Customers love brands that "walk the talk" on accessibility.
Legal confidence: Staying ahead of accessibility compliance isn't just smart-it's necessary.
Inclusion Is a Practice-Not a Project
Here's your starting line:
That's not a fantasy. That's inclusion. And it starts with one small move from you.
So, what will it be?
By Krati Vyas, Senior Consultant- HR & DEI
