Here is one of a series of blog posts we have from our Micro-Interns. These are students from Oxford University who took part in a 5-day internship with Avalis to find out more about disability employment, research issues and possible solutions and then produce things that we can take into our work to help create positive change.
This post is from Natasha who was focused on Business Operations, we hope you enjoy this and if you'd like to read more of these please click on the tag "micro-interns":
By Natasha
My week with Avalis was the first internship I’d ever done. When searching for potential internships, I was looking for one where the work would actually have some value for the host company. I definitely didn’t want it to turn into one of those situations where the intern gets given all of the dullest assignments that no one else wants to do. I was hoping for an internship that would be varied and engaging, and where I would learn new skills. This is exactly what I got from my internship with Avalis. In my short five days with them, I’ve not only gained a unique insight into the business operations of a start-up, but I also feel that I now have a much greater appreciation for the challenges facing disabled people in the workplace.
As a non-disabled person, I had completely misjudged the inaccessibility of the workplace. After carrying out research during the internship, I was shocked to discover just how many barriers are still present for disabled people at all stages of the job application and even later when an individual is actually in employment.
Take the very first stage of the application process: filling out the job application form. The lack of standardisation of job application forms means that many are incompatible with the text-to-speech technology used by visually impaired individuals. The interview itself can be even more problematic. Companies may not consider the accessibility of venues for individuals with limited mobility and when they do the reality is that these facilities are not quite as accessible as they seem. Having a disabled toilet is virtually useless if you need to climb a flight of stairs to use it. Then there is the even more pressing issue of whether the workplace itself will be accessible. If you are a wheelchair user, will you be able to navigate around the office? Similarly, will your computer or desk space be compatible with your wheelchair? Aside from these practical problems, there is also the question of what the workplace culture will be like. As a disabled employee, you might need changes in the physical layout of the workplace or specialist equipment. Having an understanding manager or boss who is willing to make adjustments for your needs is crucial to ensuring that people can carry out their job to the best of their ability and, more importantly, that they feel supported in the workplace.
The examples I’ve given above provide only a small snapshot of the types of barriers that disabled people face in the world of work. The reality is that there are many more barriers, some of which are less obvious, particularly when taking into account that lots of disabilities are invisible to the eye. Problems like these can only be solved if companies have a deep understanding of the needs of disabled people from the perspective of those who have actually lived and experienced it: disabled people themselves. I believe that some companies are genuinely trying to make changes to improve the accessibility of their workplaces, but they lack the knowledge of how to do this effectively. This is where Avalis comes in. They hire disabled people and provide them with training and support so that they can be placed with partner companies. Once placed with these companies, disabled people can bring their own experiences and skills to provide specialist services. Companies benefit both by creating a more inclusive culture among their workforce and by accessing previously unused talent.
As an intern, it was really interesting to learn about the unique approach taken by Avalis when developing their services. We were taught how to map out ideas systematically to identify their underlying assumptions and potential flaws. We then designed tests to investigate the strength of these assumptions and flaws. Ultimately, this means that the services provided by Avalis have the greatest chance of success. This was something that I had never even considered before. My understanding was that when you think of a good business idea you simply fly with it and hope that it works. Testing business ideas was completely new to me, but I now appreciate the many benefits of this very methodical approach.
Overall, I really felt that the work I did with Avalis was going to have an impact, particularly as the Avalis team showed us their business plan and described how our work would be incorporated as they moved forward. In this way, I not only learned new skills, but I also felt that the internship was rewarding because my work would hopefully be contributing towards Avalis’ goal of making all companies accessible for disabled people. For me, this was a really positive first internship experience and I would definitely recommend Avalis as a great company to apply to for an internship.
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