Many employers want to build a more accessible and inclusive workplace. They want to hire more inclusively, support employees with disabilities, improve accommodation processes, and remove barriers across the employee experience.
But one question often gets missed:
How do you know where your workplace actually stands?
Accessibility is not only about having good intentions. It is about understanding the barriers that may exist in your systems, policies, spaces, technology, communication, recruitment practices, and workplace culture. Without measurement, accessibility work can become reactive, inconsistent, or focused only on the most visible barriers.
Measuring accessibility gives employers a clearer starting point. It helps organizations identify what is working, where gaps exist, and what actions should come next.
Here are five reasons every employer should be measuring accessibility in their workplace.
1. Measurement helps you move beyond good intentions
Many organizations care about accessibility, but caring is not the same as knowing.
An employer may believe their workplace is inclusive because they have an accommodation policy, a diversity statement, or a commitment to accessible hiring. Those are important, but they do not always show whether employees and candidates can fully participate in practice.
Measurement helps employers look at accessibility more clearly. It asks questions such as:
- Are candidates told how to request accessibility supports during recruitment?
- Are managers confident responding to accommodation requests?
- Are workplace communications available in accessible formats?
- Are employees with disabilities able to participate in training, advancement, and workplace culture?
When employers measure accessibility, they move from “we value inclusion” to “we understand where barriers may exist and what we need to do next.”
2. Measurement helps you identify hidden barriers
Some accessibility barriers are easy to notice. A building without an accessible entrance, a video without captions, or a document that cannot be read by a screen reader may be easier to identify.
Other barriers are less visible.
A job posting may unintentionally discourage applicants with disabilities. An interview process may rely on assumptions about communication style. A workplace policy may not explain how disability-related information is kept private. A manager may want to be supportive but not know how to respond when an employee discloses a disability.
These barriers often remain hidden until an employee or candidate experiences them directly.
Measurement helps employers find these barriers before they cause harm. It gives organizations a structured way to examine the full employment experience, including recruitment, hiring, onboarding, accommodation, retention, advancement, and workplace culture.
This matters because accessibility is not only about physical spaces. It is about the systems people move through every day.
3. Measurement helps you prioritize action
Accessibility can feel overwhelming when everything seems important.
Employers may ask:
- Where do we start?
- What should we fix first?
- What will have the biggest impact?
- How do we know if we are making progress?
Measurement helps turn a broad goal into a practical plan. Instead of trying to address everything at once, employers can identify the areas where action is most needed.
For example, one workplace may discover that its recruitment process is strong, but its accommodation process is unclear. Another may have good policies, but limited manager training. Another may have leadership commitment, but no way to track whether employees with disabilities are experiencing barriers.
When employers measure accessibility, they can focus their time, budget, and energy where it matters most.
4. Measurement supports compliance and readiness
Accessibility expectations for employers are growing across Canada. Many organizations are thinking about accessibility legislation, employment standards, human rights obligations, and how to prepare for future requirements.
But compliance is easier to manage when employers understand their current state.
AccessPath, for example, is built on Accessibility Standards Canada’s Employment Standard and helps employers measure employment accessibility, complete five assessments, receive scores, identify gaps, and access resources aligned with the standard.
This kind of measurement gives employers a clearer view of how closely their current practices align with emerging accessibility expectations. It can also help organizations prepare for accessibility planning, reporting, and continuous improvement.
The goal is not only to avoid risk. The goal is to build workplaces where accessibility is part of everyday decision-making.
5. Measurement shows that accessibility is a workforce strategy
Accessibility is often treated as a compliance issue or a one-time project. But accessible workplaces are also better positioned to attract, hire, retain, and support talent.
This matters in a labour market where employers cannot afford to overlook qualified candidates. Research and sector commentary continue to point to the employment gap experienced by people with disabilities and the economic opportunity of improving access to work. One Untapped Talent thought leadership piece frames accessibility as a competitiveness strategy, not simply an act of goodwill.
Measurement helps employers treat accessibility with the same seriousness as other workforce priorities. Organizations regularly measure recruitment, retention, engagement, performance, and productivity. Accessibility should be part of that same conversation.
When employers measure accessibility, they can ask better questions:
- Are people with disabilities represented across our workforce?
- Are employees able to access the supports they need?
- Are candidates experiencing barriers before they even apply?
- Are managers equipped to lead accessible teams?
- Are we improving over time?
These questions help accessibility become part of how the organization works, not something separate from the business.
How employers can start measuring accessibility
The best place to start is with a structured assessment.
A strong accessibility assessment should help employers examine more than one policy or process. It should look across the employment experience and help identify practical next steps.
That is where AccessPath can help.
AccessPath is a free online tool from Untapped Talent that helps employers assess and improve workplace accessibility. Through five self-directed assessments, employers can receive scores, identify gaps, and access resources to support improvement.
For employers that are not sure where to begin, AccessPath provides a clear starting point. For employers already doing accessibility work, it can help validate progress and identify what still needs attention.
Accessibility improves when it is measured
Workplace accessibility does not happen by accident. It requires reflection, structure, action, and accountability.
Measurement helps employers understand where they are today and where they need to go next. It helps organizations move beyond broad commitments and toward meaningful progress.
An accessible workplace is not built through one policy, one training session, or one accommodation request. It is built through ongoing attention to the barriers that affect employees and candidates.
The first step is knowing what those barriers are.
Ready to see where your workplace stands? Start with AccessPath and measure your organization’s employment accessibility today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to measure workplace accessibility?
Measuring workplace accessibility means reviewing your policies, practices, systems, spaces, communication, and employee experience to identify barriers that may affect candidates and employees with disabilities.
Why should employers measure accessibility?
Employers should measure accessibility so they can identify gaps, prioritize action, support compliance readiness, improve inclusion, and track progress over time.
How can employers start measuring accessibility?
Employers can start by completing a structured workplace accessibility assessment such as AccessPath, which helps organizations assess employment accessibility and identify practical next steps.
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