Opening doors for inclusion in Audit roles: How the Audit Industry can create an accessible infrastructure and welcomes people with disabilities within the field of Audit
WHO (World Health Organization) states that 16% of the global population suffers from some form of disability. It could be physical, emotional, intellectual, or mental impairment. Many of these people are unemployed. However, the world is becoming more and more inclusive. Today, employee opportunities for differently abled individuals are higher than ever.
Opening doors for inclusion in Audit roles
Many industries have come forward to make their workforce more inclusive. But one prominent industry is audit. It has improved its policies to promote inclusivity and recruit people with disabilities. Now, differently abled persons are working in different positions in the audit industry.
Let’s take a detailed look at this subject in this comprehensive guide!
Challenges of People with Disabilities in the Audit Industry
Before going to the bright side, let’s discuss the challenges that differently abled individuals face in the workplace. Later in this guide, we will also discuss the solutions that many companies offer to eliminate these problems. Let’s find out!
Unfacilitated Environment
This might be the biggest problem faced by people with disabilities. Many differently abled individuals have openly raised their voices against the lack of facilities. That also includes a company’s unfacilitated infrastructure. Some common examples are the lack of lifts, wheelchair space, visual aids, hearing assistance, and signage.
Today, most companies make their infrastructure more accessible to everyone. Now, you will find options like wheelchair maneuvering spaces and gender-neutral toilets at almost every workplace. That said, some other accessible environmental facilities are still missing.
Non-inclusive Policies
The last decade saw a rise in the inclusion of people with disabilities in different work fields, including audit. Many other industries have revamped their policies to make them more diverse. However, it wasn’t always like that and still isn’t in many workplaces.
The lack of proper legislation and policies can affect people with disabilities. They might feel cornered as most companies don’t hire differently abled individuals in leadership positions. However, schemes and programs like financial inclusion have been effective in empowering employees with disabilities in higher job positions.
How the Audit Industry Facilitates People with Disabilities?
We have seen the challenges that people with disabilities face in the audit industry. Now, let’s see the businesses’ perspective on how they have evolved with inclusivity.
Infrastructure Changes
Most modern businesses are created with an accessible infrastructure. That means creating a smooth surface for wheelchair users and physically impaired people. Additionally, many audit offices have upgraded their buildings with lifts for more effortless mobility.
Better Transport
Transport facilities are also provided in the audit industry to people with disabilities. This way, employees can quickly come to the workplace and back home. Businesses now select more inclusive transport options. Additionally, they assign specific parking spots to their differently abled employees.
Use of Technology
Technology has been a driving force in industry. It can automate accounting tasks that would otherwise consume effort and resources. Businesses also facilitate their employees with the work-from-home framework. Generally, that helps physically and mentally impaired people to get work done more effectively. It also benefits those businesses that don’t have facilitated transport services.
More Inclusive Policies
The HR departments of audit offices have adopted more inclusive policies. They have people with disabilities working from top to bottom level. Since this industry does require frequent employee movement, audit offices can assist their employees with onsite facilities.
Offices also create a representative for their employees with disabilities. They often conduct feedback from physically and mentally impaired people to improve their policies. This shift in the policy helps eliminate discrimination against differently abled individuals. In a friendly environment, they can work and grow more efficiently.
Accessible Hiring Process
The hiring process for employees with disabilities isn’t the same as an ordinary one. Audit offices have taken a friendlier and more accessible approach to recruiting differently abled individuals. They have job openings, especially for marginalized groups. Moreover, the interview and testing sessions are handled by people with experience working with people with disabilities.
The HR department also asks employees to disclose their disability during the interview. Hence, the office can create facilities and help these people.
How Can Employees with Disabilities Work in Audit?
Employees with disabilities can work in the audit industry in various positions. Here are some job opportunities for differently abled people in audit:
Auditing
The primary purpose of an audit office is, well, auditing. This job position doesn’t require movement, making it suitable for physically and mentally impaired people. An audit job position requires an individual to be good at finance. The main responsibility in this position is to monitor and organize a company’s financial accounts.
An audit office or auditor supervises the financial techniques of a business. They are also responsible for identifying fraud and other suspicious activities. Luckily, these tasks only require you to sit behind a desk and review a company’s accounts, files, and papers.
IT Support
Modern audit offices rely on IT services to gain higher efficiency. Various tools and techniques are available in the accountancy industry to automate their processes, like data collection. These accounting software and technologies also open doors for employees with disabilities. They can utilize these tools to make their workload more manageable.
Employees with disabilities often use IT audit checklists and risk metrics to assess a company’s financial performance. Much of the audit software is also available and can be made specifically for an office, considering its requirements. This job position is ideal for people with disabilities as modern technology makes auditing tasks accessible.
HR Department
The HR department is responsible for supervising the audit office’s human resources: the employees. As mentioned earlier, it is also the role of HR officers to create inclusive workplace policies.
But how can they do that? Well, they can have differently abled individuals on their team. This way, they can have a group representing the entire audit office.
Moreover, an HR team with people with disabilities will make informed decisions about the physically impaired employees in its workforce.
Why Should People with Disabilities Work in Audit?
The audit industry is very suitable for people with disabilities. But why is that? Let’s find out.
Manageable Workload
The activities in an audit office are manageable by people with disabilities. An auditor can excel at their job if they have a firm grip on finance and mathematics. Moreover, a senior audit officer supervises the team that reviews a company’s financial accounts.
Using technologies and tools, you can make this job even more accessible. Plus, a facilitated workplace will empower you to work more effectively. As a result, you will get the hang of the audit industry in no time.
Job Incentives & Programs
Developing and industrialized countries offer various job programs to people with disabilities. The audit industry has seen a significant increase in these incentives. An excellent example is the Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) by the US Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment.
Similarly, many other programs are available that offer selective job positions specifically to people with disabilities, veterans, and other marginalized groups.
Job Offerings
We have established the fact that working in an audit office isn’t challenging for people with disabilities. In fact, it is one of the most accessible and suitable workplaces for the differently abled. And that is further elevated with the lucrative job offerings. You might be surprised the average salary of an auditor is $66,447 yearly. The best part is that this number doesn’t include commissions, overtime payments, and salary bonuses.
Additionally, these jobs don’t require people with a strong resume. People with a bachelor’s degree in math’s or finance are suitable for audit jobs. This position demands an individual with finance, communications, problem-solving, presentation, and decision-making skills.
Remote Audits
As mentioned earlier, working from home is an excellent incentive for people with disabilities. It empowers them to work in a familiar environment with their required facilities. Luckily, remote audits are a thing!
Remote auditing has become increasingly popular in the industry. It doesn’t require the auditor to present on the company grounds physically. Instead, they can connect with a business via video conference tools like Zoom and Skype.
Additionally, cloud accounting and online storage tools help collect the essential files for the audit. You can ask a company to send all the required documents via email, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.
To Empower Others
The unemployment rate in the differently abled community is significantly high. That is because of the lack of education and inclusive job opportunities. However, the world is now realizing the potential of hiring employees with disabilities. The stereotyping and discrimination in the workplace are coming to an end.
Working in the audit industry is one of the better opportunities for a person with disabilities. They can benefit the office with their creative problem-solving skills and contribution to the team. At the same time, they empower unemployed individuals with physical or mental impairments. Ultimately, this benefits the entire country’s economy and minimizes poverty.
FAQs
What is an accessibility audit?
An accessibility audit is an assessment to eliminate barriers that will make a workplace inaccessible for people with disabilities. The goal of this audit is to promote inclusivity and create a diverse environment. It aims to achieve facilities in workplaces, transport services, and other institutions that can make them accessible to the differently abled population.
How to make an inclusive work policy?
The key to an inclusive workplace policy is having representation from marginalized groups. That means hiring an employee with a disability in the HR team. They can develop policies and legislation that make the workplace accessible for differently abled people. Moreover, providing facilities and acting against discrimination and stereotyping can help make your audit office more inclusive.
How can a person with a disability work in audit?
The audit industry is inclusive of people with disabilities. Look for job opportunities and openings in an office in your country. You may also find special programs and incentives in different audit offices. Make sure to present your proof of disability during the hiring process. You can work as an auditor, IT specialist, or HR administrator in the audit industry.
Which countries have the best guidelines for people with disabilities?
Europe is ranked the highest for having countries with the best accessibility standards and guidelines. According to a survey by UN Women, European countries have friendlier legislation and policies for people with disabilities. They also offer increasingly more facilities and services, maintaining their highest rank.
Which technologies can a person with a disability use for auditing?
The audit industry has transformed itself by implementing technological advancements. Individuals with disabilities can benefit from this factor by making their tasks more efficient and streamlined. Remote auditing tools include video conference apps like Skype and Zoom, document-sharing, and storage apps like email and Google Drive. Furthermore, audit software, checklists, and data collection tools can further enhance the work experience for people with disabilities.
How can the audit industry be more accessible to people with disabilities?
The audit industry is becoming increasingly more inclusive to people with disabilities. However, some facilities are yet to be included for more accessibility. The first step is facilitated transport services with an accessible infrastructure equipped with lifts, wheelchair spaces, ramps, etc. Another step is to utilize technologies and adopt the work-from-home framework. Inclusive policies, incentives, and better job offerings will enable people with disabilities to join the workforce.
Conclusion
Are you ready to work in the audit industry? Or are you a business owner looking to hire people with disabilities? The best part is that workplace inclusivity benefits both. The latter can make their audit office more credible, promote diversity, and send a positive message to empower the unemployed differently abled population. An audit office can increase its productivity and creativity by expanding its workforce with employees with disabilities.
On the other hand, a working example of an employee with a disability is a success story for the discriminated marginalized groups. Their success stories can attract unemployed individuals to join the audit industry, ultimately benefiting the national economy.
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