HR, finance and purchasing system replacement: equality impact assessment

4. Accessibility

Of particular relevance for accessibility are disabled staff, Assistive Technology users, and neurodiverse staff.

• Disabled staff: the new system, combined where necessary with additional software or adjustments, should not create barriers for disabled staff. Scottish Government is committed to the approach of the Social Model of Disability. This states that it is not a person’s disability that creates barriers but systems, practices and policies so the intention is to work to remove these barriers wherever possible.
• Assistive Technology Users: There are 300 Assistive Technology users in core Scottish Government and a further 200 in relevant Agencies. Six pieces of software are used as Assistive Technology in Scottish Government - Dragon, JAWS, Zoomtext, Global Autocorrect, TextHelp, ClaroRead, and Screen Ruler. Existing systems are cumbersome for non-Assistive Technology users but the user experience is markedly worse for Assistive Technology users.
• Neurodiverse colleagues: There are around 500 staff in the Neurodiverse Peer Support Group and many other neurodiverse staff who are not part of that group. The new system, combined where necessary with additional software or adjustments, should not create barriers for them.

The new system and improvements brought in around it such as training and technology provisioning should enable a more diverse and inclusive culture. This feeds into both our Employer Equality Outcomes:

1. The Scottish Government’s workforce increases in diversity to reflect the general Scottish population by 2025

2. By 2025, workforce culture will be more inclusive with employees from all backgrounds and characteristics and experiences reporting they feel increasingly valued

There are significant corporate commitments to inclusion. One of the five values of “In The Service of Scotland” is that “We are inclusive” and there is a Diversity and Inclusion Strategy underpinned by an action plan.