The Open Doors Project – Increasing disability awareness in WA’s business community

The Open Doors Project aims to transform business and retail environments into welcoming hubs by challenging stereotypes of people living with disability and, at the same time, fostering economic growth and building more inclusive communities. 

Through the project, we’re partnering with small and big businesses across Western Australia. Our goal is to raise awareness of people with disability and offer professional development around inclusive customer experience to participating businesses. 

If you have got your doors open, why not open them a little bit wider to include people with disability?

This innovative project supports Western Australia’s State Disability Strategy goals, with a specific focus on:

• Increasing disability awareness, particularly focusing on the inclusion of people with communication and intellectual disability.
• Growing social and economic participation of people living with disability.
• Contributing to positive community attitudes about disability and diversity in participating communities.
• Boost feelings of community safety.
• Enhance community pride.

The Open Doors Project provides business and retail owners with practical tools to create genuinely welcoming environments. This ensures that everyone can enjoy and contribute to their community, both socially and economically.

How to Create an Inclusive Customer Experience: Free Resources to Support Your Business and Organisation

Creating a welcoming and safe environment isn’t only the right thing to do, it also makes good business sense! Discover simple and cost-effective ways to make your business, organisation, or retail environment more inclusive of people with disability.

Guidebook

Boost your disability awareness and confidence in supporting customers with disability. This guidebook covers:

• Financial and reputational benefits of inclusive business practices
• Strategies to improve physical access
• Tips for flexible business practices to boost disability inclusion
• Inclusive marketing and communication
• Case study and helpful resources

Download guidebook

Checklists and Action Plan

Easy-to-use set of checklists and action plan designed to help you on your inclusion journey. These checklists and action plan cover:

• Physical accessibility
• Communication and digital accessibility
• Customer service and business practices
• Access and inclusion plan

Download checklists and action plan

Get the most out of your guidebook, checklists, and action plan

1. Guidebook: Our guidebook is the best place to start educating yourself and your team on disability awareness and learn great tips to become more accessible and inclusive of customers with disability.
2. Checklists: Use our checklists to reflect on your current business practices: what items on the list are you doing and not doing? You might discover you already have some inclusive practices in place without knowing it!
3. Action Plan: The action plan helps you set goals. Prioritise smaller tasks that are realistic and easy for your business to implement. There are many simple and effective ways to increase accessibility and inclusion in your business – and the ripple effects can be enormous!
4. Invest in training: If you need additional support or guidance, explore our trainings on Inclusive Customer Service and Creating an Accessible and Inclusive Business.

If you have any questions about this social impact project, please contact Anne Marliac at [email protected] or call (08) 9443 7226.

Discover how to create an inclusive and accessible business!

We offer a range of training options to support your business and organisation.

View trainings

This project is delivered by Inclusion Solution and funded by the Department of Communities.