Empowering Inclusion through Accessibility

When Anthony Moufarrege discusses accessibility, his words are infused with the depth of personal experience. As the Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator at Australia Post, and someone who lives with Cerebral Palsy, mild dystonia, and dyslexia, Moufarrege has a profound understanding of the significant impact that even minor workplace adjustments can have.

"There’s a common misconception that workplace adjustments need to be substantial or complex, but even small changes can have a profound effect on an individual with a disability," he explains. "These adjustments can provide equal opportunities, enabling individuals to thrive alongside their able-bodied peers."

For instance, while many people may appreciate the obvious benefits of AI, such as meeting recaps and the ability to ask follow-up questions, for someone with a physical disability who has relied on speech-to-text to transcribe meeting notes from memory, the impact is far more significant.

For Moufarrege, generative AI tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot are not just productivity enhancers, but also enablers of inclusion and empowerment.

Personal Experience with AI

Anthony Moufarrege, Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator, Australia Post

"As someone with dyslexia, I find Copilot’s grammar-checking feature invaluable, as it helps me ensure my work is grammatically correct, allowing me to efficiently produce professional and polished outputs," he explains.

"I no longer need to allocate extra time after meetings to organize my notes and thoughts, as I can query meeting transcripts at any time, which also reduces the mental load that neurodiverse individuals like myself often experience."

Moufarrege shares how Copilot has opened up communication for his colleagues who are deaf or have a hearing disability, both in virtual meetings and in-person.

"It wasn’t a use case I initially thought of, but when meeting with these colleagues in person, I talk into the Copilot app on my phone, and it will relay the message in text," said Moufarrege.

Implementation and Expansion

Australia Post began adopting Copilot in October 2023 as part of Microsoft’s Early Access Program (EAP), which included members of its Accessibility Matters Employee Resource Group. After a successful trial, Australia Post has now expanded to 3,000 licenses.

Copilot is also now offered within Australia Post’s Workplace Adjustment program, which ensures that all team members have access to a simple and dignified process for accessing adjustments to support them in their careers.

Empowering Individuality and Innovation

Julian Ockford, a Rail Operations Planner at professional services company GHD, has dyslexia and would previously struggle with writing tasks such as emails or reports. Using Copilot has helped him write with more clarity and confidence, while the AI tool learns his individual style of communication, which Ockford values for its authenticity.

"I’m also feeling more prepared for meetings than previously, as I can use AI to quickly search across all organizational content and conversations to ensure I haven’t missed anything," said Ockford.

"Recently, I had to create a technical safety report. Instead of spending a lot of time searching through past documents, which can be overwhelming, particularly for neurodiverse individuals, I used Copilot to review similar reports and summarize them into a new, simplified template. This included all the key clauses, saving me hours or even days of work, but most significantly reducing the mental load that I often experience."

Creating an Inclusive Environment

GHD’s Chief Technology Officer, Andrew Kaddatz, says the company is focused on creating an environment that enables every employee to thrive, including those with accessibility and neurodiversity needs, as well as individuals with temporary disabilities.

Kaddatz explains that the company has adopted a facilitation-led model, rather than prescribing how tools like Copilot should be used.

"Our team includes many curious individuals, particularly scientists and engineers, who thrive on self-led exploration," said Kaddatz. "The freedom to experiment and share their experiences creates a sense of pride and collaboration. It’s this flexibility that’s driving many of the wellbeing and accessibility benefits we’re seeing from Copilot."

Authenticity and Identity

However, Principal Geotechnical Engineer at GHD, Martin Griffin, cautions that AI use shouldn’t diminish an individual’s identity at work.

"When Copilot first became available, I was cautious, as I consider my different way of thinking as a superpower and what’s uniquely me that I can bring to the team and to solving problems," said Griffin.

"I am a visual thinker, so I usually start with an image or mindmap and build text around it. One use case that I’ve found interesting is using Copilot to convert PowerPoint content into Word or vice versa, while quickly shortening or lengthening it to work with how I think."

Putting People First

The potential of generative AI to create more accessible and inclusive workplaces is especially critical in Australia, where 5.5 million people – more than 21% of the population – live with a disability.

"The best advice I can offer is to listen to your people," said Moufarrege. "When they have the opportunity to share their experiences and express how vital workplace adjustments are to their success, we can drive meaningful change that enables us to have the same opportunities as everyone else."