There are four key factors that allow for an accessible and welcoming environment for people with disabilities.

• Leadership commitment. Senior leaders in particular need to be committed to change in order to shift the culture 
• Diversity and inclusion champions. Champions lead change and can be used to carry the message of inclusion
• A long-term sustainable plan for inclusion. This includes a vision to educate and raise awareness among employees, review employment systems to ensure that the needs of employees with disabilities are identified and met. As well, a structured plan will help hold managers accountable for their efforts to create an inclusive work environment 
• The ability to enable any policies and practices that are conceived within the organization. Diversity and inclusion will fall short without the implementation of long term plans and policies.

Every employee is different, with unique abilities and needs. As such, all employees, with or without disabilities, require accommodations of some sort. Most of the time, accommodations for employees with an intellectual disability or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) do not cost your business anything at all. Common accommodations are simple workplace modifications or assistive technology. As an employer, you are legally required to accommodate employees with disabilities to the point of undue hardship.