The perceptions (or misperceptions) held by employers can limit or prevent people with disabilities from entering the formal workforce. This excludes millions from the formal workforce. To truly empower people with disabilities in the workforce, employers need to rethink disability.
A common misperception is that people with disabilities are unable to pursue formal work because of their disability. In fact, many people with disabilities are able and eager to work. In many cases, it is the environment or attitudes of employers and fellow employees that limit the individual. Speaking at the June QASA Employment Workshop, disability inclusion specialist Lesa Bradshaw, said: “There are many things that disables the individual beyond their physical disability.”
Environmental or physical barriers can be addressed by making reasonable accommodations that directly impacts on the employee’s ability to perform their work. The necessary accommodations will depend on the individual’s need and the job requirements. Employers should also consider the barriers that extend beyond the actual job and formal work environment. What barriers might your employee experience on their way to work? Can potential employees with disabilities apply and interview for the position? How they be accommodated when they advance in their position?
Often, a little flexibility can go a long way to accommodating the employee. Consider for example how flexi hours or remote work can accommodate employees with disabilities who battle to get to work because of inaccessible public transport.
Addressing attitudinal barriers are, arguably, more challenging. People often make assumptions or have a perception of what an individual with a specific disability can do. Lesa shared: “If we decide what a person with a particular disability can do, we ignore the abilities of the individuals.”
Employers, for example, might set aside a position that they believe would be appropriate for the person with a disability; perhaps something they can succeed in. However, this doesn’t consider whether the individual has an interest in the position or a desire to pursue a career. This can great impact on the individual’s motivation, and the company’s retention of employees.
The assumption of what the employee can do can also overlook their individual skills or experience. Two people with the same disability by definition will have very different experiences and things that disables them. For example, both individuals could be completely deaf, but one learned to lip-read while another focused on learning sign language. Each will face different obstacles in their job.
Lesa cautioned businesses: “Businesses get stuck on thinking that they should be disability experts rather than just having a conversation with the individual.” By directly speaking to the employee, or potential employee, businesses can best learn the obstacles that they might face, better understand the best ways to accommodate them, or even find a solution together. For example, someone with limited hand movement might battle to type, but already have software that allows them to type through speech, thus negating the need for the businesses to accommodate them.
With small accommodations and consulting with potential employees, businesses can go a long way towards including more people with disabilities in the workforce.
