Today, more than ever, it is important for people with disabilities to be knowledgeable about opportunities in the workplace. As we approach the 29th Anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), we know that while some great changes have happened in our country, when it comes to the area of employment, the needle has moved very little. The unemployment rate for people with disabilities remains higher than that of any other group in America, with it being twice that of people without disabilities, with approximately 70% of people with disabilities falling outside the labor force.
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With over 20 years of experience focused on disability employment opportunities, hosting an internet, talk-radio show on disability issues, Disability Matters, and traveling with the U.S. State Department to other countries to talk about disability employment issues, I have come to know one truth – stigma is what stands between people with disabilities and competitive employment. Stigma is an insidious thing that infiltrates even the most open-minded of people, when it is reinforced by years of being presented as ‘truth.’ It affects how family members and friends treat their loved ones, how societies interact with and communicate with their citizens, how educators and employers view their students’ and applicants’ potential, and often even how people with disabilities view themselves. Stigma creates a divide that touches everyone and mars the perception of people with disabilities.
This is true for people with visible and hidden disabilities. I am a woman living with epilepsy and a hearing loss. I have had people come up to me many times, to tell me how sorry they feel for me or assure me that they could never tell that I have ‘something wrong with me.’ It is stigma that causes these reactions of others when they learn I have a disability. In one of my trips with the State Department, a story was shared with me that I will never forget; in their country, not long ago, when a person with epilepsy had a seizure in public, the spot where they fell when experiencing convulsions would be outlined so that others in society would know that they should avoid stepping in that area, in case they might catch epilepsy. It is not true that a person can catch epilepsy from another, let alone do so by stepping where a person had a seizure; yet this myth was perpetuated in this culture by long standing actions of its people. While they no longer do this, the stigma surrounding epilepsy remains. People with epilepsy are not seen as equal to other members of society.
In the United States, we see similar legacies of stigma affect how we interact with our citizens with disabilities. Societal myths, long debunked through science about people with disabilities, still feed bias about how people with disabilities are viewed. Historically, people with disabilities have been viewed through a ‘medical model.’ This model of viewing people with disabilities is focused on diagnosis, symptoms, and cure of the disability and does not address ‘quality of life.’ It wasn’t until the 1900’s that a movement started to reevaluate that mode of thinking and began building a ‘social model’ that addresses how people with disabilities are viewed as a culture within our society. Even today though, many still cling to that medical model mentality, and miss the strengths, talents, and contributions of our citizens with disabilities.
For people with non-visible disabilities like me, including those who have mental health disabilities, people living with HIV, cancer survivors, people living with Crohn’s, individuals with neurodiverse backgrounds and people living with heart disease or diabetes, we are told to hide our disability and disassociate with the disability community. This advice, we are told, is to protect us, but it also silences us, removes our sense of community and isolates us. The behavior of society promotes feelings of shame and a lack of self-efficacy. I believe it is important to embrace those things that define us, to demonstrate through our actions and our character who we are and what it means to be a person with a disability. It is important to feel pride in our successes, persevere over those who wish to hold us back, and remain diligent in protecting our rights and the rights of others who share in our community.
There are things happening in America right now that I believe have the potential to change the trajectory for employment success for people with disabilities in our country. That change in mentality is one that I have been sharing with my customers and colleagues for years: hiring people with disabilities makes good business sense. Just like any other social group in our country, the disability community is filled with talents that have the potential to positively impact the bottom line of a company.
Due to leadership from Ted Kennedy, Jr., Disability:IN and AAPD, the Disability Equality Index (DEI) has already made strides toward educating employers on the benefits of accessing this talent pool. This survey allows a company to evaluate their disability inclusion practices and policies to determine success and areas of improvement. Studies on corporate participants of the DEI have shown that employers who have excellence in disability inclusion within their organization outperform and make more money than their counterparts who are not hiring people with disabilities. In response to this study, investors responsible for billions of dollars in the United States are asking companies what their plan is for inclusion of people with disabilities in the workforce.
The release of the DEI study by Accenture, on companies employing people with disabilities quickly followed announcements from OFCCP that for the first time disability inclusion and adherence to 503 would be a part of focused reviews that are even now being conducted in the United States. What do these 503 Focused Reviews mean? It means that companies who receive federal funding or hold contracts supporting or servicing federal agencies will be asked to account for their activities with regards to disability hiring affirmative action regulations. Failure to comply with Section 503 can mean loss of funding for federal contractors.
What does this mean for people with disabilities? It means that more and more companies are going to be looking to be inclusive of individuals with disabilities in the workforce as they understand the benefits of hiring people with disabilities as well as the potential revenue loss of not complying with OFCCP regulations. It means that disability hiring will be directly related to profit, with companies who are not hiring people with disabilities left behind.
For people with disabilities, now is the time to act in identifying disability friendly employers and opportunities for advancement for people with disabilities. Knowing how to identify employers with disability hiring programs and companies established success in hiring and inclusion of people with disabilities is the first step.
To get started, I recommend accessing the DEI’s list of Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion. This list shows companies who received a score of 80 or higher on the DEI. Use this as a starting point to identify companies that are practicing excellence in disability inclusion. Take time to research these companies online to learn more about which companies fit with your personal beliefs and values and to learn more about what opportunities they have that may match with your personal career goals.
When researching the company and considering employment with the organization, ask questions that let you know more about the culture of the organization. Do they have a public diversity statement that includes disability? Do they have an employee resource network that includes resources that fit with your interests? Is there a disability group within that network? What philanthropic endeavors do they support? Are there opportunities to become involved in supporting those organizations or issues you are most passionate about? Is disability a part of this initiative? Does the company support supplier diversity, including certified disability-owned businesses?
It is important for people with disabilities to be aware of options available to them with regards to accommodations and workplace solutions some employers make available to their employees with disabilities, especially for employees with non-visible disabilities like HIV. When it comes to making accommodations, it falls to the employee to initiate these discussions in most organizations. Being knowledgeable about some of the industry best practices in this area can help an employee who has gained a disability or is looking to reenter the workforce to navigate these conversations successfully.
Some common accommodations that companies may consider that meet the needs of individuals living with HIV include:
Ergonomic Workspace
For individuals dealing with fatigue or whose disability has impacted their mobility or stamina may find an increase in productivity by ensuring their workspace allows for them to have extra supports. This could include a sit-stand desk, ergonomic mouse or keyboard, or a stand-lean stool.
Lighting & Magnification
Providing lighting that decreases eye strain is a common accommodation for people whose disability affects their vision. This could be providing access to more natural lighting, covers for fluorescent light tubes, blinds or shades that can be adjusted by the employee, glasses that block blue lights, or the ability to adjust screen lighting on computer or tablet screens.
Some amount of screen magnification is often built into computers. Working with technical support can optimize these functions for an employee. Additional tools and software can also be a resource for an employee who is experiencing vision loss.
Workspace Personalization
Many companies will allow some amount of workspace personalization to accommodate a variety of needs of their employees with disabilities. Some common items that employees have set up in their cubicles or office space have included small, personal refrigerators to store food items to meet specialized dietary needs and prevent cross-contamination with coworkers’ foods, space heaters, electric blankets or portable fans for individuals who are sensitive to temperature change, and air cleaners or purifiers for people who have respiratory considerations.
Job Sharing or Schedule Flexibility
Another practice that some employers are using is to allow employees to job share or work flexible schedules. In these instances, the employer will typically identify core hours of availability allowing for the opportunity to work the remainder on an adjustable schedule to meet the changing needs of their disability.
Remote Employment
As the world becomes more immersed in a digital environment that spans time zones and countries, many employees, both with and without disabilities, have been offered the opportunity to work some or all of their time remotely or from home.
The potential for people with disabilities to kick-start and accelerate their career is growing. I encourage anyone with a disability, visible or hidden, to take advantage of opportunities our current climate presents and to learn more about what accommodations may afford them the opportunity to remain in or reenter the workforce. By arming ourselves with information, we can have an open dialogue with employers who are increasingly looking for solutions to include the talents available in the disability community. For more information on possible accommodations that can meet your individual needs, I encourage you to visit the Job Accommodation Network (JAN).
Disclaimer: Guest blogs do not necessarily reflect the views of the ADAP Advocacy Association, but rather they provide a neutral platform whereby the author serves to promote open, honest discussion about public health-related issues and updates.
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