Jessica PingYou don’t need to be a hiring manager to encourage a diverse work environment.
Keep reading to learn more about disability representation in the workplace and how YOU can help to improve it!
Disability representation in the workplace is seriously lacking.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was only founded in 1990, specifically says the following:
“No qualified individual with a disability shall, on the basis of disability, be subjected to discrimination in employment under any service, program, or activity conducted by a public entity”
Yet, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2019, “across all educational attainment groups, unemployment rates for persons with a disability were higher than those for persons without a disability.”
Additionally, only 19.3% of the disabled population was employed in 2019 compared with 66.3% of non-disabled people. – BLS (This number is worse for black, disabled individuals)
*Disclosure: There are affiliate links in the following article, meaning that, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using the links, I will receive a small commission.
I love educating others on topics of disability, I can only continue to do that with your help. If you’d like to support my intellectual labor, please consider using the button below to make a donation via Paypal.
What does this mean for disability representation in the workplace?
It means that, regardless of whether or not companies are being actively discriminatory towards disabled job seekers, there is still a huge divide that needs to be addressed.
The list below, though important, is not exhaustive. Obviously, the numbers are not going to change overnight. But, even if only a handful of companies/organizations took just one of the steps below, the benefits could drastically improve the current circumstances and set off a chain reaction, encouraging other competitors to follow suit.
1. PUSH FOR WIDESPREAD ACCESSIBILITY IN THE OFFICE
Are there stairs leading into your office park? How reliable are the elevators? Do you have a wheelchair-friendly toilet on-site?
If you gave the unsatisfactory answer to any of the above questions, this is a great place to start. Disability representation MUST start with accessibility. If the world is not accessible to us, how on earth are we to be represented?
When interviewing for on-location jobs, I am always forced to disclose that I am in a wheelchair. Why? Because I need to ensure I can enter the building if I am considering working for a company!
While I have never been told that a building is inaccessible, the interviewer almost always becomes uncomfortable. I can hear their concern through the phone as they start to worry about all of the small tweaks they will have to make around the office.
Even small changes like moving the garbage bin to a new location can make employers nervous.
If companies and organizations already had an accessible layout in place, here are the two things that would happen:
- I wouldn’t have to worry about disclosing my disability too early in the interview process, potentially harming my chances of moving forward to the next step
- Hiring someone with a disability wouldn’t be such a daunting “risk” for employers.
2. HIRE DISABLED FREELANCERS/ARTISTS
Outsourcing work is a fairly normal practice in all industries.
Due to the accessibility problem listed above, many people with disabilities have turned to freelance work as their primary source of income.
We are out here, and we are NUMEROUS.
Many of the jobs that companies outsource are the types of work people with disabilities specialize in.
Additionally, if you are looking to diversify your workspace, this is a great place to start. Not only will you be including the disabled perspective, no matter how minute, in your brand, but you will also be helping a small business owner grow and prosper.
3. DESTIGMATIZE WORKING FROM HOME BEYOND COVID-19
For years, people with disabilities have been asking employers if they could work from home. Most of the time, the answer was no.
Now, thanks to Covid-19, working remotely is the new norm. Jobs that people with disabilties were told couldn’t be done remotely are now being done 100% online.
Obviously, desperate times call for desperate measures, as the saying goes. But, employers, please note: we noticed. As you profess the ease of working from home during this pandemic, please remember how easy it will continue to be after a vaccine is distributed
I wrote a guest blog post on this topic for STORYTALE, a blog that tells women’s stories from around the world. Check it out: COVID-19 Normalized Working From Home, Will People With Disabilities Now Have A Seat At The Table?
Introducing a work from home option for your non-disabled employees, even if it’s only a few days a week, could make all the difference in the world.
4. DIVERSIFY YOUR MEDIA CAMPAIGNS
Think of your favorite brand. Have they ever used a disabled model in an ad campaign? I didn’t think so.
61 million Americans, or 1 in 4 adults, have a disability – CDC. That means, in order for the media to accurately represent societies diverse nature, 1 in 4 adults on screen, be it TV or a social media ad, should have a disability.
The media is not even close to meeting that statistic.
Think of your own company. When was the last time you featured someone with a disability on your website, Instagram, or other content platform. If your answer is “I don’t know” or “never,” it’s time to make some changes.
5. CREATE A SAFE SPACE TO TALK ABOUT DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN THE WORKPLACE
Send out a survey to your employees to be submitted anonymously. Discuss the results both amongst company decision-makers and with the employees questioned. This way, changes can be made and the employees also feel as if their concerns were heard.
Form a book club. Meet once a month during lunch and discuss books on topics of diversity and inclusion.
July Book of the Month
This book is perfect for all my goal-getter ladies out there! Check out my review: 4 Reasons You Must Read Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis ASAP
Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals
There are many ways that you can open up a dialogue in a professional setting. You just have to be…
- Willing to listen
- Willing to make a change
- Willing to go against the status quo
