How To Understand, Support And Include Persons With Disabilities In The Workplace

8 key tips to follow

I contracted the poliovirus when I was six months old. It left me paralyzed on one leg, and I lost the ability to walk even before I could start walking. As I was growing up with this disability, doing my best to get through school, college, and then the professional world, I realized that it was not much known to people about how you can support a disabled child, student, friend, peer, or an employee. 

As I reflect back on my journey from both sides – the receiving side as a student, friend, employee, or peer and from the giving side, as a teacher, manager, and advisor, I see the need to close that gap of unawareness. 
 

If you are in a situation where you need to interact, support, advice, or work with a person with disabilities (PWDs), you should keep the following tips in mind.

1. Stop Politicizing the Word ‘Disabled’

If we are to make real progress towards inclusion and supporting people with disabilities (PWDs), first, we have to stop politicizing the word “disabled” by calling it with fancy and supposedly feel-good words like differently-abled, specially-abled, or specials. It does not describe any PWD realistically, and none of these make them feel good in any way. 

2. Do Not Avoid Talking About Disability as a Disability

On one side of the fence, some peers and managers are overly conscious or under pressure by their company’s policy, avoid talking to PWDs in actual words from the dictionary. When you do that, you make it hard for PWDs to express their struggles with realistic words. I know it may sound awkward, but if you like to describe people’s abilities using representative words, why not their inabilities? Otherwise, the most important conversations needed for inclusion may not even happen. 

3. Stop Being Overly Politically Correct

The peers or managers on the other side of the fence simply want to come across as rational, fair, and politically or legally correct. They tend to treat PWDs equal to others, knowing at heart that they are not really equal when it comes to specific tasks or abilities. While it is correct per policy, there has to be an additional focus on making sure they really are in a situation to do the job equally efficiently as the others.

4. Keep Heart and Policy Together for Inclusion

Inclusion has been debated as a corporate policy to support PWDs. Lately, a lot of steps have been taken up in several organizations, and several companies are giving a lot more emphasis on the concept of inclusion. Some companies have separate teams assigned to look into the inclusion of PWDs. However, the intent of inclusion policies needs to be clear. More often, some organizations have either glamorized inclusion efforts (in an attempt to show CSR standing) or made the policies too rigid (in an effort to show legal and political standing). 

In the end, there is no balance between the both. Your approach depends upon the intent of your inclusivity movement. Is it striving for true inclusivity to make a social difference, or is it just an attempt to look good to the society and system? My point here is that while implementing inclusion policies, make sure you keep your heart and policy at the same place.

5. Design a Job for a Disabled Person, Not Hire a Disabled for a Job

You might try to hire PWDs against an advertised job role based on his/her suitability because you want to come across as a fair and unbiased employer. But a more humane, truly inclusive approach would be to go the extra mile and conduct a thorough assessment of PWDs in terms of overall capabilities, talent, skills, and other aspects suitable to them. And then find the correct job role where they could shine better. 

6. Avoid Making PWDs as the Object of Motivation or Inspiration

While most disabled automatically become a source of inspiration for others, in reality, many of them don’t identify well with it. How could I be a source of inspiration or motivation when I struggle to perform some essential functions in my life? My limited choices do not make it motivating. All of you have much more options to choose from. While the thought process ‘if a disabled person with limitations can do better, why can’t I do it better’ sounds like good motivational thinking, it will take you only that far. Rather, seek clarity. See why they have such good clarity, where they get it from, and how they stay focused on it. Once you have that clarity, you don’t need any motivation or inspiration from anyone. 

7. Refrain From Giving Shallow Encouragements but Point Out Best Leverages

If you are in a situation where you are a manager or a peer to a disabled person, don’t force or try to teach them the ways to live and do things like normal people. Curb your tendencies to pick quotes to encourage your kids like “You are enough,” “You are strong,” and “You can do anything.” Just know that acceptance will come to them eventually, but it may take some time. So, reserve your motivational talks or encouragements a little bit to make them accept themselves sooner. While you might think of it as helping them, it would do the opposite, creating a sense of pressure and stress for them. Instead, tell them they might have some leverages over and above others that they can use. Perhaps, they have an uncanny sense of observation. Perhaps, they have superb skills in calculating something quickly. Or maybe they have developed any of their other senses by the constant usage of that part. Point that out to them. 

8. Be Aware That the Effects of Most Physical Disabilities Are Not Just Physical

The visible physical limitations or disabilities are usually just the tip of the iceberg. There is a vast amount of perceived limitations underneath it. Many physically disabled people have an inherent feeling of being less than others or not being good enough and feeling left behind. So, be sensitive to the fact that their biggest struggle could be with the invisible limitations. The positivity expressed by disabled people comes with a lot of effort. Therefore, leverage their positivity because it is a hard-earned asset. When you talk with them about their disability, be aware of what might be beneath the surface. 

While it could be difficult to completely understand a PWD, you all can play your role as much as you can. It is a condition, and you don’t have to overplay or underplay it. You just have to keep your heart and mind at the same place while helping PWDs navigate their work, career, and progression. 

Dr. Raman K Attri is the world’s leading authority on the science of speed in professional learning and performance. He is a multifaceted personality who wears several hats as a performance scientist, author of multiple books, professional conference speaker, and global learning business leader. He is a prolific author of 20 multi-genre books, holder of two doctorates and over 100 international educational credentials, and featured in over 100 media features, articles, interviews, and shows. His recent book ‘Speed Matters’ shows how businesses can stay ahead @ the speed of business.  Visit http://ramankattri.com Connect Dr. Raman K Attri Follow @DrRamanKAttri