#DEIgest 34: International Day for Persons With Disabilities

Another week, another big and important international day. According to the World Health Organization - an estimated 1.3 billion people globally experience significant disability - which is 1 in 6 people. It's also estimated that 70-80% of disabilities are not immediately visible. So whilst many of us will immediately think "wheelchair" or "prosthetic limb" when considering disability - in reality this only reflects a small percentage of people with disabilities.

This year's UN theme for International Day for Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) is "United in action to rescue and achieve the SDGs for, with and by persons with disabilities". This is as a result of the latest UN Disability and Development Report which shows the world is falling behind in meeting several sustainable development goals (SDGs) for people with disabilities. We need to act now to get that back on track - including people with disabilities in the process.

What is a disability?

Those who have long term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in the interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.

The quote above is from the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. Some key things to draw from this are:

• Disability can originate from aspects of our lives other than physical ability
• Barriers in society are a key issue to address. Some impairments are only disabilities due to a lack of an accessible environment, or adjustments to processes/interactions.
• Whilst the definition mentions "long term" - that doesn't mean permanent. People may experience temporary disability, such as after an injury or as a result of an acute health condition. Others may acquire or be born with permanent impairments.

Is neurodivergence a disability?

It depends. Neurodivergences such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia etc. - may be considered a disability depending on the individual, local laws and regulation, and the extent to which it affects a person's daily life.

Many neurodivergent people do not consider themselves disabled, just different. Others do consider themselves disabled, or may feel obliged to label it a disability in order to access supportive services or legal protections from discrimination.

This is an ongoing discussion within the disability and neurodivergent community - which will have as many answers as their are people as each person's experience and identity are unique. The key thing from my perspective is not to consider either one "bad". Disability is not a dirty word, and we must respect those who choose to identify their neurodivergence as a disability, whilst also creating an inclusive and accessible environment where people aren't artificially forced into identifying or being labeled disabled just to access services or protections.

How can workplaces be more inclusive for disabled people?

The short answer to a complicated topic is - identify solutions for each person's individual needs, through dialogue and consultation with them. Every person's experience of disability, and the tools, processes, or adaptations that they require to work to their full potential are different. I wish I could provide a "5 easy steps to disability inclusion" guide - but it's just not that easy, reflected in the poor state of disability inclusion globally.

In the UK, government figures point to an nearly 25% employment rate gap between disabled people and non-disabled people employment (there are variations by gender - but this is impacted by lower employment rates for women generally). Workplaces have much more work to do on closing this gap, and giving opportunities to talented people who happen to have disabilities.

Instead, here are some key principles that I would recommend to guide your approach to disability inclusion at work:

1. Include people with disabilities and neurodivergent people at every step. Nobody is more of an expert in the topic than someone living it every day - but remember that their experience is exactly that. Their experience. What works for one person may not work for another - but by including as many different people in the process as possible, you can be guided in the right direction as an organisation, and make the right changes for the individual - and avoids making assumptions.
2. Remove barrier language such as "reasonable", "disclosure" and "sufferer". Inspired by the wonderful Kate Nash OBE 💜 in her book Positively Purple (essential reading in my opinion for anyone with people management responsibilities or working in D&I) - the language around disability can be archaic and even downright patronising. It may sound like semantics, but talking about "workplace adjustments" instead of "reasonable adjustments" can really shift the dynamic when it comes to supporting employees to ask for what they need.
3. Adjustments don't have to be expensive. Many businesses fear that workplace adjustments are going to cost a fortune, or that employing a person with a disability will be disruptive to the business. Whilst yes, some equipment or real estate adaptations might be expensive, often there might be government support to make these changes, and there are many things you can do in the meantime or instead with much lower or no cost. Many of the most effective adjustments are actually to working practices or processes - which don't require capital investment.

How can I make a difference personally?

• Talk about the subject. The more we normalise the discussion of disability, neurodivergence, and how we can improve inclusion - the more chance we have of making it a reality.
• Support others with respect. Don't assume the support someone might need. Ask them if they need anything, and be guided by them. If they say no - respect that decision. This should be a regular conversation with all of your colleagues, given not all disabilities are visible and things can always change, and people might also need support for reasons other than disability - it's just good people management.