Invisible Disabilities: Being Inclusive In The Workplace
Despite there being so many invisible disabilities, colleagues and employers often lack understanding of how to be supportive at work.
We asked contributors with different invisible disabilities to share their experiences, and advice on how to make workplaces more supportive and inclusive.
Today is World Lupus Day, which is a day that is particularly close to our heart as our founder, Maddie, has lupus. We wanted to use the opportunity to talk about invisible disabilities of all kinds, and how they affect real people in the workplace. With contributions from people managing ADHD to visual impairment, lupus to epilepsy, working in fields from customer service to chemistry, we’ve brought you a smorgasbord of people’s experiences to show some tips on what’s important to consider when working with people who have invisible disabilities.
Please note: These are the opinions of the people we spoke to, all of whom have a disability and shared their opinions with us. You may agree (or disagree) with some or all of this advice to employers - feel free to share in the comment section if your experience is different!
Start As You Mean To Go On
“It's helpful to ask about preferred ways of working when you start working together with someone, so that you learn about how best to work with, and support each other.”
“Make sure that all employees (whether they disclose a disability or not) are aware from the beginning that they can express their needs and that management will take it seriously and support them. It feels performative and fake when the only time you’re told ‘you can always ask for help’ is when you’re drowning and have no other choice.”
Remote Work
“Remote work is so incredibly important for so many people. It is equalizing and provides a way for people to accommodate themselves at home or a non-public office space. The current mindset that remote work somehow means you won’t be seen or won’t be promoted is a bias and not based on actual evidence of how an employee performs. So many jobs absolutely do not require that someone go into an office, and a lot of times it’s other people who don’t follow policies that make environments dangerous for people with disabilities, invisible or not.”
What You See Vs. What We Feel
“Looking young or 'healthy' doesn't mean you don't actually have health problems. Some days I seem happy and well even though I'm in a lot of pain. You get used to hiding the hard days and getting on with life, but that doesn't mean your illness goes away, it just means you're used to living with it.”
Be Discreet
“If a disability has been identified, recognize it, and move on! Make the workplace and work situations accessible, but don't make the accommodation obvious.”
“Stop making assumptions. Take a look at your biases. Be open to learning and recognize most people are not willing to disclose personal information. Be sensitive and kind.”
Acceptance
“I've come to accept my strengths and difficulties - it's OK not to be great at the same things as others, and it has helped me to talk about my difficulties in the workplace - not just for myself, but creating a space for others to do so too.”
Be Transparent
“The only time I've ever felt disadvantaged during an interview process is where I disclosed my disability and they mulled over the safety aspects of hiring me vs. an able-bodied person (I work in chemistry). But as long as you're honest about yourself, and the employer is honest about the job, then you can see whether support is needed and how good of a fit you would be.”
Take It Day By Day
“Know that we all have bad days sometimes, and that's fine. You can't expect perfect performance all the time, and the only way to foster a healthy work environment is to be sure everyone is supporting each other in a way that works for them over the long term.”
Because the majority of these accounts were given anonymously, instead of paying for contributions, we donated £3 for each contribution to the ADHD Foundation and Lupus UK on behalf of the contributors. Please go and check out their websites for more information about the fabulous work they are doing.
Want to dive into some ideas on how to make your training programme more inclusive for people with invisible disabilities? Why not get in touch with us for a free consultation? We specialise in tailoring learning programmes to be practical, inclusive and unique, to really suit as many individuals as possible.
