I still have memories of life as a teenager with a disability in the early 1990s. One such memory was standing alone on the side line every Sunday as a substitute for River Valley Rangers. The tolerance of being a substitute was not rooted from the desire to play football, but simply as a longing to fit in with society. My role as a substitute quickly went from a onetime occurrence to a weekly routine. This was 1993, the same year the Government set up the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities. This came three years before the first piece of government strategy which aimed to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in Ireland. A Strategy for Equality was a documentation which had an entire section dedicated to the inclusion of people with disabilities in sport. At first glance, this could be seen as a start to the government’s commitment to the implementation of inclusive strategies. But the goals which were outlined in this document seemed almost like a display of tokenism and a total disregard for what inclusion actually represents. In an ideal world this would involve an inclusive educational system and job opportunities which are without the institutional concepts of sheltered employment. Fortunately, there has been a change to the perception of disability which has somewhat evolved and is seen in a more positive light since the publication of the Strategy for Equality in 1996. This was outlined in studies which were conducted by the National Disability Authority. A survey in 2017 which centred on attitudinal barriers found that there was a greater acceptance towards disability compared to the same study conducted in 2011. Nonetheless, attitudinal barriers are still the primary obstacles which prevent the inclusion of people with disabilities within society. This stems from historical beliefs of the institutional incarceration of people with disabilities and also from how disability is presented in the media. Inclusion in the media is often distorted and merged as a way for people with disabilities to fit into society. This perception acts as a barrier and underrepresents both the philosophy of what disability inclusion is, and the contributions that one can offer as a result from having a disability. Due to the gap between theory and practice, inclusion is still regarded as something which tends only to be used to promote political slogans and media campaigns.
As a society, we are conditioned to fear the unknown, or simply to fear what or who is different. To really change the perception of disability involves the activity of shifting people’s attitudes. This involves not only creating awareness campaigns but also focusing on the positive aspects of disability inclusion. To give an example, the Harvard Business Review published an article which outlined the skills possessed by a worker with autistic spectrum disorder. These included software development, advanced mathematical abilities along with two master’s degrees to establish his credibility. The abilities retained by this employee are skills which are sought after by many tech giants and a range of businesses within the corporate sector. Furthermore, these talents were at a level which are almost impossible to be discovered by agencies such as NASA, let alone by organisations who fail to embrace neurodiversity. This is something which is drastically overlooked when incorporating diversity and inclusion.
The implementation of Diversity and inclusion strategies is something which is taken very seriously regardless of what industry it represents. If you Google courses in diversity and inclusion, you will generate results which mainly comprise of unconscious bias, gender equality and language which consists of culture, race and ethnicity. These are all perfectly fine and very important elements of inclusion. However, these courses are structured to cover many aspects of inclusion which oftentimes exclude disability awareness. Is this due to how disability is presented in policy and legislation which claims to lesson the barriers and protect the rights of employees with disabilities?
Although it is practically unavoidable, it is very difficult to discuss the positive elements of inclusion if disability is represented in the form of a charity. The charity model of disability is more commonly known as the medical model and centers mainly on the negative aspects of disability. The characteristics of the medical model focuses primarily on the impairment itself and how it can be medically treated and then eliminated. In doing this, it fails to establish the social barriers of impairment and what the person needs to improve their life. Unfortunately, the medical model contributes to the vast amount of stigma which surrounds disability and tends to be at the forefront of people’s consciousness. One should consider that the medical model is significant in areas of policy, welfare and is often useful when combined with other models. Although it is unfortunate that this model tends to be at the centre of policy design which often promotes a myth of incapacity in disability and employment. This often contributes to the fear of embracing disability in business.
Businesses are now struggling with a bunch of policies and regulations to abide by. This includes GDPR, health and safety and ISO standards. Now they must comply with diversity and inclusion guidelines too. But why should this be so much of a boring chore? Businesses tend to focus on the burdens which are caused by the legal responsibilities to implement certain policies. They tend to ignore that future blessings are predictably shaped by present activity. It is often wondered why policies related to disability acceptance are sometimes ignored within a business setting. Are the negative attitudes and myths surrounding disability engrained that much in the public’s consciousness? How can we change these perceptions?
A recent article in Forbes magazine by Gus Alexiou puts everything in perspective. The article outlines that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission endorsed a Nasdaq diversity program which essentially incorporates all areas of inclusion but disregards disability as a probable component of their initiative. It’s obvious that the Nasdaq understands the business case which comes from embracing diversity. And why not? After all, corporate diversity presents a philosophy which tends to appeal to a range of different shareholders while attracting a rise in innovation and growth. What they don’t realise is that these benefits are among the many advantages when hiring people with a diverse range of abilities. After all, each disability or impairment offers a different range of abilities. This is not something to be ignored and is an important element which is repeatedly expressed by groups such as the International Labor Organisation. The economic benefits of disability inclusion were even something which was highlighted at the World Economic Forum at Davos in 2019. Out of this came the Valuable 500. This is a business initiative which brings together large private sector corporations who show commitment to embracing disability inclusion. So why is it so surprising that this aspect of diversity is often passed over by well established businesses and even a stock exchange like Nasdaq. All things considered, by incorporating disability inclusion into diversity training, it is nurturing a key element to creating an awareness of both the social and economic benefits of disability inclusion.
A company that embraces guidelines in disability and inclusion will undoubtedly see increases in productivity, innovation, and a healthier working environment. So, take it for what it is, a highly effective aspect to drive your business growth. It is by promoting the awareness of disability inclusion that we will change attitudes and effectively disable the barriers to inclusion. If there are businesses and organisations who can see the value of embracing disability, maybe the rest of us can too.
About the Author
Denis Kennedy is the founder of DK Accessibility and is a specialist in disability inclusion and accessibility. Denis has a master’s degree in disability and has over 35 years lived experience of having a disability. DK Accessibility offers disability awareness training which is live and online and available worldwide. This training can be designed to meet the client’s learning needs. Denis works with businesses to help them gain a greater understanding of the benefits of an inclusive workplace.
Denis collaborates with companies to create change and implement inclusive policies to explore design thinking approaches to implement accessible and inclusive solutions. By incorporating accessibility, businesses can ensure that workplace policy, job applications and information can be accessed by everyone regardless of ability.
Denis is also a lecturer and writer of topics in relation to disability and hopes to highlight barriers which prevent the participation of people with disabilities in society.
www.dkaccessibility.ie