How even ‘accessible’ workplaces leave out 33 million Americans with disabilities
There’s a big problem with work that’s invisible to too many of us: According to the CDC, 61 million adults in the United States (26%), have at least one disability. About half of that group: 33 million adults in the U.S. have an invisible, or non-apparent disability. These afflictions often don’t manifest themselves in ways that are immediately evident to others: things like chronic pain, diabetes, autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, arthritis, and more. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990 to protect against discrimination and requires workplaces to offer reasonable accommodations . Still, many employees or job candidates are reluctant to disclose a disability for fear they won’t get a job or won’t be treated fairly. And many employers are clueless on what they’re doing wrong. So how can we make advocacy easier, open up opportunities, and build a world of work that works for everyone?
On the latest episode of The New Way We Work , I spoke to Ludmila Praslova, professor of psychology at Vanguard University and author of the new book The Canary Code: A Guide to Neurodiversity, Dignity, and Intersectional Belonging at Work .
Changing the way companies hire
She pointed out that 40% of neurodivergent people and 85% of autistic college graduates struggle with unemployment due in large part to outmoded hiring practices . “We have not reconsidered our hiring processes, [in] probably 70 years or so, and the world has changed a lot, and we really need to think about what do we need—what is necessary for today’s workplaces?”
Just as more companies begin to remove degree requirements and focus more on skills-based hiring , Praslova points out that there are many other aspects of the hiring and interview process that should be reevaluated and that every step of the hiring process should be linked with the actual skills need for the job. “Then [it’s about] getting rid of all those stereotypes and pop psychology expectations, [like the] belief that lack of eye contact or fidgeting means dishonesty,” says Praslova. “There is zero research support for this, and it will eliminate a lot of autistic people.” She points out that our current hiring and interviewing conventions are biased toward people who are “really good at talking themselves up, but they’re not actually that good at doing the job.”
Changing the way companies think about accommodations
Too often companies think of accommodations for those with disabilities as a legal requirement rather than a shift that proactively makes a more inclusive workplace for everyone . Praslova points out that many of the shifts that make a workplace more accessible for those with non-apparent disabilities are shifts that the general population values as well, such as remote work, flexible hours , and the ability to communicate in whatever form they are most comfortable.
“We [should] focus on what matters—the outcomes—and think less about those old-fashioned ways that are proxies for performance: whether or not you were [in the office] at a certain time, 9 to 5, or even if you had your camera on during a Zoom call. Because for someone with chronic illness, that is so draining that having this Zoom video on. [It’s] really not worth the drain to productivity that’s going to to stem from it,” she explains. The bottom line for building a more inclusive workplace, she says, is to ask for input when making policies and ofter options for how the work can be done.
Listen to the full episode for more on how companies can redesign the hiring process, build a more inclusive culture, and scripts and advice for those with disabilities to advocate for themselves.
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