Having a disability does not mean one has an inability to work.
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| untitled disability photograph |
Work constitutes a significant amount of time in a typical American's life, and that means spending countless hours with co-workers. Working with co-workers can require a great deal of trust, so ambiguity, unnecessary tension, and discomfort should be eliminated as soon as possible. But how do you approach these topics with a disabled co-worker? If you have prejudice, or negative feelings towards a disabled co-worker, how can you create positive feelings instead?
With the following 4 key tips, you can start on a journey towards approaching positive work relations with other differently abled co-workers.
1. Be mindful and know what is a disability.
Not all disabilities are physical.
When you hear the word disability, do you immediately think of a wheelchair? Or a white cane? If so, not to fear because it is a typical response for us to sort different disabilities into categories. Kassin defines social categorization: classifying a person based off of familiar attributes into groups (2017). Social categorization seems to be a learned bias that is supposed to keep us safe. As an example, if you have moldy bread you would avoid eating it because of its relative color and smell, purchase date, or previous experience eating it. It would be silly to think that moldy bread would still be safe to eat based off of many know factors.Yet, when we socially categorize people with disabilities, we devalue the abilities they contribute to the workplace. We also tend to neglect other types of disabilities because we are less aware of their surrounding factors such as cognitive disabilities. Cognitive disabilities affects a persons ability to fully concentrate and make decisions.
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| Scheer, A. untitled image |
2. Ask questions respectfully.
And remember that people are the experts of their own experience.
Usually co-workers with disabilities are more than willing to talk about their life experiences and accommodations for work. In my experience, asking questions can open an understanding for why ridiculous assumptions have been associated with a person's disability. Gaining a co-worker's account of their job may give insight to how there are more similarities than differences in life. If they express discomfort towards a question, acknowledge that you respect their decision and continue return to your current task at work.
3. Listen Well.
Communication is a two way street.
People with disabilities have been stereotyped persistently, and over generations have become a stigmatized group. Stigmatization is
the process of being persistently stereotyped, perceived as deviant and devalued in society because of membership in a particular social group or because of a particular characteristic. (Kassin, 2017)
This stigmatization of disabilities is debilitating because of the skewed perceptions of the disabled. Not all people with disabilities require around the clock care, or assistance across the street. Severe allergies are considered disabilities because of the implications of an anaphylactic episode. Since there is a very wide range to what disabilities entail, the strength of a person's story is vital to knowing how their disability specifically affects their life and has effects on the world. Asking questions should always follow with listening carefully to the detailed answers.
4. Be Kind
Remember to treat others how they would like to be treated.
Lastly, we as humans want to be valued for our efforts. By showing kindness and joy in your work with disabled coworkers, trust is being built and created for others to accompany. Kindness is contagious and can be the positivity to create change in the workplace and hearts.
If you are still concerned about offending or mistreating a co-worker with a disability, the following video outlines the most commonly made mistakes and offers etiquette for working with disabled people.
With an increased exposure to those with disabilities, we should be be able to reduce any awkward tension and misunderstanding of differing abilities in the workplace. Please feel free to start up a discussion about your experience working with disabled co-workers or accommodating people with disabilities. I look forward to see if these key points have related to personal accounts.
References
Kassin, S., Fein, S., & Markus, H.R. (2017). Social Psychology. Cengage Learning.
Scheer, A. (2018, June 12) Untitled image [Digital Image]. Public Domain. Retrieved February 13, 2019 from:https://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewscheer/28007579047/in/photolist-bPXyzx-zo9Mp-dg8VZU-pgX1D2-ojNu5P-kLasw6-p1LK6A-qfpFmE-W6rH8d-ayH3U-oVN7Nk-nT2Ni-XQ2Vif-v1LTGS-avtNAv-DZGriW-Eycesm-24PTfRd-VLxqBX-VUuKzQ-ENMFzy-MyQdxv-vFbfks-vXapAj-v1LTAj-PNLCgp-vVtw6d-vXMMcr-vFb4RE-GqT9Gi-2bVL4Sa-25ySgKu-v96SrM-JEWatV-JEWaqP-Rr3ZC7-K1cHmj-sGqDwi
Skill Boosters. (2015, September 7). Top 5 - Mistakes Dealing with Disabled People [Video File]. Retrieved February 13, 2019 from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXEEh6UteEo
[Untitled Disability photograph]. Retrieved February 13, 2019, from: https://rospaworkplacesafety.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/shutterstock_187575011.jpg
Nice post! While I haven't worked with a disabled individual, I do have experience in other areas of life. As you pointed out, not all disabilities are super visible and easy to recognize. My little brother is a person with ADHD. While not some crazy disability, it is a disability none the less, particularly in the classroom. Learning to deal with, and understand his short attention span and hyperactive nature has been great, and in a number of ways it does follow you 4 points. I do have to understand what ADHD is to fully understand his situation, I do have to be kind as well. Perhaps most important for me is the listening point. He will often jump from one idea to the next in a heartbeat, and then back to the original topic. By actually listening I am able to maintain conversation and be completely genuine whenever we talk.
ReplyDeleteI guess listening entails more than sitting down with a person and hearing out a single conversation. Active listening is definitely what I was going for and I believe you picked up on it well! Through the multiple conversations that you have had with your little brother, your active listening really attends to the message your brother is trying to convey. My question to you Jake, is what is the most difficult part in the active listening process for you? I feel that maybe this answer may resonate with others in our class and could help create better listening practices. Thank you for your post and time.
DeleteNice question...I would have to say the most difficult part is maintaining focus and attentiveness to conversation, even when he starts going off on tangents, or getting super excited about things that I might not personally find to be that great. There is a six year gap between us, so being able to understand that fact, and put myself in his shoes really helps with this.
DeleteI don't know a lot of people with disabilities, but I do have a friend with Schizophrenia, though I've never thought of it as a disability. Now that I think about it, it's probably because the friend we have in common didn't treat her any differently than her other friends. Her life is tough dealing with Schizophrenia, especially since she has a few other psychological problems as well, but she definitely lives life as best she can like everyone else does. She works a job at an animal shelter, owns a cat, goes to conventions, and lives in her own place. I've worked with her in the deli section of a grocery store, but since we were already friends I just interacted with her as I always have. This guide will definitely help when it comes to working with disabled individuals I haven't met before, especially since I'm a bit socially awkward. Thanks for the tips!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing Sophia. Your experience is a great example for how to interact with others with differing abilities. I am glad the tips have related to your experience and will be used in the future.
DeleteThis is a very helpful post, and was very interesting to read! In one of my other classes, we recently discussed disabilities and their relationship with healthcare. One important thing I took from that lecture was the importance of not making assumptions. We watched a video in class that showed a woman who was wheelchair bound and had impaired speech. It was very easy for people, including her healthcare provider, to assume she did not exercise or really ever leave her wheelchair. The next clip in the video showed how this woman frequently got in and out of her own chair, was able to scoot down stairs, and even took part in a yoga class! This woman's healthcare provider never asked her if she left her wheelchair, but rather assumed it. Until the woman explicitly told her provider this was not the case, she was receiving altered care. I think your post is very important in mentioning the significance of being kind, being mindful, listening, and perhaps most importantly, asking respectful questions instead of making assumptions. Great post!
ReplyDeleteThank you Abby. Healthcare is a field where assumptions can lead to devastating effects. For example, I wouldn't want anyone to assume that I could eat the food in the hospital, because more than likely I would have a severe allergic reaction. I feel that assumptions accompany the social categorization of misunderstood groups closely due to the associations we make. Just because a person is in a wheelchair does not insinuate that they are immobile and cannot walk.
DeleteI really like your post, I think these are all good things to consider, especially point 2. I worked with my deaf aunt for a while and I noticed that generally people just left her alone and didn't talk to or about her. Some people didn't even know she was deaf, she was just a quiet person minding their own business. There was one instance where I saw someone try to ask her a question without first getting her attention and she just walked away, I asked him if he knew she was deaf and he was very shocked. He told he just thought she hated him. I feel like it is important for people to be more aware of who they are working with so that they know how to communicate with them. If that coworker had known that all he had to do to get her help was to tap her on the shoulder so she would know to read his lips then they would've been able to work together better. In this instance I don't know exactly whose responsibly it is to let people know that she is disabled, but if someone had then my aunt would've felt more comfortable working there. All in all, I think you made a great post about a great topic.
ReplyDeleteI think that this topic is something really important to talk about. There are so many people in the workforce with disabilities, and as you had stated in your post, not all of them are visible to the eye. We all have to deal with things that can make it difficult to do certain task and I feel like everyone has limitations and it is not right to judge others based on those. I know people that have disabilities that I am very close to and being in their world has taught me so much and helped me understand their situations better. I have done a lot of research over years to further understand disabilities and to learn how to properly handle myself in certain situations. I think you did a great job writing this post because everyone knows someone with a disability or has been around people with a disability. It’s important to respect people’s needs and to ensure that you are not making them uncomfortable with your actions. As you said in your post, it’s really helpful to listen to someone and truly understand what they need or would like you to know. Most importantly, I find that after understanding what someone needs or is going through that the uneasy feeling that may come with being a bit uncomfortable goes away once you familiarize yourself with the disability. I think that we can all be quick to make assumptions about others whether that be assuming someone can’t do something because of a visible disability or assuming someone can do something without knowing about a disability that they may have that is not noticeable to the eye. Overall, I think you did an awesome job writing this and discussing a topic that is very important to me, and probably to a lot of other people.
ReplyDeleteI wholeheartedly agree with the last tip for working with disabled co-workers. It’s important to treat disabled co-workers with the same amount of respect as anyone else in the workplace. I also believe it’s important not to condescend, placate, or humor someone simply because they are disabled. That is not kindness, and the distinction between these behaviors needs to be made. I also think tip three is very conducive to a functional and efficient workplace. Communication is a very key part in society and should be prioritized if any workplace wants to operate at peak efficiency. Not only this, but proper communication helps us understand one another.
ReplyDeleteGreat topic! I have not had the opportunity to work with disabled coworkers yet, but have been able to interact with people with mental disabilities in my counseling experience. I think one thing I would like to add (which is in your post, just not as a point itself) is to actively seek out people with disabilities from the first day. From my experience, once we (“we” being a general term for the people already working at the place of interest) set a culture of avoiding people with disabilities it makes it quite difficult to break that mindset. So do you think that there is a way to avoid hiring biases? Or at least decrease their prevelance?
ReplyDeleteThank you for your question Timothy. Even thought I have taken a human resources class on hiring practices, I am not the expert on how to avoid hiring biases. I believe that the cultural mindset of working with differently abled co-workers is vastly different than the hiring practices set in place for those with disabilities. The American with Disabilities Act requires employers to not discriminate against individuals with disabilities, and to provide accommodations to qualified applicants or current employees. While the policy may be there to help fix previous discrimination in hiring biases, the propensity to avoid those with disabilities in the workforce is a hurdle that is fluid and ever present. It is our own responsibility to approach our beliefs and uncomfortable feelings that are present when dealing with the world. It is up to us as individuals to change the narrative of how disabled individuals are treated at work, and it starts with our singular actions. Culture is evolving, and requires our dedication to make the changes we want to express. On the point of hiring biases, I did find a really fantastic blog posting on the Society for Human Resource Management website about avoiding biases when hiring. I would be more than happy to send you the link.
DeleteThat'd be awesome!
DeleteReally good tips Abby! Do you have any tips on how to tell if you are unconsciously biased against those with disabilities? I think a lot of people try to accommodate those with disabilities but instead end up talking down to them or treating them with less responsibility without realizing it. They may think they are treating them in a good fashion but in reality they are promoting the same stereotypes they are trying to avoid.
ReplyDeleteHello Rose! That is a great question. I personally don't have very good tips to tell if one is unconsciously biased against those with disabilities. I think that unconscious bias can relate to the third tip of communication and listening well. In addition to conversations, paying attention to the situation and body language is part of the communicative process that is "unnoticed" or sometimes forgotten. By being aware of body language, a person can listen to the subtle messages trying to be communicated and unconscious bias may be more apparent than before.
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ReplyDeleteWhile I have not worked with those with "disabilities" (that I knew about, anyway), I have been around plenty of people with disabilities. I know someone with Asperger's Syndrome (if that's what they even call it anymore). He's not very talkative and has few friends. He would be labeled as having social disability since he's not skilled in social situations. However, he's quite intelligent. He taught himself to program and has become quite skilled at it, and is pursuing a degree in Computer Science currently. Due to his social issues, though, he has a lot of anxiety regarding getting actual work in the industry. I feel like if the advice you provided in this post were followed, it would make his life a lot better when getting into the industry. It would probably make him feel more welcome and willing to contribute in ways beyond just programming.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the amount of insight that went into this!
ReplyDeleteI personally haven't worked directly with any disabled people (as far as I'm aware), but I do have an acquaintance with mild autism spectrum disorder who's shared some of his work experiences with me. He used to work at a Subway, where he was lucky enough to be treated fairly by his manager and coworkers; while Subway was an all-around fortunate place for him regarding his fellow employees, having to deal with the general public as much as he has has lead to situations where customers treated him less-than-favorably. There was one instance where a customer filed a complaint against him, where the details of the encounter were exaggerated in the report. When his manager received the complaint, instead of giving my friend any unfair treatment, he gave him the benefit of a doubt before looking into the situation further, and was eventually able to come to the conclusion that he'd done nothing wrong. I find it very reassuring that my friend's workplace was as accepting and supportive of him as it should've been while he worked there.
I really liked this post as it is very well done. I personally have worked with physically disabled people, however, not with a cognitive disability. I feel like the first tip you talked about is extremely important to take into consideration when looking at disability in the work place. A lot of people, like you said, think of disabilities as being physical ones but fail to recognize what might be going on in a person's mind. You really touched in detail on that. Communication and just simply being kind to someone can go a long way as well, especially if someone does not know if a specific person has a disability or not. This is very well done, nice job!
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated the first tip for being mindful of people with disabilities. It reminds me of a situation that happened to my aunt. She has problems with her knee and is disabled. Some days are better than others and she does not always use a cane to walk, but she is allowed to use disables parking. On days where she did not use her cane when she went to the store she has had people confront her about taking a parking space that she did not need. More people need to realize that disability is on a spectrum and not always immediately apparent.
ReplyDeleteYour post was very insightful and well informed. Having worked with different kinds of people with different disabilities, you become aware that many disabilities cannot be visually pointed out. Every point you make is well expressed, and teaches a lot. Number four is one that to me is the core of all the other points, kindness is essential. To be treated as equal individuals from the start creates such a welcoming environment for everyone. We need to remind ourselves that disabilities whether physical or cognitive are not the defining feature of someone, and kindness, communication, and respect are crucial to minimizing the stigma around disabilities.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love your post! Over the summer I worked with a disabled employee and I wish that some of the others that I worked with would have read these tips. All of your tips are spot on. I totally agree that most disabled people are more than willing to talk about their disability. By doing this and by, like you said, asking questions that wall that might be put up between us and someone who is disabled may be able to break down one conversation at a time because like you said not all disabilities are visible. I think you did an amazing job with these tips and that most people should read these tips.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog post. I was really interested in it mostly because a lot of what I want to do after college involves working with people who are disabled, and also creating systems that fill in gaps in the equity line (so to speak) for those who are differently abled. I've worked with a lot of people in the past who self-identified as disabled, and a lot of what I learned from them, you touched on in your post. I think you did a really great job. I also hope that this might help people alleviate some of the anxiety they might feel going into situations where they would have to interact with someone who is disabled (similar to what we talked about in class where some people were super anxious to interact with people who were unlike themselves).
ReplyDeleteYour post was very informative, and would help people who don't know how to interact with those with disabilities easier. I have migraines, which some times keep me from being able to do daily activities. While not everyone agrees that migranes are a disablility they still alter your ablility to function. It's not something you can see, which seems to be the biggest contriversal point. I had a friend in high school who had a very high functioning form of autism, ADHD and was prone to panic attacks. When you met her it just seemed like she was a happy person who was a bit too loud or obnoxious at times, as she didn't know how to read social cues. For years no one at the school knew as she had just transferred in. Then someone found out she had autism and everything changed for her. She was no longer included in friend circles and teachers gave her special treatment. She felt like an outsider, that feeling was the whole reason why she had asked for her autism to be secret from students. If more people were more accepting of others with disabilities that aren't visible, then life for those people would be better. I know that when my friends and I treated her the same after we found out she was so relieved that we didn't make fun of her, but we all said it was because we liked who she was before we found out of her disability, so why should that change our opinions of her.
ReplyDeleteI found this post very insightful and helpful information to know. I actually have experience with working with a co-worker with a disability. Before reading this, I did not know exactly how to treat him in the workplace setting. These four tips definitely opened my eyes on how I could more effectively communicate and interact with my co-worker. I especially liked the point you made about listening well. I think many people overlook this very simple task. Listening is a great way to form a relationship with anyone right away. This would also eliminate any "awkwardness" or misunderstanding. Another point I could relate to was just being kind. It is very easy to get frustrated when work gets stressful or something goes wrong. Having patience is crucial to have in order to create a safe workplace. I thought reading this was very interesting and made me think on how I could apply it to my work and life in general. Thank you for your post!
ReplyDeleteThis had some great advice. It's true!--in the workplace, someone's disability and their competence are seldom linked. At once place I worked, the person who managed marketing and did lots of calls had a stutter and was still fantastic at his job.
ReplyDeleteThere are times when a disability does usually make someone worse at a job--eg, someone in a wheelchair probably wouldn't be as fast at picking things up off the ground and putting them somewhere.
However, for the vast majority of so-called disabilities, it's like judging a book by its cover. Yes, the disability may stand out, and first impressions can have a huge impact on how we see someone. When it comes down to it though, we need to be willing to look past that. And yes, some people with disabilities will be worse at the job than you (depending on what the job is). But likewise, there will be people with disabilities that are far better at a job than you. That's just how life works.
I really enjoyed this post as I believe this is something that needs to be normalized. If someone is able to do the job that you yourself are doing there shouldn't be any different treatment of that person on a professional level. There seem to be a lot of misconceptions people have when they see someone with a visible disability that they must be some what less than as opposed to someone who is able bodied. I think it is great that you're bringing more awareness to this topic.
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