Can Persons with Disabilities Access Safe Working Space? A Message to Employers

In the current world and market trend, access to employment is extremely cumbersome as a result of stereotypes and misconception of what people with disabilities can't do. This has led introduction of quotas (affirmative actions) in different laws (like article 27 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) to enable qualified persons with disabilities to get employed.

Advocacy, lobbying and awareness has enabled qualified persons with disabilities to qualify for job markets, for the few people with disabilities who are employed, access to safe work place remains an issue that works against inclusion and embracing of diversity.

As a person with disability some of the things that might prevent you to being included at work place includes:
a) Battling negative employers attitudes, for instance employers making it seem like an employee with disability wasn't qualified for that job.
b) Secondly having to disclose your personal or medical condition to all employees in order to get reasonable accommodation or adjustment hence limiting your privacy.
c) Being a victim of psychological abuse for instance being yelled at in the presence of your colleagues, or a reprimanding message being copied to all your colleagues, your duties and responsibilities being delegated without your consent and the employer only reacting to mistakes and not success.
d) Having to request what is obvious like making environment accessible.
e) Your voice being diminished and your professional ideas not being welcome.
f) Being left out during crucial functions for instance finding yourself to be the only persons with disability left in the office while all your colleagues are out to launch a product or to celebrate an international day that relates to your work.
g) Being underestimated; for instance being allocated minor roles that are not on your job description.

Such factors do not only hinder inclusion but they enhance stigma against persons with disabilities; (and this is considered be discrimination on basis of disability).

Even worse, such toxic working conditions might lead to persons with disabilities acquiring multiple disabilities that are secondary to what they already have. Such can include depression, anxiety, self hate etc.

My message to the employers and all leaders is that employment for persons with disabilities goes beyond fulfilling the quotas and the public relations of showing how many people with disabilities you've employed but making the environment safe enough for them to contribute towards their growth and the growth of your organisation. Inherent dignity of persons with disabilities shouldn't be diminished at work place.

Cheers!!!