The staff member next to you may have a disability

Did you realise that one in five people (21.4%) in Australia have some form of disability? So, the chances that you are employing – or working with – someone within this statistic is very high.

A disability may not be obvious, but can be a quite hidden barrier that prevents people from having equal access to work and other opportunities.

Persons with disability are defined by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as:

Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments, which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.

According to The Australian Network on Disability:

• Of all people with disability, just under one-quarter (24.7%) have a mental or behavioural disorder as their main condition, while 45% of Australians aged 16–85 years, experience a mental health condition during their lifetime.
• Three-quarters of all people with a disability (75.3 per cent) reported a physical disorder as their main condition
• 3.6 million Australians have some level of hearing loss and 16,000 Australians use Auslan.
• Vision Australia estimates there are currently 453,000 people in Australia who are blind or have low vision. This number will grow to 564,000 by 2030.

Clearly, having a disability is quite common and may not be obvious. In many cases you would not know your colleague has disability unless they told you. Their disability may not affect their work performance or attendance.

Of course, in some cases a person may need job accommodations to perform the essential functions such as flexibility in work hours or ergonomic changes to office equipment. If you are working with CVGT Employment, some of these physical alterations to the work environment can be funded.

Along with all these facts, people with disability still face employment barriers which can include discrimination, isolation and misconception.

But the workplace is changing, and this has real benefits for employees and businesses. The Diversity Council of Australia has found workplace inclusion has a significant impact on employee wellbeing, with workers in inclusive teams being: 

• 9 times more satisfied than workers in non-inclusive teams
• 6 times more likely to feel that work has a positive impact on their mental health
• 4 times less likely to leave their organisation
• 3 times more likely to have received feedback they found useful

Read more about four main benefits of an inclusive workplace.

As a staff member or leader in your organisation, here are some of the things you can do to show that you are an ally to peo’/ple with a disability in your workplace:

• Keep the conversation going in your workplace about how to make it more inclusive for people with a disability and sharing resources.
• Challenge subtle but harmful behaviour or communication if you come across it.
• Advocate for accessible workspaces that disabled colleagues have identified as a need.
• Be a safe and supportive listener and educate yourself
• If you have influence, use it to encourage promotion of people with a disability to leadership roles or special projects.
  

Together, you can be a part of making a safe and inclusive workplace where people do not feel they have to hide their disability, and are able to be appreciated for what they have to offer.