Disability in the workplace
A focus on unconscious bias and microaggressions
Over August and September, I have been facilitating unconscious bias workshops with staff members of a large organisation in Australia. The organisation is keen to train their staff members on the topic of diversity and inclusion, and through workshops, provide insight into how unconscious bias plays out in the workplace.
Unconscious bias, or implicit bias, refers to the stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions and decisions in an unconscious manner. They are unconscious forms of discrimination and stereotyping based on race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, ability, age, and so on.
Recently, and in a timely manner, I came across and listened to an episode of Adam Grant's podcast, WorkLife, on the topic of disability at work. An Organisational Psychologist, he discusses how we can better our practices in the workplace.
It got me thinking (and writing) about my experience facilitating these sessions, and in particular, on the topic of disability at work.
Grant argues that organisations must consider the impact of disability. If an organisation does not have any disability initiatives, their disabled employees suffer from diminishing performance and well-being.
There are over 1 billion disabled people worldwide. If you are 20, you have a 1 in 4 chance of becoming disabled before retiring at 65.
And even if you are not disabled, you likely have disabled friends, family members or acquaintances - even if you cannot tell simply by looking at them. Disability can be visible or invisible.
In one example on Grant’s podcast, he talks to someone who, when returning to the fluorescent-lit office after being out in the sun, developed slurred speech and uncoordinated movements. Her colleagues made jokes suggesting she had been drinking at work. This obviously frustrated and exhausted her over time. This brings me to microaggressions.
Coined by Harvard University psychiatrist Chester Pierce, microaggressions are "commonplace daily verbal, behavioural or environmental slights, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative attitudes toward stigmatized or culturally marginalized groups".
Psychologist Derald Wing Sue builds on this and defines microaggressions as "brief, everyday exchanges that send denigrating messages to certain individuals because of their group membership". The person(s) making the comments may be well-intentioned and unaware of the potential impact of their words, but they are still harmful.
Microaggressions include trivialising someone's disability. I’m sure you’ve heard someone say, "I'm so OCD about my desk", or "I can't spell, I must be dyslexic!" When I mentioned this example in one of my sessions, I had a participant discuss his own experience with OCD, and how it affected his work and life on a daily basis. He was grateful there was a safe space to discuss this topic in the session, and it was a powerful way for non-disabled people to understand how OCD affected his life.
Over time, when individuals are subjected to microaggressions, it can lead to an emotional tax, where they feel the need to be "on guard" to protect themselves against bias. Studies have found that 33% of disabled people feel alienated at work, and 80% would not refer others to their employer. Another found that 34% were also more likely to withhold ideas and solutions.
An emotional tax leads to a reduction in well-being, and the associated stress hormones result in low or emotional engagement and increased stress-related illness.
Leaving microaggressions unchecked can also lead to negative impacts on individual and team performance and morale, and increases in workplace accidents and absenteeism.
Finally, and ultimately, it can lead an individual to leave their organisation.
It’s clear that organisations need to do more to support disabled people, especially by making it easier for people to talk about their disabilities, and not treat them differently when they do.
In one example on Grant's podcast, a worker discussed how she would hide the fact she was disabled, even from HR and her supervisor, because she was scared to be fired or lose her insurance. She was scared of receiving the stigma but not the accommodation. Instead, she waited until she had job security, accolades, and proof and credential of high performance before revealing her disability.
Understandably, this is a difficult road to walk, and it’s not available to everyone.
The podcast suggests individuals should try to claim or own their disability instead. By doing so, they can feel pride over who they are as a disabled person, and claim the status in a way that buffers them from the harms of prejudice. They are also more motivated. At work, people are perceived as more competent when they claim their disability, rather than downplay them. However, very importantly, only if psychological safety is present. If organisations provide the space for individuals to share their perspectives and ideas openly and without fear of consequence or judgement.
Organisations can also work at building better initiatives just by involving disabled people in the process. By asking the question and incorporating their ideas and lived experience, you can build a lot of goodwill, and show you genuinely care. This is about walking the talk and being a truly empathetic and supportive ally.
While diversity training can be beneficial, and there are fancy new initiatives using virtual reality technology out there, from a culture point of view, building a safe, inclusive space for your people is the crucial starting point.
Check out some resources and Grant’s podcast on disability at work below (or on Spotify).
World report on disability by the World Health Organisation
Factsheet on persons with disabilities by the United Nations