One of the greatest challenges to accessibility in the workplace is ableism. Ableism refers to intrinsic prejudice and discrimination against individuals of differing ability levels. Ableism is sometimes subtle, often pervasive, and makes its way into various settings, including the workplace.
Underemployment, exclusion, and limited growth opportunities are just some ways an employee may encounter ableism. In this piece, we will provide an overview of how ableism may appear in the workplace and how to avoid and correct it.
Impacts of ableism
Ableism, according to Access Living, refers to the prejudiced belief that individuals with disabilities are inferior. This belief can foster a hostile work environment within an organization by othering employees with disabilities. It can also adversely affect the mental health and emotional well-being of employees with disabilities.
Disabled individuals face several barriers to employment, and workplace discrimination can take a serious toll.
Denial of opportunity
For starters, ableism may prevent individuals with disabilities from being hired in the first place. A 2022 article by Forbes notes that the historic percentage of employed people with disabilities is only around 40%. Employed people without disabilities sit at 70%.
That’s a 30% employment gap based on ability status.
Even though the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination based on disability, prejudiced hiring managers may assume that employees with disabilities will hinder company growth or burden the workforce.
Even if hired, employees with disabilities may face a lack of opportunities for growth in an organization, being passed over for promotions to supervisory or managerial positions.
How to combat denial of opportunity
The obvious way to combat this form of ableism is to abide by the rules of the ADA and not allow for disability discrimination. Individuals have the right to work, regardless of their ability status. It’s essential for hiring managers to understand this and not give in to ableist practices.
It is also essential to give employees with disabilities equal opportunities to succeed. Employers should evaluate their staff based on performance, not ability status. They should also provide employees with disabilities the same training opportunities as all other employees.
Lack of accommodations
A common form of workplace ableism is the lack of accommodations for employees. Accommodations are the necessary adjustments made to infrastructure, technology, or policy to help disabled employees effectively perform their duties.
Accommodations aren’t just a commonsense courtesy. They are legally required by the ADA. Examples of mandated accommodations include wheelchair ramps, accessible digital products, accessible parking spaces, and several others.
Employers may claim insufficient resources or lack of understanding as reasons to neglect accommodations. Whatever the reason, it is unacceptable. Not only is neglecting accommodations ableist, but it is also illegal.
How to combat a lack of accommodations
One way to prevent this form of ableism is to provide necessary accommodations. Some accommodations involve drastic changes to the physical infrastructure of a workplace, but others can be as simple as adjusting an employee's work schedule. Whatever the cost, it is worth it to create an accessible work environment.
Microaggressions
A more subtle manifestation of ableism is the microaggression. Microaggressions refer to nuanced, sometimes accidental comments or gestures that perpetuate discrimination. For instance, constantly asking a co-worker with disabilities if they need help is a microaggression. Another example is doing a task for a co-worker with disabilities without first consulting them. While they may be well-intentioned, such acts only perpetuate harmful, ableist environments.
Microaggressions are based on prejudiced assumptions that workers with disabilities are less capable or less committed to their work due to their conditions. These can be hurtful and make disabled employees feel incapable, underestimated, and undervalued.
How to combat microaggressions
People often aren’t even aware that they’re committing microaggressions. As such, the best tools to combat this type of ableism are education and training. Employers should provide opportunities to learn about the nature of disabilities and ableism. This includes providing information about what microaggressions are, how to avoid committing them, and how to address and report workplace discrimination.
Employers should also instill a culture of inclusiveness in the workplace. This could include recognizing Disability Awareness Month or holding inclusion-focused events. Employers can also do their part by providing employees with a safe place to express their experiences.
Conclusion
As pervasive as ableism may seem, it is possible to combat it. And doing so is the responsibility of all employers. By recognizing and combating the various forms it takes, executives can do their part to prevent ableism in the workplace and help contribute to a more accessible society.
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