Ableism at Workplace

Ableism refers to discrimination, prejudice, and social prejudice against individuals with disabilities, based on their disability or perceived disability. It involves attitudes, actions, and systemic barriers that disadvantage and marginalize people with disabilities, preventing them from fully participating in society and enjoying equal opportunities.

Ableism can take various forms, including:

Attitudinal Ableism: This involves negative attitudes, stereotypes, and misconceptions about individuals with disabilities. It can lead to the belief that people with disabilities are less capable, dependent, or less valuable than those without disabilities.

Structural Ableism: This refers to the systemic barriers and discrimination embedded in social, economic, and political structures that limit the opportunities and access for people with disabilities. It can manifest in inaccessible buildings, lack of accommodations, or discriminatory policies.

Environmental Ableism: This encompasses physical and social environments that are inaccessible or exclude people with disabilities. Examples include lack of ramps or elevators, absence of sign language interpretation, or exclusion from social activities.

Interpersonal Ableism: This involves discriminatory actions or behaviours directed at individuals with disabilities. It can include bullying, harassment, or exclusion based on disability.

Ableism disregards the rights, dignity, and autonomy of people with disabilities and perpetuates inequality and exclusion. It is important to recognize and challenge ableism to promote inclusivity, equal rights, and opportunities for individuals with disabilities

Ableism at the Workplace?

Unfortunately, ableism can exist in various settings, including the workplace. This can manifest in different ways, such as:

Hiring and recruitment: Discrimination can occur during the hiring process when qualified candidates with disabilities are overlooked or excluded based on their disabilities. This may be due to misconceptions or biases about their abilities to perform certain tasks.

Inaccessible infrastructure: Workplaces that lack proper accommodations and accessibility features, such as wheelchair ramps, accessible restrooms, or assistive technologies, can create barriers for employees with disabilities.

Unequal treatment: Employees with disabilities may face differential treatment compared to their colleagues. They may be assigned less desirable tasks, excluded from important meetings or opportunities, or denied promotions based on assumptions about their capabilities.

Harassment and bullying: Individuals with disabilities can be subjected to harassment, jokes, or derogatory comments based on their disabilities. Such behaviour contributes to a hostile work environment and can have a severe impact on the mental and emotional well-being of the individuals involved.

Lack of reasonable accommodations: Employers have a legal obligation to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities to enable them to perform their job duties effectively. However, a failure to provide these accommodations can hinder the employees’ ability to succeed in the workplace.

Addressing ableism in the workplace requires a multi-faceted approach, including:

Education and awareness: Organizations can conduct disability awareness training for all employees to foster understanding, challenge biases, and promote inclusivity.

Policy and procedure review: Employers should review their policies and procedures to ensure they are inclusive and provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

Accessibility improvements: Employers should assess the workplace environment for accessibility barriers and make necessary modifications to ensure equal access for employees with disabilities.

Support and advocacy: Establishing support networks or employee resource groups for individuals with disabilities can provide a platform for sharing experiences, raising concerns, and advocating for change within the organization.

Reporting and addressing discrimination: Employers should have clear procedures in place for reporting instances of discrimination or harassment and should promptly investigate and address any complaints.

By promoting a culture of inclusivity, understanding, and equal opportunity, workplaces can work towards reducing ableism and creating an environment where all employees can thrive.

References

Arthur, S. M., Linnehan, A. M., Leaf, J. B., Russell, N., Weiss, M. J., Kelly, A. N., … & Ross, R. K. (2023). Concerns about Ableism in Applied Behavior Analysis: An Evaluation and Recommendations. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 58(2), 127-143.

Cech, E. A. (2023). Engineering ableism: The exclusion and devaluation of engineering students and professionals with physical disabilities and chronic and mental illness. Journal of Engineering Education, 112(2), 462-487.

Börstell, C. (2023, May). Ableist Language Teching over Sign Language Research. In Proceedings of the Second Workshop on Resources and Representations for Under-Resourced Languages and Domains (RESOURCEFUL-2023) (pp. 1-10).

Reeves, N. A., Flynn, T. W., & Schuff, R. Z. (2023). Ableism to empowerment: Navigating school structures when working with students who stutter. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 1-19.