Attitudinal Accessibility

The misconceptions and attitudes that people within the workplace may have about disabilities can be the most significant employment barrier that people with disabilities face. The U.S. Department of Labor lists possible attitudinal barriers for employees with disabilities as:

• Inferiority: The employee is seen as a “second-class citizen”.
• Pity: People feel sorry for the employee and are patronizing as a result.
• Hero Worship: People consider a person with a disability living independently to be “special”.
• Ignorance: The employee is dismissed as incapable because of his or her disability.
• The Spread Effect: People assume that the employee’s disability affects his or her other senses.
• Stereotypes: People make both positive and negative generalizations about disabilities.
• Backlash: People believe the employee is being given an unfair advantage because of his or her disability.
• Denial: People may not believe that hidden disabilities are legitimate and therefore do not necessitate accommodations.
• Fear: People are afraid they will offend an employee with a disability by doing or saying the wrong thing and avoid the employee as a result.

There are tools and resources (see below) available to all employers to help break down attitudinal barriers in the workplace. By effectively engaging employees, your company can use leadership skills to create a forum for discussion regarding disability issues. In addition, you can provide training to employees to increase their understanding of disabilities and correct misconceptions and attitudes they may have about disabilities.

Next Steps

Listen to your employees. Understand the attitudinal barriers that people with disabilities face in your workplace. It is important to create an environment where employees feel comfortable talking to you about disability-related concerns or problems.

Knowledge is power. Utilize tools and resources (see below) to help you understand and break down attitudinal barriers in the workplace. Share your knowledge with your employees.

Continually engage your workforce to reassess disability issues in the workplace.

Resources

Disability Etiquette, Tips on Interacting with People with Disabilities created by The United Spinal Association.

Ten Commandments of Etiquette for communicating with people with disabilities

A list of disability awareness and sensitivity training resources created by Earnworks.com

Training for Today offers free online sensitivity training