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The first steps for any company include establishing a clear commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through written policies and communicative values.
Why does disability awareness matter in the workplace?
Disabilities awareness means understanding and recognizing the challenges, experiences, and rights of people with disabilities. It’s about being kind and sensitive to individuals who have different physical, intellectual, sensory, or mental abilities.
By increasing disabilities awareness, we can create a more inclusive society where everyone has equal opportunities, no matter their abilities.
Disabilities awareness can be promoted through educational campaigns, workshops, and events, and by showing positive portrayals of disabled individuals in the media.
To understand more about issues of bringing awareness and inclusion to the workplace, we sat down to have a chat with Akshay CM, who works as a DEI and Talent Management Consultant.
As a talent management professional specializing in Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI), my role is multifaceted and crucial in creating an inclusive work environment. I work closely with my organization, DDB MUDRA, to develop strategies that foster diversity and offer equitable opportunities for all employees.
This involves assessing existing policies and practices to identify areas of improvement, designing training programs for employees to educate them about DEI and its core values, and establishing inclusive recruitment and internship practices.
I collaborate with top leadership to create initiatives aligned with organizational values and goals, establish metrics to measure progress and develop Employees Resource Groups (ERGs) to provide support and foster a sense of belonging.
Ultimately, my work revolves around creating an environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and cherished.
As someone with multiple invisible disabilities, I have personally experienced challenges in accessing employment opportunities and fully participating in society. This realization compelled me to become a vocal advocate for accessibility issues.
I embarked on a journey to understand the barriers and limitations faced by individuals with disabilities in various workplaces.
The first steps for any company include establishing a clear commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through written policies and communicative values. Conducting a thorough accessibility audit of physical spaces, digital platforms, and communication channels is essential.
Providing reasonable accommodations and implementing comprehensive training programs to educate employees about disability etiquette and the need for an inclusive workplace is crucial.
Actively hiring and promoting individuals with disabilities ensures acceptance in the organization. Cultivating an environment of open dialogue and feedback, where employees can express their needs and concerns without fear of retribution, is also important.
Collaboration with disability-led organizations and advocacy groups provides insights and partnerships that support disability inclusion
Invisible disabilities refer to conditions or impairments not immediately apparent to others, such as chronic pain, mental health disorders, and certain neurological conditions.
Regular office workers can help spread awareness by educating themselves about invisible disabilities, fostering an inclusive culture where individuals feel comfortable disclosing their disabilities, and practising inclusivity in communication.
Avoiding assumptions about individuals’ abilities and limitations, offering support to colleagues with invisible disabilities, and respecting their boundaries and preferences regarding support are crucial steps.
Collaborating with leadership and the human resources department to create policies that support individuals with disabilities is also important.
Corporates can play a vital role in making technology accessible and inclusive for everyone, including those with disabilities.
They can promote accessibility by consulting with people with disabilities during the technology development process, conducting testing with diverse groups, and following accessibility standards.
Investing in inclusive design and regularly updating accessibility features, applications, software, and websites are essential steps to address ableism. Corporations should stay updated with accessibility practices and address any challenges that arise.
Yes, even in disability issues, gender biases can manifest in various forms. Disabled women may face stereotypes that diminish their capabilities and opportunities, and they often experience double discrimination based on their gender and disability.
Gender biases can result in additional barriers to accessing employment, promotion, and fair compensation. Representation of disabled women is lacking in decision-making processes and policymaking roles related to disabilities.
Taking an intersectional approach that recognizes various forms of discrimination is crucial. Awareness-raising, amplifying the voices of disabled women, challenging stereotypes, incorporating an intersectional lens in policies and initiatives, and collaborating with women’s rights organizations are essential steps to counter gender biases.
Students/researchers with disabilities can seek support networks within their institutions, such as disability support services and student organizations. Documenting and reporting incidents of discrimination, engaging with sympathetic administrators, familiarizing themselves with institutional policies, and filing external formal complaints are practical steps to address exploitation and discrimination.
External support from organizations specializing in legal advocacy can provide guidance and representation.
Advocating for policy change through peaceful protests and student groups, as well as collaborating with disability advocacy groups, can help address these issues.
My goals as a disability-diversity advocate include promoting education and awareness about disability issues, influencing policy changes at both national and organizational levels, collaborating with disability organizations and stakeholders, supporting research and innovation, empowering individuals with disabilities to become self-advocates and leaders, and continuously learning and growing.
My message to readers interested in working in management and focusing on DEI is to continuously raise awareness about disability issues, strive to influence policy changes, collaborate with relevant organizations, support research and innovation, and empower individuals with disabilities to become self-advocates and leaders.
Education and awareness are crucial, and it’s important to develop educational programs, workshops, and resources to empower people with disabilities. Engaging with disability support services, student organizations, and advocacy groups can provide guidance and resources.
Keep learning and growing in your journey towards promoting diversity, equality, and inclusion.
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This interview has been jointly conducted and transcribed with Anushka Thapliyal.
Image source: Created on CanvaPro
Editor at Women's Web. She/They. 30. Bi. Bookworm. Comic book connoisseur. read more...
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UP Boards Topper Prachi Nigam was trolled on social media for her facial hair; our obsession with appearance is harsh on young minds.
Prachi Nigam’s photo has been doing the rounds on social media for the right reasons. Well, scratch that- I wish the above statement were true. This 15-year-old girl should ideally be revelling in her spectacular achievement of scoring a whopping 98.05% and topping her tenth-grade boards. But oddly enough, along with her marks, it’s something else that garners more attention – her facial hair.
While the trolls are driving themselves giddy by mocking this girl who hasn’t even completed her school yet, the ones who are taking her side are going one step ahead – they are sharing her photoshopped pictures, sans the facial hair, looking nothing less than a celebrity with captions saying – “Prachi Nigam, ten years later”.
Doctors have already diagnosed her with PCOD in their comments, based on photographic evidence. While we have names for people shamed for their weight – body shaming, for their skin colour- racism, for their age- age shaming, for being a female- sexism, this category of shaming where one faces criticism for their appearance has no name. With that, it also has zero shame attached to it.
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