A lot of disabled people in the workplace don’t “declare” their disabilities. Even I don’t share all of mine (I collect them). To help people be their best at work, we have to create a safe, open space that shows how we can help, not just that we can.
It’s no use being willing to help people and having a supportive attitude to creating reasonable adjustments if you sit waiting for your people to come and ask you for them.
The best way to support disabled people (and, frankly, the whole workforce) is to let everyone know the things that you’re prepared to do.
Someone with chronic pain may need a better chair and a footrest. If you’re willing to do that, tell everyone (especially new starters).
Someone with sensory sensitivities may work better if they’re allowed noise-cancelling headphones in the office. Tell everyone it’s OK to wear headphones.
Someone whose condition causes fatigue, or fluctuates on a daily basis (like many chronic, hidden disabilities do), may benefit from being able to be flexible with the days they come into the office. If that’s cool, make sure everyone knows.
Someone who suffers (and suffer really is the right word) with endometriosis might really benefit from being able to adjust their working pattern based on their cycle. As a male manager, I know that my female team members may well not want to talk about “that sort of thing” with me and they may not want to talk to anyone about it. By telling people that’s ok, it opens the door for people to be able to either open up about it, or just request that adjustment.
Disabled people don’t need much. Almost every adjustment you may ever need to make for us won’t cost you very much at all.
What we want, what we need, is to know that you care enough to offer us options.
And it’s not going to hurt to show people you care.
This post first appeared on my Linkedin profile.