By Menachem Rephun, Communications Manager and Advocate
Creative Spirit is dedicated to making a difference in fair-wage employment for the neurodiverse community. To do that, we need data on accessibility/inclusion in the workplace. That’s why this year’s “Disability Inclusion @ Work” survey from Deloitte is so important. The survey found that 88% of all respondents disclosed their condition or difficulty to at least one person at work. For the respondents who do choose to self-identify as neurodivergent, 99% said they’ve disclosed at work, while 99.8% who identified as having a disability or chronic health condition also said they’ve disclosed.
These findings are extremely positive in suggesting a growing destigmatization of disability. Along with disclosure, the survey (which covered 10,000 respondents around the world) touched on accessibility, inclusion, and other vital issues. This data can guide employers in making their workplaces much more accessible for employees who are neurodivergent. Creative Spirit is working to make a difference through Creative Spirit Academy, our comprehensive, first-of-its-kind training/neurodiversity certification program. We offer a step-by-step process to help all employers draw on the diverse strengths and talents of neurodiverse employees. We collaborate with employers at any level they happen to be on to make that inclusion a reality.
Majority of Respondents Disclose Disability: But What About Those Who Don’t?
As mentioned above, an overwhelmingly high percentage of the survey’s respondents said they’ve disclosed having a disability to at least one person at work. Many respondents also chose not to self-identify as having a disability or chronic health condition, despite having significant difficulties performing certain tasks. Among the respondents who didn’t disclose, two in 10 (20%) cited concerns about discrimination as the main reason. One-fifth of non-disclosing respondents said they had been discriminated against by a previous employer. The survey found that respondents in managerial positions were slightly more likely to disclose their disability than those who were not (97% versus 83%). These findings present a mixed picture of the growing destigmatization of disability, with discrimination still persisting.
Disability self-advocates have also weighed in with their own experiences, deciding whether or not to disclose. In “Disclosing Disability At Work: Those Who Have a Choice, Those Who Don’t, and Those That Choose Not To”, writer TL McMinn shares their own experience with disclosure as a person with “invisible” disabilities. “Overall, I’ve been open with my employers about my disabilities,” McMinn writes, “even though I don’t have to be, perhaps even more so because my disabilities are “invisible” or “hidden.” However, as my condition progressed, so did my use of assistive devices, making my disabilities harder to hide. I wasn’t ashamed of them, but I also knew how others viewed disabled folks. When I was no longer able to ‘hide,’ I panicked, wondering if my employers and future employers would accept me as a visibly disabled person.” McMinn writes that many people with disabilities are still stereotyped as being unable to hold down a job, only being capable of performing certain jobs, or being unable to carry out their responsibilities at work. “Stereotypes and stigmas like these influence how others perceive people with disabilities,” McMinn writes, “and contribute to this community’s chronic underemployment.” This was reflected in Deloitte’s finding that out of the respondents who disclosed their disability at work, 20% haven’t requested reasonable accommodations due to fear of a negative reaction from their supervisor.
McMinn’s essay offers helpful advice for employees with disabilities/neurodiversity on when and how to disclose. “When disclosing your disability in a cover letter, focus on the positives and what it has helped you accomplish rather than what you can’t or can no longer do,” McMinn suggests. “You can mention limitations you may encounter because of your disability, but highlight how you’ve worked around them and is a good space to mention any accommodations you may require.” Perhaps most importantly, McMinn reminds readers that “you are not disadvantaged because of your disability, only by people’s attitudes and perceptions. So however or whenever you choose to disclose your disability, just be sure that it feels right for you. And for those that don’t have a choice? Remember that you aren’t alone.”
Many Employers Still Reluctant on Accommodations
The survey was also insightful on the issue of reasonable accommodations. Specifically, many employers are still too hesitant about accommodating neurodiverse employees/those with disabilities. While the percentage of employees disclosing is high, Deloitte found that almost three-quarters (74%) of respondents who have requested workplace accommodations have had at least one request rejected. Around three in 10 were told that their request was unreasonable or too difficult to implement. Most respondents (43%) who declined requesting accommodations said they didn’t feel they needed them, while 18% said they didn’t know how to request the accommodations.
In her essay “To Disclose or Not to Disclose”, Sherri Byrne-Haber, an expert in accessibility (who has a disability herself), offers advice on requesting accommodations.
“When/If you decide you need a reasonable accommodation you should make that request in writing and track every communication you have about it,” Byrne-Haber recommends. “Informal accommodations are worth the paper they are written on; effectively nothing, because by definition, informal accommodations are not written.” She adds that people with “visible” disabilities, i.e. using a wheelchair, cane, etc., do not need to provide proof of being disabled. In certain situations, such as job descriptions that call for native users of assistive technology or extensive screen reader experience, Byrne-Haber writes that disclosing disability might actually be an advantage, rather than a drawback. “Hoping they don’t find out” is not a winning strategy if you think your disability may impact either your work or how you present yourself in the workplace,” she writes. “If you don’t disclose and you have a performance issue related to your disability that could have been helped by a reasonable accommodation, you are not protected.”
“Disability Inclusion @ Work 2024” highlights a clear problem: many employers still believe unfounded myths about the cost of providing reasonable accommodations, creating a huge roadblock for employees with disabilities. Of the survey respondents whose accommodation requests were rejected, nearly half (41%) said their employers gave cost as the reason. The survey also showed a high rejection rate for employees who requested alternative communication methods, assistive software, and coaching for specific issues. Alternative communication methods were requested by 30% of respondents, but rejected in 63% of cases. 27% of respondents requested assistive software solutions, with a 63% rejection rate. The 28% of respondents who requested coaching for specific issues were rejected in 64% of cases. These rejections should not be happening. They reflect a major issue that needs to be addressed and resolved for neurodiverse employees to be fully accepted and included in the workplace.
Workplace Accessibility: Still a Major Challenge
Along with accommodations, the Deloitte survey offered many surprising and important insights into accessibility for neurodiverse employees. Physical accessibility is so crucial that most respondents cited improving it as the number one priority they would like their employers to focus on, along with making inclusion a board-level agenda. The state of physical accessibility is so poor that many respondents said they work from home due to having more accessibility there than at their workplaces. Respondents also reported a lack of accessibility in recruiting and onboarding processes, and a lack of accessibility in events both in and outside the workplace.
57% said it was easier to get their work done from home, 55% said they were less concerned about health risks when working from home, and 29% said working from home meant less concern about discrimination and harassment. Also concerning was that 38% of respondents said they have been unable to attend work events outside the workplace because they weren’t accessible. Another 33% said they were unable to attend events within their workplace due to lack of accessibility as well. Out of the 48% of respondents who said working at home was more accessible for them, over 2 in 10 said their supervisor would prefer that they work in the office, despite the fact that working from home was officially an option for them. Nearly half of respondents (41%) said they have experienced microaggressions, harassment, and/or bullying over the past 12 months. Yet only half (52%) of these incidents were formally reported to their employer.
The Importance of Workplace Role Models With Disabilities
One possible solution to these challenges is for employees with disabilities to have visible role models with disabilities in the workplace. The survey found that “having access to visible role models, roles that are aligned to people’s strengths and skills, and inclusive cultures are more likely to lead an employee to recommend their employer to other people with disabilities, chronic health conditions or who are neurodivergent.” Unfortunately, only 36% of respondents reported having access to those role models. 58% of those employees believe visible role models indicate a more inclusive workplace culture. 47% said having a workplace role model with disabilities would make them more comfortable with disclosure, 44% said it would boost their confidence in reporting non-inclusive behaviors, and another 47% said it would make them feel more confident that they can achieve their professional goals.
One organization working to make a difference in this area is INvolve, a champion of inclusion and diversity in business. The organization has created a Role Model List, spotlighting the personal experiences and stories of neurodiverse changemakers in the workplace. This effort can make a huge difference in neurodiverse employment. Similar efforts are taking place in the U.K. In 2022, the Diversity Project, a cross-company effort supporting workplace inclusion, launched its #WeAre campaign to destigmatize disability and highlight role models in the workplace. It’s a project that can serve as a model for organizations and companies in the U.S. to emulate.
Recapping The Survey: What We Learned
As we’ve seen, this year’s Deloitte survey contained a huge amount of extremely important findings about neurodiversity in the workplace. To recap the major points:
- Accessibility is still one of the biggest challenges for many employees with disabilities around the world
- Disclosure in the workplace is becoming more common.
- A large percentage of employees still report experiencing discrimination at work.
- Many employees with disabilities are still hesitant to request reasonable accommodations, and many employers are still reluctant to provide them due to myths and misconceptions about the expense.
- Most employees with disabilities/neurodiversity list improving accessibility as the number one priority they would like their company to focus on.
- Companies should have many more role models with disabilities, which can help boost inclusion significantly.
Along with these insights, the survey found that 3 in 10 employees agreed with the statement “people have made negative assumptions about my competence” within the last 12 months. 28% of respondents with disabilities agreed with the statements “my performance was negatively evaluated” and “I was passed over for promotion”. This strongly reflects the biases and prejudices still entrenched in employment. We also believe in breaking down the taboo around disclosure. The decision of whether or not to disclose is up to the discretion of each individual and is something that should always be respected.
In their introduction to the survey’s findings, Emma Codd, Deloitte’s Global Chief of DEI, and Elizabeth Faber, its Global Chief People and Officer, write that the data “also shows what can make a positive difference and enable success. We hope that employers find this insight valuable and utilize it to enable them to bring about meaningful and sustained change.” Speaking to HR Brew.com, Codd said the survey shows an “access gap that needs to be closed so that everybody can thrive…[and] in turn will make your organization successful.” The data and insights in the survey provide an important stepping stone for employers seeking to close that gap. Using this information, companies can become fully accessible and inclusive for all neurodiverse employees, accelerating growth in the process.
Sources:
2. https://lunariasolutions.com/blog-post/disclosingdisability/