This article will discuss the misinformation and exclusion of the disability community, as well as ways in which people with disabilities often get treated by society. It will also address how to further increase disability inclusion, get a better understanding of people with disabilities and how to respect them.
Ableism
Many individuals want acceptance, but they receive unequal treatment. Some populations receive favorable treatment while others receive mistreatment. The disability community, in particular, gets stigmatized and ostracized. When the disability population gets treated as inferior, they face discrimination called ableism. Ableism is when society does not include disabled people based on a belief that nondisabled peers are more capable than disabled peers. Ableism manifests in different forms, negatively impacting the disability community.
Disability Inclusion Steps
Most companies do not have enough knowledge on disability inclusivity. However, some are learning more about disabilities each day. For instance, they turn to job training or providing accommodations.
Identify Needs
Everyone learns differently and their needs are not the same. Companies and schools then must determine what individuals need for success. For example, a company interviewer can ask about job seeker’s needs.
Give Accessible Job Training
Once an employee gets hired, it usually includes some training. Most companies should take disability and accommodations into account. For instance, a company employs a person with autism and provides more job-specific training. The employer should determine the learning style of the autistic employee. This means the boss must ask what accommodations the employee needs. Some autistics want to have a bigger group while some autistics want to have smaller groups. As far as sensory needs are concerned, some autistics tolerate noise. However, some autistics become extremely sensitive to noise.
Some other job seekers need assistance with hearing. The company then should create a training session based on those needs. A trainer, for example, has a sign language interpreter come to the session. Other types of support would also include videos with closed-captioning to ensure learning. When the company uses these measures, deaf employees can comprehend the expected tasks.
Provide Accommodations
When a disabled individual starts working, they may need some support tools. A person with ADHD can become distracted and will need accommodations. Each person with ADHD may be different. Some people might ask for breaks while others do not need many breaks. These accommodations will help them complete their tasks in a timely manner.
Another example of a job accommodation supports those with learning disabilities. Some people struggle with math, while some people struggle with reading. A company must then determine how these individuals can succeed at work. For those having difficulty with math, a company should allow the use of a calculator. If someone reads slowly or does not grasp words, the company can allow text-to-speech.
Takeaway
It is important to note that ableism impacts disabled individuals because they are human beings. Since disabled people face unequal treatment society must do more to include them. Supporting the disability population is vital for equality and acceptance.