Create a Culture that Honors All Employees

Many times the unknown can throw the best of us off. Whether navigating a strange city or a new procedure at work, we all can be at a loss as to how to deal with something that is new to us. The same is true when dealing with different types of people in the workplace. If an employee has never encountered a fellow employee who has a disability such as blindness, hearing impairment, or some other type of physical or mental disability, he or she may feel awkward and uncertain about how to act. A workplace culture that treats each person as an individual with unique talents and abilities can help foster more acceptance and understanding in the workplace.

A workplace culture that values all types of personalities and individuals makes it less likely for employees to feel awkward when dealing with a person in a wheelchair, for instance. If the workplace fosters a people first attitude, then employees are less likely to see people and label them by their attributes. The focus is on the person not his or her wheelchair or hearing aid.

Too often, persons without disabilities will project their own feelings about having a disability on to a person with a disability. We frequently start to wonder how we would handle being paralyzed, blind, hearing impaired, etc. As a person without a disability, we see it as a drawback while the person with the disability sees it as a part of who he or she is, not a problem. Many times persons with disabilities see the disability as an opportunity not an obstacle.

The power of language in any situation, especially the workplace, holds the key to unlocking an environment where the focus is on the person, not the disability. Think about a simple request made of a child “Do not run!” In positive language, this becomes “Please walk quietly.” Instead of focusing on what the child should not do, the focus is on what the child can do. Look at these examples of positive versus negative language when referring to someone with a disability:

• Person with a developmental or cognitive disability - NOT mentally retarded
  
• Wheelchair user – NOT wheelchair bound

While some people may think that using such language is an attempt to be “politically correct”, in reality the use of positive language focuses on the person not the disability. When looked at from this perspective, one can see how a simple shift in language creates a sense of community among employees. When employers create a workplace that values its employees and their abilities, it is a workplace where ALL employees can thrive.

For more information, visit the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) website

This part of the web site has many article persons with disabilities and the workplace. These articles can be found under the Publications heading to the right of the screen.

Works Cited for this article:

Effective Interaction: Communicating with and About People with Disabilities