Article: Ability, Disability... Invisibility?

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Ability, Disability... Invisibility?

ProGroup looks at National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Visible Disability, Invisible Disabilities, Disability Employment

When I was eight years old, my mother almost died. As I started my fourth-grade year of school, mom got the flu and it didn't go away for what seemed like weeks. She got worse and worse until one day, when my sister and I got home from school, we couldn't wake her up. Dad rushed home from work and called for an ambulance. We found out later that night that she was in a coma from a disease called diabetes. Mom came home a week later and we were delirious with joy at her recovery. She looked the same, she acted the same, and we were happy to begin our education and adjustment to having a parent who was an insulin-dependent diabetic.

Not everyone did. Mom's best friend, Lola, who lived across the street came to see her once she got home, found out about the diabetes and never came over or talked to Mom again. Did she think it was contagious? Several of Mom's dressmaking clients decided to take their business elsewhere once they were informed because they were afraid she wouldn't be reliable enough. Mom quit telling most people about it. She knew that as long as she took care of herself, ate right, exercised appropriately, and regulated her insulin, she'd usually be fine. But others weren't so sure and didn't want to take the chance of employing her.

In today's workplace, the same thing goes on. We hear from people with invisible disabilities that they are concerned that misperceptions about people with disabilities will make it harder for them to get hired for a job or succeed at that job once they get it. One of the most challenging aspects of dealing with their invisible disabilities is deciding when, or if, they should disclose their invisible disability to a potential employer. They are not violating any laws withholding their health information unless they believe that the disability could put them or someone else at risk.

The important thing for employers and managers to realize around this issue is that you cannot discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities, whether they are applicants or employees. It's just good business to know what to do to best handle the current employees you have who have invisible disabilities, because they are a large portion of the workforce. According to statistics put out by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Bureau of the Census, and other sources, 20.6% of the population (about 54 million people) has some level of disability and 26 million of them have a severe disability. Of the 54 million mentioned, only 8 million use a wheelchair, cane, crutches, or walker. That means that a small percentage has a visible illness. So, if you are thinking that widening doorways and building ramps is all you have to do, think again.

Remember that the Americans with Disabilities Act covers all people who have disabilities that substantially limit one or more major life activities and are expected to be long term. Some of the diseases and conditions that are covered are asthma, arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, mental illness, hearing or speech impairments, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, AIDS or HIV, cancer, emotional illness, mental retardation, psychiatric disabilities, and specific learning disabilities. It doesn't cover transient injuries such as broken arms or temporarily swollen knees from weekend sports activities.

To keep all your employees with invisible disabilities happy and productive:

Find out about their diseases and the characteristics of them on your own time.
Once you have some background information, talk to them individually to find out about the realities of their current state of health and the implications that has in the workplace.
Discuss possible accommodations that can be made to increase comfort and productivity.
Reach agreement on what's reasonable and fair for them and the company and implement your plan. Check in on the employees periodically.

Examine your biases and assumptions each time you think of promotions and possibilities.

"I look healthy"

You probably know people who "look healthy" but contend daily with a difficult condition. Their story might sound like Lea Covington Rowen's. In the following supplement to our newsletter, ProGroup's Director of Client Communications shares her perspective on the challenges people face in the workplace:

I look healthy. You would never know that I have a debilitating disease requiring daily accommodations at work and at home. I have Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel disease that over the years has necessitated many, many months in the hospital, more than a half-dozen surgeries, and ongoing medications and drug treatments. On my best days, I feel sicker than most employees who choose to stay home due to minor illness.

Having suffered from this disease for more than 20 years, I've been fired from two positions and nearly lost another because of time missed when hospitalized or because of the temporary side effects from medications. As a single mother, I couldn't risk being branded "unemployable" or a "troublemaker," so I simply found another job.

I'm lucky now—I work for a small company and most everyone is aware of the accommodations I need. However, because I look fine and I have a willing attitude, even those who know about my illness sometimes forget and make assumptions about what I can do. When people have visible disabilities, others don't forget. You have to know me well to understand the extraordinary energy it requires to appear "normal" and healthy and to look my best, professionally dressed with carefully applied makeup and coiffed hair. I frequently must step out of meetings, which can raise a few unspoken questions, leaving me with an awkward dilemma—to tell or not to tell. Others are embarrassed by my carefully worded explanations or, if I haven't said anything, they jump to inaccurate conclusions and make their own judgments.

From my experiences, I know how important it is for my manager to appreciate that the skills and talents and dedication I bring to work each day far outweigh any accommodations they must make for my "disability." It can be complicated and sensitive and requires a great deal of effort to simply get through each day—but you won't see that because, when you look at me, I look healthy.

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This month we also linked our newsletter to articles featuring More disability employment tips and Survivor's controversial new season.

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