Roughly 16% of the global population has a disability, and that percentage is growing as people age and develop more health conditions. Yet workplaces frequently aren’t set up for disabled workers to thrive. A new survey finds that while most disabled workers share their diagnosis with at least one person at work, they often face microaggressions and are denied accommodations.
Deloitte released “Disability Inclusion at Work” on December 3, International Persons with Disabilities Day. It surveyed 10,000 people in 20 countries and examined the workplace experiences of those with physical disabilities, chronic health conditions, and neurodivergence.
“We very deliberately carved it out by people with disabilities, chronic health conditions, and then those who are neurodivergent because there are some experiences that are similar…but the reality is, they are also very different,” Emma Codd, global chief DE&I officer at Deloitte, told HR Brew. “It’s not a homogenous group. Like many areas of diversity—inclusion is so nuanced.”
Discrimination and inclusion experiences. Some 41% of respondents said they have experienced discrimination in the workplace, most commonly through microaggressions, bullying, or harassment. But only 52% of those behaviors were reported. One-third of respondents who did not report such discrimination to their employer stayed quiet out of fear it would get worse.
To increase reporting and reduce discrimination, employers should focus on creating inclusive cultures where people feel safe speaking up, according to Codd. Role models can help: 58% of respondents said visible role models are “crucial” for a disability inclusive culture, but just 36% have role models at work. They also said that physically accessible workspaces and making disability inclusion part of board meeting agendas can help make cultures more inclusive.
Disclosure. Not everyone who has a disability or health condition self-identifies as having a disability, but 88% of those with a physical, mental, or health condition said they have disclosed it to someone at work, most commonly to HR, through a self-ID program, or their direct manager.
Self-ID could be influenced by a person’s disability. For example, the survey showed that neurodivergent respondents were more likely (71%) to disclose during recruitment or onboarding than all respondents (43%), while those with chronic illnesses were more likely to disclose to someone in their ERG (39% compared to 29% of all disabilities). Nearly 1 in 5 (18%) said they have a visible disability and didn’t have the option to not disclose.
Quick-to-read HR news & insights
From recruiting and retention to company culture and the latest in HR tech, HR Brew delivers up-to-date industry news and tips to help HR pros stay nimble in today’s fast-changing business environment.
Disclosure rates may also be impacted by seniority or age, with respondents in managerial roles more likely to disclose. Workers under 25 have 96% disclosure rate. Disabled workers who don’t disclose said they’re afraid of discrimination or their employer losing faith in their ability to do their job.
“We know that happiness [and] engagement equals productivity,” Codd said. “A thriving employee, somebody that isn’t covering, choosing to hide, and all of these things that we fundamentally know.”
Denied accommodations. The majority (75%) of respondents said they haven’t requested workplace accommodations. Some 43% said they don’t need accommodations, but 20% worry their request would be denied, and another 20% believe they would be viewed negatively for making a request.
Some 74% who have requested accommodations said at least one was denied, and 19% have had all requests rejected. Employers have told workers that accommodations could not be provided because workers with similar conditions haven’t made the same requests (34%) or it was too costly (41%).
While the most common requests, including remote work, frequent breaks, and access to a private workspace, aren’t usually costly, they were denied at least one-third of the time. Most (57%) respondents said remote work allows them to be more productive, while 46% said that it’s easier to tend to medical needs at home. Assistive technologies (such as screen readers or closed captioning technology) and coaching were requested the least and denied the most, with rejection rates of 63% and 64%.
Codd said that HR leaders need better education to understand why workers require accommodations, and should make sure the accommodations request process is easy to navigate.
“[Have] a really easy process…so that you’re not fishing around and having to speak to 10 people in order to work out how to actually get [different accommodations],” she recommended—noting that disabled workers may not want to share personal information about their disabilities. She also said that companies should provide all workers with an accommodation menu so they know what tools are available to them. “What’s very clear from this [survey]…is there is this access gap that needs to be closed so that everybody can thrive…[and] in turn will make your organization successful.”
