Month: July 2021

“How did you become disabled?” “Were you born that way?” “What’s it like to be disabled?” Such uninvited questions posed to a person with a visible impairment are not merely personal – they’re impolite, invasive, and ableist. Yet many people report they frequently face an expectation to share their highly personal information, as though their bodies were somehow public property. Two quotes worth some reflection:

“There is a tendency for people to believe they are entitled to ask intrusive questions about the bodies of people with disabilities and to expect them to reveal personal information about themselves for the benefit, education, or curiosity of others.”
– K. Stollznow (07-Jul-2021). “So What’s Wrong with You?”: How people with disabilities battle forced intimacy. Psychology Today.

“I am always expected to do the work of opening myself up for others’ benefit, education, curiosity or benevolent oppression.”
– M. Mingus. (06-Aug-2017). Forced Intimacy: An Ableist Norm. https://leavingevidence.wordpress.com.

What’s your experience with forced intimacy?

Recent research by LifeWorks and Deloitte Canada shows that the mental health of senior leaders will impact post-pandemic workplace recovery. Fifty-one percent (51%) of senior leaders are considering retiring, moving to a less demanding role or to part-time work, or taking a leave of absence. For those who do stay, mental health issues are taking a toll. To add to this, senior leaders’ response to pressures to deliver organizational results in the face of a pandemic contributes to employee burnout at lower levels.
Of great concern, 55% of senior leaders “perceive that they will be stigmatized and lose out on career opportunities if they had a mental-health issue and their workplace was aware” (Talent Canada, One-quarter of senior leaders considering resigning: report, 16-Jul-2021). Z. Hirji of Deloitte notes that adequate mental health support for senior leaders would “have a trickle-down effect in setting a culture that normalizes mental-health support for all employees”.
It has long been a cornerstone of disability management (DM) that visible senior leadership support is critical to the success of DM-related programming. Over the years, there have been increasing efforts – and success – in demonstrating the business case for DM and EDIA (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility). But the numbers from the LifeWorks-Deloitte research make it clear that mental health stigma is alive and well in Canadian organizations. Our work is far from over.
What do you think? Do you think senior leaders’ work experience during the pandemic has been unique? What would your reaction be if you learned a senior leader at your organization took a leave of absence for mental health reasons?

Six-time Paralympic medalist Becca Meyers has quit the US Olympic team after being told her personal care assistant (PCA) cannot accompany her to enable her to navigate Tokyo and the Olympic facilities. And Meyers, a deaf-blind swimmer, is not alone. Athletes have been turning down nominations to Team USA after learning about limited accessibility and accommodation at the Games. For example, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) intends to provide one PCA for the entire 34-member Paralympic swim team, adding that the team’s 6 coaches will also be available to assist with personal needs (J. Owens, Deaf-blind Paralympian quits Team USA when told she can’t bring assistant to Tokyo, Yahoo Sports, 19-Jul-2021). Citing COVID restrictions, these athletes have been told this is for safety reasons.
How does limiting accessibility contribute to safety? How can 1 PCA be expected to support 34 diverse athletes at once? Since when are Olympic coaches skilled in PCA work? I thought this was the Paralympics. What happened to the International Paralympic Committee ‘s vision to “Make for an inclusive world through Para sport?”
What do you think?

The last of G7 nations to do so, Canada launched a Vaccine Injury Support Program last month. Canadians who have experienced severe adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine can now apply for compensation. To be eligible for financial support, applicants must be found to experience “persistent or significant disability or incapacity” as a result of the vaccine (in the case of death, dependents may apply).
It will be interesting to see how this VISP program compares to other G7 programs, as well as how the eligibility criteria align with other programs such as CPP-D where eligibility requires the claimant to experience “severe and prolonged” disability as a result of injury or illness.
How would you define “persistent or significant disability or incapacity”?

In her June 28, 2021 piece for the Harvard Business Review entitled Make It Safe for Employees to Disclose Their Disabilities, Laurie Henneborn took the results of a recent Accenture survey and offered 5 things a business can put in place to create a culture in which employees with disabilities feel safe to disclose. Here they are:

1. Bold role models at the leadership level who have disclosed their own disabilities;
2. Enterprise-wide training to advance awareness of inclusion and diversity topics;
3. The space to bring your whole self to work (and not adopt a “work persona”);
4. Formal mental wellness policies and programs; and
5. Supported disability employee resource groups (ERGs) for open dialogue and networking.
   
   What do you think? Do any of these strike a chord with you?

Last month, a journalist published the story of a former police officer who, after 29 years of service, stopped work over 15 years ago as a result of trauma he experienced on the job. The workers’ compensation appeals tribunal allowed his claim 9 months ago: He was to be reimbursed 15.5 years of benefits owed to him. Yet the worker – a 64 year old Métis man – had still not received any compensation. Shortly after the story was shared publicly, the worker received the $630,000 that was owing to him. A workers’ compensation spokesperson said “it may take longer than any of us would like to gather all the information and documents required to calculate” benefits owing. This worker was traumatized on the job and was impaired as a result. He was let down by a system that – 15 years ago, at least – had not yet caught up to the fact that workplace trauma should be “compensable”. He was left to advocate for himself despite living with a debilitating condition. He experienced years of homelessness and poverty – indeed, his first plan for these funds is to have a well dug so he cant get running water. One can only imagine the effect of all this on his 2 children. While relieved, he reports being overwhelmed, and he continues to live with PTSD. When decisions are made to pay claimants owed money after such a long period, what is the approach we need to take to provide relief – justice – to those in the most dire circumstances and with the most urgent need? Are our systems instead set up to process such decisions on a purely first-come, first-served basis? If so, is that really what we all want? What do you think?

In late May, Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open. After having reported mental health impairments, she followed through on her decision not to take part in a post-match press conference. She was fined $15,000 and warned not to do this again, or else risk expulsion from the tournament.

Like everyone, Osaka is entitled to reasonable accommodation so that she is not disabled by her job demands. Clearly, she is capable of carrying out the essential duties of her occupation as a tennis player. Participation in press conferences, while important, would not in my estimation fall under the category of essential job duties. Let’s hope the sports world comes to understand this too. What do you think?

Wow, it’s been a busy few months! Since last posting, I’ve been engaged in a number of exciting projects. Best of all, feedback from clients has been extremely positive. Here’s a sample of some projects I’ve completed:

Course development & facilitation:

• Best practices for disability management
• Recruiting and hiring people with disabilities
• Disability policy and procedure building for employers

Curriculum development:

• Privacy & confidentiality for the vocational rehabilitation professional
• Returning to the work site post-pandemic

Subject matter expertise consultations:

• Creating a supportive work environment for employees who work from home
• Supporting employees who Return To Work following disability

Excited to see what the next adventure brings!