By Phil Turner

Considering the role that I am in, you may think that a statement like “we need fewer disabled people in the workplace” would be a career killer, but only if you don’t understand the social model of disability. What I want is fewer people being disabled in and by their workplace, and instead more Disabled People (people with lived experience of disability) in the workplace.

We achieve this by employing more Disabled People and ensuring that our workplaces remove the barriers that disable them.

The Office of Disability Issues aptly defines disability as –

“The social model of disability specifies that individuals do not have a disability – it lies in society.”

“The experience of disability occurs when people with impairments are excluded from places and activities most of us take for granted. It happens when our infrastructure and systems do not accommodate the diverse abilities and needs of all citizens.”

It then goes on to define Disabled People as –

“People with impairments are disabled if society does not provide an environment that takes their impairments adequately into account. Consequently, they experience barriers preventing their participation in society.”

Hopefully, you can now see where I am going with this.

In my last article (When disabled and neurodiverse people truly belong, everyone benefits), I talked about why NZ workplaces should go beyond becoming more disability and neurodiversity inclusive. Instead, becoming a workplace where disabled and neurodiverse people are a part of the collective “us”. The benefits are tangible, but most importantly, it reflects one of New Zealand’s core values, fairness and equality.

But how do disabled people become a part of “us” when our workplaces are not set up for it?

This is the big question, and we all play a part. We must start by accepting that it is New Zealander’s decisions and attitudes that disable people every day. They are not disabled because of their impairment, but instead because of our collective decisions, some conscious and many unconscious. The workplace is no exception to this.

But the good news is we make decisions every day, and this means that we can start making better decisions right now. You can make decisions today that reduce the barriers that disabled people will face.

Barriers

If we can remove or reduce the number of barriers faced by disabled people, we enable them to show their true potential. Which then encourages us to remove more barriers, leading to even better results.

When preparing to write this, I asked myself – how do you do justice to the many types of barriers that disabled people face in the workplace. The only conclusion I could reach was, I can’t. I could write many articles, and I may, that talk about individual types of barriers, but for this article, some categories deserve special mention.

• Attitudinal – these are the behaviours, perceptions, and the biggest one – assumptions, that people have and make around the capability and needs of Disabled People.They are often formed with the best of intention (e.g. keeping someone safe) but generally come from a lack of knowledge and stereotypes. In the workplace, this can manifest in ways such as assuming that a disabled person will be a greater health and safety risk (rarely true, and more often actually the opposite) or that they will not be able to do the role as they can’t access the computer (also rarely true).
• Organisational and systemic – the inclusion of disabled people in the workforce can be problematic as decisions made before they arrive exclude them. The way policies, procedures and/or practices are set up can make the workplace unsuitable, or at least more complicated, before the disabled person even arrives.
• Architectural and physical – this is the one that most people think about when we talk about accessibility. Where is someone going to park their car? How will they get up the stairs? etc. It is all about the setup of buildings and environments so that everyone can use them.
• Information or communications – these barriers occur when people don’t understand how to communicate with people with different communication needs. Think about those with sensory impairments, such as hearing loss, sight loss or different cognitive processing. Take some time to learn about accessible document and assistive technology. But most of all, have conversations with people and learn how they want to be communicated with.
• Technology – when technology is implemented, are the needs of potential future staff considered? The selection of inaccessible technology solutions can lead to users of assistive technology and techniques being excluded, or at the very least being perceived as complicated to employ.

If you want to focus on anything from the outset, focus on attitudinal barriers. Resolving attitudinal barriers and removing the misinformation and assumptions about the capability of disabled people leads to their potential being understood by all. From there, people naturally start to remove the other barriers as they see and understand how they are “one of us”.

In a workplace, it is about culture. Do we have a culture of accepting and supporting a person to be who they are, and to thrive in our environment? There is no magic bullet to change the disability inclusive culture of an organisation. Instead, it requires careful and considered leadership over a period of time that reinforces the organisation’s commitment and belief in disability inclusion.

“We don’t have anyone with a disability in our workplace, so we don’t need to fix anything.”

I have two answers to this common statements like this, I always struggle to pick which one to run with first.

1. How do you know that? 19% of working-age New Zealanders have a disability. 70% of these disabilities are hidden. Are you still so sure that you don’t have disabled people that are hiding them from you? Are you enabling your whole team to perform at their best?
2. Nor will you if you don’t change how you approach things – missing out on the great talent and diverse perspectives of disabled people.

Disability smart is good for business and New Zealand

With the New Zealand unemployment rate at 3.9%, and with an underutilised (albeit regularly marginalised) disabled workforce available, doesn’t it make sense to start ripping down the barriers? Only then will Disabled People be able to show their true potential.

The ILO estimates the difference between countries getting this right and those doing nothing is 7% of a country’s GDP. NZ’s GDP in 2021 was $305 billion New Zealand dollars, the difference between doing nothing and getting this right is $21 billion New Zealand dollars.

Conclusion

As New Zealanders, we believe in fairness and equality. It is one of our core values and is at the heart of our being. So why then are the unemployment rates of capable disabled people so high? I can tell you it’s not because of a lack of potential, it’s because right throughout our society we don’t make the right decisions that empower them to realise it.

What decision are you and your organisation going to make today that starts to change that?

Inspired by the disability social enterprise market Air New Zealand organised for their staff the past two years. They have kindly shared this list of disability enterprises – and we have added some extras that we have been made aware of. Please consider supporting if you are looking for gift inspiration this Christmas, or anytime that you want to give a gift that has real meaning.

Matt and Tom – Eco Christmas Trees

Matt and Tom are twins with Down Syndrome who love Christmas. They have a small range of Christmas themed and gift products, including:

• Small and large wood Christmas trees
• Felt star decorations
• Loc-blocks

Our Harvest – Sauces, Jams and Jelly

Treat your taste buds with delicious Our Harvest preserves. Our Harvest products are grown, harvested and made with love by Recreate‘s Our Harvest team.

Drink My Coffee

Drink My Coffee is a social enterprise to create employment opportunities for disabled New Zealanders. We are doing this by creating jobs for people to manufacture and distribute premium coffee and enabling people with disabilities to be self-employed, selling the coffee.

Find your local distributor on the order page to support them with their own business.

Chambers & Co – T-shirts and Weighted Blankets

Chambers & Co are devoted to creating a community of compassion and inclusion for all of those touched by Autism Spectrum Disorder. Their distinct apparel has been designed to raise public awareness of the day-to-day challenges that living with Autism brings.

Downlights – Soy Candles, Christmas Decorations and Cards

Downlights is a New Zealand-owned and operated fragranced soy candle company that manufactures luxury candles using artisanal techniques. Their candles are lovingly hand-poured and the entire manufacturing process supports the development of a variety of workplace skills and offers employment opportunities for young adults with Down Syndrome and intellectual or learning disabilities.

Will & Able eco-products

New Zealand’s only range of eco-friendly cleaning products creating jobs for Kiwi’s with disabilities.

Good products that are good for our planet.

• Quality products
• Environmental Choice NZ certified
• Bottles made from 100% recycled NZ milk bottles so no more virgin plastics

Moments with Love – Disability Social Enterprise Gift Boxes

Moments with Love creates high-quality gift boxes with a twist. Our mission is to provide you with an experience that will bring joy and create treasured memories as you enjoy a moment of love of your own.  

Each box is carefully curated to feature something to wear, something to do, and something delicious to eat & drink. Many of them include incredible body and bath products & handmade items crafted by our family. Their boxes also feature products from companies supporting people with disabilities. They have partnered with leading kiwi social enterprise companies supporting people with disabilities to bring you the highest quality of award-winning products.

Note: Moments with Love is busy updating their new website. If there aren’t any products on the pages, check back in a few days.

You can also check out their physical store in 4 Palm Court, Silverdale, Auckland (Google Maps)

Bradley’s K9 Munchies – Dog Treats

Bradley’s K9 Munchies is a Southland-owned and operated dog treat company that bakes tasty goods for good dogs. Our treats are baked with love and hand-cut. And the entire manufacturing process offers employment opportunities for young adults with access needs and learning disabilities.

Oliver’s Doggie Treats – Dog Treats

Oliver’s Doggie Treats are delicious, healthy, hand-made dog biscuits by Oliver, a dog-loving boy with Down Syndrome from Auckland who lives life to the fullest!

The Awesome Superheroes – The Bank Robbery – Book

Laetitia Tan is a teenage author with Down Syndrome. She wrote this book with the support of her Speech and Language Therapist. Laetitia hopes to inspire you to use your imagination and tell your story – it does not matter that it is not perfect, so long as you are happy with it.

Fishwood Design – Artist

Creating art with nature! Hand crafted driftwood sculptures to hang in the garden, bach or home. Especially perfect for those who love the sea!

Art+Soul

A small business based in Milford, on Auckland’s North Shore with the purpose of bridging the gap for young adults living with disabilities. They are very maverick in their approach to enable their member’s successes and life choices. They aim to achieve this in a safe, respectful, and stimulating environment where all abilities and levels of capability should be considered and catered for.

Products include arts, crafts, soaps and body products, handmade greeting cards, and more.

Bellcraft Cards

Lia is a Hibiscus Coast mum who lives with Cerebral Palsy and chronic pain. As a result, her mobility has decreased a great deal over the last few years and relies on a wheelchair for mobility. Her current self-propelled wheelchair is a huge help but it is limiting. She would love to be able to join her family on the beach again, rather than spectating from the grass. Lia has set a goal to fundraise for an Omeo hands-free, all-terrain wheelchair.

Lia has made these beautiful cards with off-cuts from various paper merchants and is selling these through her Facebook page to fundraise for her new wheelchair.

Wildness Chocolate

Wildness is a Social Enterprise in Wellington, New Zealand and Singapore. We harness the passion, skills and energy of exceptional Singaporeans with special needs at APSN CFA (Association for Persons with Special Needs Centre for Adults) and in the Rimutaka prison in New Zealand.

Packed with eco-friendly zero-waste materials, our delicious organic chocolates are handmade using only the finest ingredients and environmentally sustainable methods.

Yaniv Janson – Contemporary Fine Artist

Yaniv is a young New Zealand artist from the small coastal town of Raglan. His work centres on his great passion for environmental and social issues and this has been reflected in his artworks.

Living with both epilepsy and autism, Yaniv doesn’t let either dictate who he is. He began painting 13 years ago and creates the work from home, enjoying the freedom of determining his own schedule. He can choose when, where and what to paint and loves that it is something that people all over the world can enjoy.

Being awarded over 18 awards, participating in more than 40 exhibitions and having sold in excess of 180 paintings, Yaniv is far from finished.