Disability in the corporate world: Challenging and championing perspectives
ICAS highlights the need to champion the rights and wellbeing of disabled people on International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD).
There are 14.1 million disabled people living in the UK. Despite protections under law, disabled people still face widespread prejudice, intentional or otherwise, across all facets of society. Statistics compiled by disability equality charity Scope, showcase the myriad ways in which disabled people still face discrimination in their day-to-day lives.
In the UK, disabled people are almost twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled people and have a higher rate of poverty than non-disabled working adults. Meanwhile, life will cost you £583 more on average each month if you’re disabled. Families with a disabled child face, on average, an extra cost of £581 a month; for almost a quarter of those families, extra costs can amount to more than £1,000 a month.
Discriminatory attitudes about disability also remain high. Scope’s own research in 2018 found that one in three disabled people felt that there is a lot of disability prejudice; yet only one in five non-disabled people agreed. There is a marked difference between the public perception of disability and the actual lived experience of those who are disabled. IDPD is a moment to reflect on achievements so far, but also on the work that still must be done to bridge that gap and improve accessibility and inclusion for disabled people.
Championing unique perspectives
Bridging that gap between the lived reality of disabled people and wider perceptions of disability means giving a space for those who have these experiences to tell their own stories. That’s what ICAS has striven to do throughout 2021, as part of our own commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI).
We launched the “Championing Unique Perspectives” campaign back in January this year, which aims to profile the diversity of ICAS’ membership; raise awareness of the challenges faced on subjects such as race, gender, disability, sexual orientation and age; provide employers with ideas and insights on ways they can build open and inclusive workplaces; and provide a safe space for CAs to share ideas, experiences and views on EDI.
Under this banner we have spoken to a diverse range of voices about their own experiences with disability and discrimination, and their views on what can be done to change the conversation around disability and improve inclusion in the workplace. Included in this was our feature with Ronnie Jamieson CA, financial accountant at Marie Currie Investment Management, who spoke with us about what it means to be “diffabled” in the corporate world. He said:
It’s about having a conversation to start with. I think a lot of people are quite backward about coming forward and asking about disability. I think normalising it, rather than putting people up on pedestals, would then lead to having a positive conversation about disability.
Also included, was our interview with Kenneth Murray CA, Head of Forensic Accounting at Police Scotland, on his ADHD diagnosis at age 59 and what employers should be doing to destigmatise neurodiversity. He said:
Awareness, acceptance and accommodation of ADHD on the part of employers, especially the big influential ones, would be just about as powerful a statement on inclusivity that I can think of because a lot of people still struggle with neurodiversity.
ICAS Council Member Emily Cheyne also spoke with us about her dyslexia and why it is time for leaders to get educated on how to bring out the strengths of those with neurodiversity. She said:
I think that companies are starting to realise that everyone is different, and everyone has different strengths. I think things are progressing because of EDI initiatives and people feel more comfortable speaking about it. I also think workplaces should ask more questions and work to peoples’ strengths more, instead of thinking that one way of working is appropriate for everyone.
Our EDI focus was also reflected in the content throughout this year’s CA magazine, including Lysanne Currie’s interview with Charlotte Valeur, founder of Global Governance Group, about being diagnosed with autism in later life – and why neurodiversity is a boon for the boardroom. She said:
It’s about having different sets of eyes to see. Not seeing things broadly enough has huge implications for businesses around the world.
Also for CA Magazine, Lysanne interviewed Mike Adams, CEO of Purple, a disability charity-turned-commercial venture that aims to bridge the gap between disabled people and businesses.
Mike told Lysanne of his usual exercise for business leaders to try with their company websites; see how far they can navigate the site if they unplug their mouse.
It will give you a real indication of how accessible your online assets are. For example, do you have a sitemap? Do all your landing pages start stylistically with the first line all in caps? If you’re blind and using a screen reader, ‘WELCOME’ will read as an acronym.
With only 3% of the top one million websites worldwide meeting basic accessibility standards, Mike noted that the pandemic lockdowns will have disproportionately affected disabled people as the world shifted to an inaccessible virtual landscape. These voices are just some of those being highlighted to challenge perceptions on living with disabilities and push the issue of accessibility and inclusivity beyond simple box ticking exercises.
Knowing your rights
With the accelerated pace of digitisation brought on by the pandemic, increased social isolation and reduced access to routine health and rehabilitation services, this year’s IDPD theme ̶ ‘Fighting for rights in the post-Covid era’ ̶ underlines just how much work still must be done to champion the rights and wellbeing of disabled people.
Under the Equality Act 2010, all those living in the UK with “a physical or mental impairment” that “has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities” are classed under the law as a disabled person.
If you meet the legal description, then you are protected under the Equality Act and cannot be discriminated against based on your disability. This has implications for education providers and employers – of which ICAS is both – who must ensure that they have made reasonable adjustments, provided needed support and made things accessible to disabled students and staff.
Disabilities can come in many forms and some people may not even be aware that they would qualify under the Equality Act as disabled. Citizens Advice has compiled a good guide on what counts as a disability under law, while you can read more about legal rights for those who are disabled directly from the government.
Further resources from ICAS
As well as our Championing Unique Perspectives campaign, at ICAS we are seeking to embed EDI throughout our organisation, including producing resources and guidance for those living with disabilities and those looking to improve access and inclusion for disabled employees at their own workplaces:
- For our Student Members, ICAS recognises that some people will require reasonable adjustments during their CA learning journey due to disabilities or learning difficulties and we have compiled a how-to guide to applying for a reasonable adjustment.
- For employers, we have compiled a list of organisations, companies and additional resources that can help you to better support your disabled employees.
- For those interested in exploring further on the rights of disabled people and what you can do to help, ICAS has also compiled a range of additional resources that you can use to assist you when dealing with disability-related issues.