Twitter

Hi, I have set up a Twitter account to help widen the exposure. Please can you follow Hidden Opportunities @unseenprospects. Many thanks, Dan

Action has been taken!...

A really interesting research paper carried out by the British Columbia Coalition of People with Disabilities in April 2011, entitled 'Investigating Workplace Accommodation for People with Invisible Disabilities', looks at how people with an invisible disability (such as diabetes, chronic fatigue, hearing and visual problems and learning difficulties, amongst many others) in Canada are perceived in the work place and what strategies have been put in place by the government and for-profit sector companies to help both parties. Page 9 refers to a law under the Canadian Human Rights Act stating that an employer is required to accommodate an employee with disabilities 'short of undue hardship on the part of the employer'. Furthermore, the government provides resources to help employers implement accommodation in their workplace. Industry Canada's The Workplace Accommodation Toolkit (WAT) is a comprehensive website that offers information about devices and services to accommodate people with invisible (hidden) and physical disabilities. The website http://www.wa-toolkit.info encourages employers to purchase accessible products and create services that invite people with disabilities to become employees of their organisation.  Moreover, this toolkit may be a valuable resource for an employer who is not familiar with an invisible disability. (http://www.bccpd.bc.ca/docs/employmentinvisibledis.pdf accessed 13 October 2013)

Even though this research has been carried out in Canada, it still holds great relevance as to what could be done in other parts of the world. A report by Jan Peters in association with Katalynil Melanie Allison entitled 'Equality and diversity: good practice for the construction sector' looks in depth about how the construction industry appears to be at the fore-front of industries that are making strong inroads into incorporating Equality and Diversity into the work place. It stresses that people with invisible/hidden disabilities should be catered for and incorporated into the work place as much as people with visible disabilities. (http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/uploaded_files/research/ed_report_construction_sector.pdf accessed 13 October 2013). It shows that society is starting to take note of what  people with a hidden disability can actually do.

Under the Disability Discrimination Act, yes, people with a hidden disability are accounted for, but in looking into the matter, there seems to be few companies/industries that are making positive strides in helping these people get into and maintain work. As with the Canadians, maybe an online tool to help companies cater for and understand what these problems are and how they can be managed, would work wonders in the UK. It is not only about helping the individual but with the right support and guidance the company could benefit hugely too. It can help build a company's/industry's/sector's reputation and help educate people on what is still largely an unknown and taboo subject. Having said that, there is the Access to Work scheme from the government that helps not only the disabled get and maintain work, but helps the employer with any additional funding/costs that may be required to help the individual and company. Therefore, it can be seen that steps are being made within the UK to help companies with the cost of employing the disabled, but there is still the matter of understanding and managing those with a 'hidden disability'....

Registering disabled

Something that troubles both employer and employee is whether someone is (or should be) registered disabled. The Disability Discrimination Act has recently been amended to state that all companies have an obligation to support those that are registered disabled, in other word 'a duty of care'. The only employer that is exempt for this law however is the armed forces.

Section A6 of the Equality Act 2010 states:

A6. A disability can arise from a wide range of impairments which can be:

• sensory impairments, such as those affecting sight or hearing;

• impairments with fluctuating or recurring effects such as rheumatoid arthritis, myalgic encephalitis (ME)/chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia, depression and epilepsy;

• progressive, such as motor neurone disease, muscular dystrophy, forms of dementia and lupus (SLE);

• organ specific, including respiratory conditions, such as asthma, and cardiovascular diseases, including thrombosis, stroke and heart disease;

• developmental, such as autistic spectrum disorders (ASD), dyslexia and dyspraxia;

• learning difficulties;

• mental health conditions and mental illnesses, such as depression, schizophrenia, eating disorders, bipolar affective disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, as well as personality disorders and some self-harming behaviour;

• produced by injury to the body or brain.

(https://www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-under-equality-act-2010 , 30th May 2013)

This section of the Equality Act 2010 highlights the support that can be available to employees  who have a hidden disability. By registering disabled, an employee will be granted the support they need to carry out the job they are being employed for.  Not only will it help the individual, but it will also help the the employer to build their reputation as a company who cater for the disabled.

As with a lot of things, it is a fear of the unknown that can hinder others' ability to do a job. Being registered disabled does not mean that somebody cannot do the job (and to a very high standard at that too).  However, disabilities are still quite an unknown part of life. There is a lot of work going on at the moment to help build people's awareness and knowledge of what it means to be disabled and to not just cast those aside, but to understand what their problem/problems are and how this cannot only be beneficial to the individual, but to the company as well.

I have thought personally about registering as disabled, but have always had the impression that this just stereotypes you and therefore place a 'tag' on your skills and abilities. However, with the new legislation, this does not seem to be such a problem as nearly every company now has an obligation to cater for those who need help. I think what I am trying to say is, with the whole 'Hidden Opportunities' idea, is that it could make it easier for somebody to gain work if they were registered disabled and could improve a company's reputation. Companies these days have an obligation to cater for the disabled and I feel that somebody with a hidden disability can be a valid and valued asset to them. There could be something such as epilepsy which could register you as disabled, but with careful care and medication this can be kept under control, thus making the individual as competent and skilled as someone who is not registered disabled. This can be more beneficial for the employer as it would help to fill their 'quota' under the DDA, but they would be seen as just another member of staff and not someone who is disabled.

 

 

 

 

More news

Not necessarily concerning employers having/getting staff with 'Hidden Disabilities', but still proves a good point. Dan

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/may/22/fitness-work-tests-mental-health-unfair

The next point I want to bring to people's attention

The next thing I would like to talk about is how depression can play a huge role within the Hidden Opportunities framework.  As I have mentioned, due to a brain injury in 2004, I have been left with unseen problems and one of these now has been depression.  Everything went wrong for me in the space of a couple of weeks and I broke.  Making myself get out of bed and leave the house was a massive effort for me.  OK, so I am making good progress in my recovery, but there are still signs of weakness.  Employers should not be put off by someone's mental health problems and as in so many cases it is being scared of the unknown that can be the major issue.  Invariably (and with me a great deal) work is one of the best ways to keep your mind active and not think about your problems.  Just because someone is low does not mean that they are not a fantastic worker who will be committed and try their hardest.

"Where possible, you should always try to keep working. This is because people with depression often find that having something meaningful to do and a reason to get up in the morning is very helpful. Being with work colleagues, having a routine to the day, and the sense of achievement in getting a job done are all good for your mental health." (www.mentalhealth.org.uk)

It is for this reason (amongst others) that companies should embrace, support and welcome such people.  The company should realise that giving people the chance to get back into the working environment will not only support the individual, but also bring out the amazing and confident employee that they are.   Dan

News article

Good piece in the news from earlier this year. Ok, so it's Ireland, but still holds relevance. What do you think?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21408008

Question

I have a question for you. In an interview, do you mention that you have problems that are not visible even though you're not registered disabled, or do you leave the matter until after you have got the job?