In the "Quagmire" episode of the television series The
X-Files, Agent Mulder, discussing Moby Dick's Captain Ahab, tells Scully he
always wished he had a physical disability. His reasoning: because society
doesn't expect much from people with disabilities, he wouldn't have to work so
hard to prove himself. Without a disability, Mulder would be considered lazy or
a failure if he didn't work, whereas with a disability, he would have an excuse
for slacking and would be called "courageous" for merely holding a job, let
alone succeeding.
The fact that a respected character on one of America's most
popular television shows expressed this viewpoint exemplifies the rampant
attitudinal barriers hindering people with disabilities in or trying to enter
the workforce.
People with disabilities face many barriers every dayfrom
physical obstacles in buildings to systemic barriers in employment and civic
programs. Yet, often, the most difficult barriers to overcome are attitudes
other people carry regarding people with disabilities. Whether born from
ignorance, fear, misunderstanding or hate, these attitudes keep people from
appreciatingand experiencingthe full potential a person with a
disability can achieve.
The most pervasive negative attitude is focusing on a person's
disability rather than on an individual's abilities. A lawyer is effective if
he or she has a solid grasp of law and can present a complete case before a
jury or judge; that the lawyer accesses law books through a Kurzweil reader
because he or she is blind is immaterial to the job skill. A rancher is
effective if she or he feeds the cattle and mends the fences; that the rancher
with paraplegia operates a cattle feeder system in the bed of a truck via a rod
from the cab or rides an all-terrain vehicle to reach fences is immaterial to
the job skill. A stocker in a factory is effective if he or she packages the
proper number of items in each bin; that the stocker, because of a
developmental disability that limits attention span, uses a counting device is
not only immaterial to the job skill, but can makeand has madethat
person the most accurate stocker on the factory floor.
Agent Mulder expresses a more insidious attitudethat society
doesn't expect people with disabilities to perform up to standard, and when
people with disabilities do, they are somehow courageous. This attitude has the
effect of patronizing people with disabilities, usually relegating them to
low-skill jobs, setting different job standards (sometimes lower standards
which tend to alienate co-workers, sometimes higher standards to prove they
cannot handle a job), or expecting a worker with a disability to appreciate the
opportunity to work instead of demanding equal pay, equal benefits, equal
opportunity and equal access to workplace amenities.
Attitudinal Barriers
People with disabilities encounter many different forms of attitudinal
barriers.
Inferiority Because a person may be impaired in one of
life's major functions, some people believe that individual is a "second-class
citizen." However, most people with disabilities have skills that make the
impairment moot in the workplace.
Pity People feel sorry for the person with a
disability, which tends to lead to patronizing attitudes. People with
disabilities generally don't want pity and charity, just equal opportunity to
earn their own way and live independently.
Hero worship People consider someone with a disability
who lives independently or pursues a profession to be brave or "special" for
overcoming a disability. But most people with disabilities do not want
accolades for performing day-to-day tasks. The disability is there; the
individual has simply learned to adapt by using his or her skills and
knowledge, just as everybody adapts to being tall, short, strong, fast,
easy-going, bald, blonde, etc.
Ignorance People with disabilities are often dismissed
as incapable of accomplishing a task without the opportunity to display their
skills. In fact, people with quadriplegia can drive cars and have children.
People who are blind can tell time on a watch and visit museums. People who are
deaf can play baseball and enjoy music. People with developmental disabilities
can be creative and maintain strong work ethics.
The Spread Effect People assume that an individual's
disability negatively affects other senses, abilities or personality traits, or
that the total person is impaired. For example, many people shout at people who
are blind or don't expect people using wheelchairs to have the intelligence to
speak for themselves. Focusing on the person's abilities rather than his or her
disability counters this type of prejudice.
Stereotypes The other side of the spread effect is the
positive and negative generalizations people form about disabilities. For
example, many believe that all people who are blind are great musicians or have
a keener sense of smell and hearing, that all people who use wheelchairs are
docile or compete in paralympics, that all people with developmental
disabilities are innocent and sweet-natured, that all people with disabilities
are sad and bitter. Aside from diminishing the individual and his or her
abilities, such prejudice can set too high or too low a standard for
individuals who are merely human.
Backlash Many people believe individuals with
disabilities are given unfair advantages, such as easier work requirements.
Employers need to hold people with disabilities to the same job standards as
co-workers, though the means of accomplishing the tasks may differ from person
to person. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not require special
privileges for people with disabilities, just equal opportunities.
Denial Many disabilities are "hidden," such as
learning disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, epilepsy, cancer, arthritis
and heart conditions. People tend to believe these are not bona fide
disabilities needing accommodation. The ADA defines "disability" as an
impairment that "substantially limits one or more of the major life
activities." Accommodating "hidden" disabilities which meet the above
definition can keep valued employees on the job and open doors for new
employees.
Fear Many people are afraid that they will "do or say
the wrong thing" around someone with a disability. They therefore avert their
own discomfort by avoiding the individual with a disability. As with meeting a
person from a different culture, frequent encounters can raise the comfort
level.
Breaking Down Barriers
Unlike physical and systematic barriers, attitudinal barriers that often lead
to illegal discrimination cannot be overcome simply through laws. The best
remedy is familiarity, getting people with and without disabilities to mingle
as coworkers, associates and social acquaintances. In time, most of the
attitudes will give way to comfort, respect and friendship.
Tips for interacting with people with
disabilities:
- Listen to the person with the disability. Do not make
assumptions about what that person can or cannot do.
- When speaking with a person with a disability, talk directly to
that person, not through his or her companion. This applies whether the person
has a mobility impairment, a mental impairment, is blind or is deaf and uses an
interpreter.
- Extend common courtesies to people with disabilities as you
would anyone else. Shake hands or hand over business cards. If the person
cannot shake your hand or grasp your card, they will tell you. Do not be
ashamed of your attempt, however.
- If the customer has a speech impairment and you are having
trouble understanding what he or she is saying, ask the person to repeat rather
than pretend you understand. The former is respectful and leads to accurate
communication; the latter is belittling and leads to embarrassment.
- Offer assistance to a person with a disability, but wait until
your offer is accepted before you help.
- It is okay to feel nervous or uncomfortable around people with
disabilities, and it's okay to admit that. It is human to feel that way at
first. When you encounter these situations, think "person" first instead of
disability; you will eventually relax.
This tip sheet was prepared with the help of freelance writer
Eric Minton. |