Learning from the Experiences of Disabled People in the Workplace The Need to Increase ‘Voice’ and Representation in Disability Policy and Practice

The limits of law EqA 2010, brought with it new possibilities Uneven impact – importance of regional governance Uneven access - introduction of Employment Tribunal fees Uneven application of law in workplaces: legal obligation or personal lottery?

Limited analysis of the combined roles of key organisational actors Line managers: decide/ implement reasonable adjustments. Lack training and often complain of tensions between resource and people management HR departments: train and develop/ monitor inclusive policies & practices. Other actors complain HR is remote and ineffective Occupational Health: advise employers/HR & support employees. Often complain their advice is ignored and they experience role ambiguity Trade unions: represent/advise disabled employees individually and collectively. Often complain individual case work is time consuming and organisational learning/ collective practice difficult to establish

Challenging stereotypes of disabled people Ableism: promotes a specific understanding of what it means to be ‘able’ and in doing so, which bodies, capabilities, and intelligences are deemed ‘normal’ and, therefore, (economically) valuable This can be experienced as ‘othering’, creating an environment where disabled people are treated as ‘inferior’, ‘deviant’ or ‘abnormal’. Resulting in a form of socio- emotional disablism The need for employers and organisations to better appreciate how ableist attitudes and everyday practices, lead to exclusion

Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) An under-utilised resource: They have impairment-specific knowledge and experience, if required Are experienced in understanding and implementing the social model of disability Experienced at facilitating inclusive policies and practices and listening to, and collectively representing, the voices of disabled people DPOs that are organised by disabled people FOR disabled people are committed to co-producing solutions

Increasing voice and representation of disabled people in employment Multi-actor organisational strategies are required to develop inclusive policies, practices and approaches Need to stop seeing disabled people as the ‘problem’ and see them as the solution: consultation, representation and co-production Understanding and challenging ableist assumptions, attitudes, norms and taken-for-granted practices Working with disabled people excluded from the labour market and seeing them as an under- utilised resource A health and well-being at work agenda for all (where disability is no longer the norm)