Member-only story
Championing change in disability inclusion
While disability considerations are often overlooked, disability is much more common in the workplace and in society than most of us realize. In fact, disability cuts across all lines — racial, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, income, and even social class.
As of May 2023, in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that over 27% of working-age adults self-identified as having at least one disability. North of the border, back in 2017, Statistics Canada reported somewhat similar numbers, with over 22% of the population also self-identifying as having at least one disability that affected them on a daily basis.
These astounding statistics push us to examine a subject that rarely gets the attention it deserves, yet influences a considerably larger segment of our community than we know: disability inclusion.
When people hear the word “disability”, what typically comes to mind are pictures of wheelchairs, white canes, and service dogs. All of which are related to a physical impairment. I prefer to view disability as a much broader umbrella term, one that encompasses a large range of varying conditions including, but not limited to, individuals with significant physical, cognitive, mental health, learning, hearing, visual, and communication challenges.
