Disability comes in many different forms, yet the symbol we mostly associate it with is a wheelchair. Surprising really, when you consider that just 8 per cent of people with disabilities use wheelchairs and 80 per cent of impairments are actually invisible.

The challenge for employers is, of course, creating a workplace culture where staff feel they can be open about their disability, because at some point, anyone with a non-visible disability asks themselves: “Should I reveal it to my employer?”  

In recent research from Bupa, it was revealed that 43 per cent of employees with a non-visible disability choose not to. When you consider that 16 million people in the UK have a disability, this amounts to quite a vast number. 

The decision is of course, always up to the individual, but trying to hide disability typically has a negative impact on people’s lives. A US study found that people who revealed their disability were more than twice as likely to feel happy or content at work than those who have not disclosed (65 per cent versus 27 per cent).

They were also less likely to regularly feel nervous or anxious than those who have not disclosed (18 per cent versus 40 per cent) and less likely to feel isolated than those who have not disclosed (8 per cent versus 37 per cent). Hiding a disability also impacts many areas of performance, influencing attendance, stress levels, mood swings, not to mention pain and fatigue. Those hiding also often overcompensate by working extra hours of which can also be hugely detrimental to their health and performance.

So, what is the main reason for hiding disability and how do we create a workplace that makes people feel comfortable revealing it?

Changing minds and attitudes

In most cases, when people hide their disabilities, they are fearful of how their colleagues and managers will react. This was proven in further research from Bupa that investigated the key reasons for hiding a disability. It was revealed that 30 per cent didn’t want to cause a fuss with colleagues, 25 per cent didn’t want to be treated differently and 23 per cent had worries that they would not be believed. The key issues clearly lie around the expected attitudes and perceptions of others. 

Now, this is not to say that an overwhelming number of people have a toxic attitude towards disability. It means that many companies simply need to create more of a meaningful strategy to make disability more prominent within their culture and their EDI policies, as disability is often neglected in these. The first step in doing this is by gaining an improved sense of disability awareness. 

Gaining awareness

Building an understanding will not only educate staff members around all aspects of disability, but it will also send a positive message to any staff members hiding one. Making this step demonstrates to everyone that the organisation is progressing to become supportive and open, creating more opportunities for existing, and new staff with disabilities. In fact, this first step can be so impactful, that people with hidden disabilities have been known to disclose during awareness training programmes, as they feel it is an appropriate time, given that the company has clearly made the commitment to becoming inclusive. 

It is also important that this training is undertaken by all staff members, from C-level down, so that disability is considered at all levels of seniority and across all departments. This way, a new awareness and understanding of disability will trickle down to all staff members, and most importantly, managers who will play a huge part in offering support for anyone revealing their disability. 

Ideally the training will be user-led, meaning it will be conducted by someone with lived experience of disability, and should cover a wide range of topics including openness, non-visible disabilities, inclusive behaviour, correct use of language, etiquette, communication, legislation and how to best make reasonable adjustments.

As awareness and understanding around disability grows, you will not only assist staff in being open about theirs, but also improve empathy and understanding, dispel myths, and reduce the likelihood of negative reactions in the form of fuss, disbelief or being treated differently. 

Cultural adjustments 

Making changes to your organisation’s cultural values will also have an impact on how staff perceive disability, resulting in an improvement in disclosure. For example, if staff see that the business is creating accessible environments, encouraging people with disabilities to join the team through new accessible recruitment drives and is openly discussing support for anyone who needs it, attitudes will begin to change. 

The promotion of a culture that celebrates difference, will mean more people will begin to reveal their disabilities, as they will sense that attitudes have changed. Furthermore, other people with disabilities will recognise your commitment to inclusivity and apply for new roles. 

As they do, you can build your dedication further by adding disability steering groups. This will give the opportunity for staff to meet and discuss accessibility, support, company policies and inclusivity in terms of all organisational matters. It will give the opportunity to feed back issues and consider areas for improvement, to assess barriers and generally create a stronger voice for staff with disabilities. 

To further strengthen this, you can go on to encourage staff with disabilities to participate in case studies, that exemplify how a certain staff member has revealed their disability and been supported by the company. These could showcase the process of support received and reasonable adjustments that were made to create the right environment and conditions for that person. Other staff will see this and learn more about disability, they will recognise that their organisation is empathetic, understanding, and adaptive to its people’s needs. Naturally, inclusivity will become an important component of the company’s brand.  

Inclusive future

We all want to bring our best selves to the workplace, but for many people hiding their disability, this simply isn’t possible. If staff members believe that their colleagues’ attitude will not be accepting of their disability, then employers have a responsibility to make a change. That change begins with developing awareness and leads to healthier, happier employees, and a more understanding and empathetic workforce. 

Chris Jay is managing director at Bascule Disability Training