Invisible Disabilities and Caregivers in the Workplace
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Disabilities in the Workplace
 Define “disability”
 Common invisible disabilities in the
workplace
 Hiring people with disabilities and
caregivers of someone with a disability
 Creating an inclusive environment
 Tips for working with people with
disabilities
 Resources available to employers
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What’s a Disability?
A person has a disability if
he/she has a mental or
physical impairment that
significantly limits one or
more life areas.
Source: Americans with Disabilities Act
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What’s a Life Event?
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Caring for oneself
Performing manual tasks or working
Seeing or hearing
Eating
Sleeping and breathing
Walking or standing
Lifting or bending
Speaking
Learning or reading
Concentrating, thinking, communicating.
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Examples of Invisible Disabilities
AIDS/HIV
Anxiety Disorders
Arthritis
ADD/ADHD
Autism
Bipolar Disorder
Brain Injury
Cancers
Chronic Fatigue
Diabetes
Heart Conditions
Learning Disabilities
Lyme Disease
Hearing Loss
PTSD
Breathing Disorders
Sleep Disorders
Vision Impairments
Gastrointestinal
Disorders
Depression
Migraine Headaches
Memory Loss
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Disability Statistics
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56.7 million people in the US have a disability (19%)
39.8 million caregivers provider care to an adult with a
disability
Half of those living with a disability are between ages 18 and
64
Employment rate – between 24% and 53% employed
Almost 30% of those between 18-64 live in poverty
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Question – what state has the least amount of people with
disabilities?
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Question – what state has the least amount of people with
disabilities?
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Aging and Disabilities
The older you get, the more likely it is to
be diagnosed with a disability.
Under 5 – 1%
6-17 years old – 5%
18 – 64 years old – 10.5%
Over 65 – 36.6%
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Caregiver Statistics
• Nearly 40 million Americans provided unpaid care to an
adult in the last year
• 40 percent of caregivers are male
• Nearly 1 in 10 caregivers is 75 or older
• Total caregiving hours are particularly high for those caring
for a spouse or partner (an average of 44.6 hours a week)
• 40 percent of caregivers report wielding a high burden of
care; 18 percent report a moderate burden of care
• When asked if they had a choice in taking on their
caregiving role, half of respondents said no
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So, now what?
You want to hire someone and they
share with you they have a disability.
What do you do?
You might have an employee who is a
caregiver for someone with a disability.
How can you accommodate this team
member?
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Caregiving 101
Don’t imply that child care is more important
than caring for an older adult.
Share corporate policies on elder care and be
more accepting of requests for time off on short
notice.
Design policies that accommodate caregiving
responsibilities without penalizing the
employee, such as not requiring the use of
vacation time to provide care.
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Caregiving 101
• Have resources like Employee Assistance Programs to
help those caring for others cope with the stress.
• Flexible use of benefit time.
• Discounted home care through a specific vendor for
caregivers so they can come to work
• Medicare, Medicaid and insurance experts to help
caregivers navigate the system
• Technology from home or mobile devices
Source: National Alliance on Caregiving
www.caregiving.org
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Person First Language
The person is always first and the disability is always
second.
Examples:
Joe is our administrative assistant. He’s a person who
utilizes a wheelchair.
Sally works in the mailroom. She is hard of hearing and
uses an interpreter to communicate.
Mike works in the cafeteria. He has a learning disability
and his manager reads aloud all the written instructions so
he understands.
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Technology and Accommodations
There are so many options to make work more accessible for
someone with a disability or caring for a loved one with a
disability.
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Disability Etiquette
1. It’s not your news to share.
2. People with disabilities want to blend in, like
everyone else.
3. Their wheelchairs, walkers or crutches are an
extension of their body.
4. It’s ok to ask them to repeat themselves.
5. Don’t speak loudly or slowly.
6. Get on their eye level.
7. Ask before helping.
8. Be age appropriate.
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What to do…
Short Attention Span?
When interacting with a person who
has difficulty with attention or shortterm memory:
• Use short sentences.
• Maintain eye contact.
• Ask them to repeat what you said.
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What to do…
Visual Impairment?
When talking with a person who is blind or has
low-vision:
• Always identify yourself at the beginning of
the conversation and inform when you’re
leaving;
• Ask if he/she would like verbal cues as to what
is ahead when you approach steps, curbs, or
other barriers.
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What to do…
Mental Illness?
When talking with a person with a psychiatric
disability, make eye contact and be aware of your
body language. Be patient and understanding, and
speak normally as mental illness does not mean an
inability to hear or understand language. It also
does not mean that the person will behave
inappropriately.
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What to do…
Hearing Loss?
When speaking with a person who is
deaf or has a hearing loss, always:
• Look directly at the person.
• Keep your mouth and face free of
hands or shadows.
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What to do…
Speech Disability?
If you are speaking with a person
with a speech disability:
• Listen carefully and repeat what
you've heard
• Don't pretend to understand if you
don't
• Don’t rush the conversation
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Resources for Employers
Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation
Job Coaching through Providers (like Easter Seals Iowa)
JAN – Job Accommodation Network
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Lending Centers – Easter Seals Iowa and Camp Sunnyside
National Alliance for Caregiving
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When we fail to support
caregivers, we put both the
caregiver and the care recipient
at risk.
— Gail Gibson Hunt, AARP
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Picture PlaceHolder
Becky Pospisal
Chief Compliance Officer
[email protected]
515-309-1802
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