Tips to help differently-abled employees who fear running behind at workplace
Fear of running behind at workplace is more for differently abled employees. Here's how parents and employers can offer help to solve the problem
Fear is propelled by the unknown and as far as parents of persons with disabilities are concerned, the children come from a place of being overprotected but parents should get the kids completely trained on mobility and how to navigate the way through public transport so as to make them absolutely independent. There are many kinds of challenges that people with disabilities face and as an organisation, one should help to resolve these kinds of problems in their day to day lives.
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Richa Bansal, Founder and Managing Director at Saarathee, shared, “One of the biggest problems, persons with disabilities face is that they come from a very insecure environment. They are mostly under-confident, which reflects in how they function in an external environment as they see themselves in a certain image—which has been enforced by society upon them—they look at themselves from that filter only.”
She suggested, “A corporate has to make an effort to sensitise their ecosystem by driving the right kind of awareness campaigns around disability and inclusion within all the employees. To build consciousness towards inclusion, foundational changes have to be made to make a person with disability feel more included.”
Seema Rekha, Managing Director at Antarmanh Consulting, recommended, “Employers and prospective employers need to create a pleasant working environment for the specially abled employees by providing them with the right psychological safe place. Specially abled employees face a lack of motivation due to their self image which can hamper their productivity. To surpass this, organizations need to create a culture of trust, support and safety. Organizations need to be mindful about not going overboard with this culture of support as it can lead to employees feeling demoralized, experiencing feelings of alienation. Starting with coaching for the employees. Ensuring it is an inclusive workplace yet not exceeding the support to make them feel out of the place. Conscious leadership should be inculcated to provide a required working environment to the employees, helping them transform and grow. Leaders can also ensure inclusivity by preparing environmental and infrastructural changes for the employees such as ramps and washrooms, to help them feel a sense of belongingness to the work.”
She advised, “Families also play an important role in helping the employees combat the doubts of running behind. They can extend their support by preparing the children in advance by primarily focusing on the positive attributes and dealing with constant negative feelings. Leaders of every organization can prioritize empowering employees with disabilities in expressing themselves and in identifying and appreciating their own talents and abilities.”