Workplace Disability Etiquette
Cognitive, Developmental, and Psychiatric Disabilities
This is the category of disability that is often the most troubling for business – managers, human resource professionals, working colleagues.
And, as with many other disabilities, sometimes it is apparent, sometimes it isn't. And it is a feature that someone is far less likely to present when they are seeking a job – and probably rightly so. The likelihood of being stigmatized is probably greater for someone who presents with bipolar disorder, attention deficit, or certain learning disabilities, for instance.
Cognitive disabilities involve skills and strategies just as does any other disability, and a person with these characteristics has the option to learn and make use of these so that theycan be productive in an appropriate job in a setting where they can thrive.
Privacy is a right that we all treasure, particularly those with invisible disabilities in the cognitive spectrum. Their primary need in order to contribute their best in the workplace is to not be identified to others, who are likely to not understand the implications of their disability – or how they compromise so they can perform to the same standards as everyone else.
General Etiquette | Wheelchair Users | Vision Loss | Hearing Loss | Cognitive Impairment
Speech Impairment | Invisible Disabilities | Disability & Language