Natalie Saleh.
The MFA DE&I Council strives to create an industry where everyone can thrive, feel heard, supported, and safe doing their best work. Meet the Changers who are sharing their stories to inspire positive change for all of us.
My mom often calls me “one in a million” – and sometimes she means it as a compliment! She’s not wrong, but she’s not as far off the mark as you might think.
I live with a disability that affects 1 in 5700 people, and am one of 8% of Australians with a “rare disease”. We are a large group, but we are split across 7000 diseases – far too many to cram onto a panel if we are aiming to gain greater understanding.
People with rare diseases are not the only ones who have a special experience of disability: common illnesses can be visible or invisible, and people can be disabled by their illness, their treatment, or by what society thinks they can or cannot do.
So when people with disabilities are divided into thousands of symptoms and millions of experiences, how do we better understand them to improve their work and lives?
I believe one of the most important (and least taught) tactics is learning how to ask psychologically safe questions. Asking questions that generate confidence and welcome collaboration makes the workplace feel safe for people with disabilities to express their needs. It also counters stereotypes and promotes authentic, concrete understanding.
Here are some great starting points for asking psychologically safe questions about disabilities:
Ask questions about the job, not the disability.
X Unnecessary questions: “What kind of disability do you have?” “What symptoms do you have?”
✓ If possible, ask, “What tasks are challenging within your responsibilities?” and “What kind of challenges are they?”
Rather than starting from scratch, leverage your understanding of your colleagues’ needs.
X We provide a pre-set list of accommodations to choose from.
✓ Ask: “Are there any techniques that you’ve found useful in the past that you’d like to use here?”
Set a pace for checking in with each other.
X During onboarding, simply ask, “What adjustments will you need to make at work?”
✓ Also, ask during onboarding, “How often would you like to check in with them about their needs?” and be proactive in checking in during difficult times.
Using questions like those suggested here can help you recognize the diversity of experiences within the disability community. Did you know that 88% of employed people ages 15-64 don’t need any extra support from their employer? And yet, 44% have avoided situations at work because they felt their disability was not accepted.
No workplace adjustments are required at this time, but as an immunocompromised person I was a bit apprehensive about returning to the office post-pandemic, and I appreciated being able to check in with my manager and key client partners ahead of the RTO to remind myself that my health comes first.
Don’t get me wrong: Workplace accommodation policies are essential, and I’m excited to share my experience through Publicis Groupe’s enABLE employee resource group to further inform the business as it evolves its DE&I policies, including its recently announced Disability Access and Inclusion Plan.
But simply expressing gratitude when a colleague makes a threatening confession about their life is one of the most valuable “adjustments” we can make.
References: AIHW, Australians with Disabilities
Natalie Saleh is Director of Strategy at Spark Foundry.