When we think Handicap, we tend to imagine an individual with a stick, a pair of crutches or a wheelchair, or with a difficulty to express themselves, to see, to hear ...
To summarize, Disability is often linked to something visible, noticeable. However, what many of us are still not aware of is that the majority of disability situations are actually invisible.
This situation is confirmed by a study, which shows that 80% of disability situations are invisible, resulting in a doubly penalizing situation for the disabled person:
- The penalty resulting from the disability itself, with an inability to perform at 100%
- The penalty, following the non-perception of this handicap by the external environment.
- Neuromuscular disorder that requires regular breaks, reduced mobility and work capacity
- Vision issues, such as non-recognition of certain colors
- Psychological or cognitive problems, which impair the ability of the individual to interact with his environment
However, it is this hybrid position, invisible but very present, that leads to a result that is often more than ubiquitous.
- For colleagues, these employees are sometimes (often) perceived as idlers, unable to work at the same pace as others
- For employers, these are often sources of cost, due to specific arrangements (office, schedule …) and potential sources of conflict, following a potential perception of favoritism by colleagues
- For the employee, he is neither disabled nor normal, which means that he has neither the “advantages nor the inconveniences” of each of these categories.
So, if Invisible Handicap is a problem in a fixed work environment, what about in a mobile environment?
With the continued growth of “New Ways of Working”, spaces such as Flex-office, Agile Working, Coworking or among other attributes, the following elements:
- No fixed office
- Simplified office chair
- Use of a laptop
- Use of supplies type sofas …
It is legitimate to wonder how these handicapped employees will be able to blend in, without feeling even more ostracized. When adopting these new ways of working, it is possible to think that these employees, in addition to the difficulties of adaptation similar to those of their colleagues, will encounter problems specific to their conditions.
The possible results will be in the numbers of two:
- The stigmatization of the employee
- Worsening of the employee’s situation
The risk is that the employee then sees his Handicap situation worsening in a consistent way.
In both cases, it is also important to think of all the social, psychological consequences …..
Finally, when setting up a flex-office program, it is important that everything is done so that employees have the possibility that their disabilities, visible or invisible, are taken into account in their new professional context, and this in the way as discreet as possible.
However, it seems that, despite the efforts made, this is not yet the case, for lack of
- Resources (financial, material …)
- Knowledge of disabilities by the management …
Nevertheless, and to end on an optimistic note, It is possible to think, however, that
- The technological revolution, allowing the development of solutions in the future
- The growing interest of CSR issues of companies and public authorities, as well as topics of diversity and inclusion in the general populationwill be a source of evolution of the situation, allowing the question of Disability not to be perceived as a problem, but as a source of wealth.