European Disability Employment Week was a great opportunity for ÏDKIDS to talk about disability at work
It was a week full of fun and learning:
- On Monday 18 November and Wednesday 27 November, “Silence is Golden” coffee breaks at ÏDKIDS offices in Roubaix and Paris, respectively;
- From 18 to 22 November, a Handipoursuite tournament on the disability-themed version of the famous Trivial Pursuit, available as a board game and online app;
- On Thursday 21 November, improvisational skits by the leading French troupe of improv actors aimed at raising awareness of disability and the challenges of disability in the workplace.
Julien from Oxybul attended the improv skits and came away impressed:
“Talking about disability is great. But we have to start by asking ourselves what disability is, where it begins and ends. Because if you stop and think about it, we all have our own inabilities. Some of us are bad with numbers, others have a physical disability; some are emotionally stunted, others lack a moral compass. So what matters above all is accepting people and recognizing their individuality and vulnerability. I think we’re all better off moving in the right direction.”
Disability is above all about accepting people and recognizing their individuality and vulnerability. We all have inabilities!
ÏDKIDS HR Manager Manuella was also there:
“I thought getting employees to share feedback was really useful. What it showed is that we have to:
- 1) Change how we view disability; and so
- 2) Create an environment where people can be frank about their disability, especially when it isn’t physically visible.
What stood out for me is that people often try to hide their disability for fear that others will either look down on them or label them as ‘disabled’ and treat them differently, even if they mean well.
I’m also keen to see how we can create an atmosphere of trust where each employee feels safe to express and share their vulnerability, whatever it may be. We’ll get there by accepting and embracing disability both at the corporate level, through targeted hiring (as some large firms are doing), and at the interpersonal level, by fostering trust and avoiding judgement.”
