What inclusion looks like for disabled employees

- Inclusion is a hot topic at the moment. It is, as it should be, on everyone's agenda. In the modern day, there's enough information available for us all to understand and appreciate that difference is a strength. And we all believe that we're doing our best to be inclusive. Why wouldn't we, yes? But gone are the days where inviting someone to have a seat at the table is enough. That isn't inclusion. The true meaning of inclusion is when a mix of people can come together, and in spite of their differences, feel empowered and enabled to be themselves. An environment or circumstance in which people don't require special requests or are not forced to fight for their right in order to experience something that their peers can access with ease. Often, inclusion for disabled people is not a smooth path, metaphorically speaking. There are sometimes when in the literal sense it would mean exactly that, but it goes much deeper than that. A common misconception around inclusion is that by making reasonable adjustments or offering the best available, we're being inclusive of a disabled person's needs, but this is not the case. True inclusion is experienced when special requests are not required. True inclusion results in each person's needs being met. Disabled employees frequently find themselves expressing gratitude or being expected to show gratitude for very basic things. Ask yourself this, how often have you used public transport and thanked the company simply for having you on board as a paying customer? You might well have thanked them for their customer service or the way that you are treated, but it's unlikely that you thank them simply for providing a service that you've paid for. How often do you congratulate an establishment on having a usable toilet? Almost never, I'd imagine. These are just a couple of examples of when disabled employees are made to feel grateful for an experience that the majority of the population experiences without encountering unnecessary barriers. Inclusion should not be something that we are surprised by. It's something that every human being should be afforded the opportunity to experience. All too often, a disabled person does feel gratitude, simply because their worst fears have not been realized. And they've been spared the disappointment, the awkwardness, the humiliation, that is sadly their frequent reality. We have a responsibility to flip the narrative and make inclusive experiences the norm, rather than the exception. Inclusion is not simply the consideration of an individual's needs, once they've been brought to our attention. Rather, it is actively ensuring access to an equitable experience. Authentic inclusion results in every individual feeling that they're valued and that they can add value to society and within the workplace.