Monday, April 1, 2019
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The UN Secretariat is committed to being an inclusive organization for staff with disabilities of all types.
How can we behave in ways that are disability-inclusive?
It is especially important for managers to be inclusive in the hiring process and in managing teams.
Being inclusive means:
- Taking time to build relationships with your team members
- Asking about their home lives and work-life balance to alleviate concerns about the disabilities they may have
- Educating teams members that some disabilities are not visible however not surmountable
- Protecting the privacy of our colleagues and allowing to share if/when comfortable
- Identifying the best method of communciation, organizational style and preferred workspace arrangements
- Encouraging use of flexible working arrangement as it benefits productivity and work-life balance for all staff
- Ensuring reasonable accommodations can be made.
- Providing frequent, clear feedback about daily or weekly projects and progress toward overall goals in workplans.
- Scheduling regular feedback discussions. All staff, regardless of disabilities, need to hear how their performance is viewed and to find out what they need to improve.
To learn more more about disability-inclusiveness from a manager’s perspective, see the resources below:
Disability Awareness
- A to Z of Disabilities and accommodations
- How and Why You Can Create Reasonable Accommodations
- Attitudinal Awareness
- Disability Etiquette
- Disability Awareness to Increase Your Comfort, Confidence, and Competence
- iSeek article on Neurodiversity in the Workplace
Mental Health
- UN Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being Strategy
- Mental Health Blog
- 'Soft' Costs Can Help Manage Employees with Mental Disabilities
Understanding Autism
- World Autism Awareness Day
- Understanding Autism: An Employer’s Guide
- Employer Guide to Supervising Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
Managing persons with ADHD and Dyslexia
United Nations documents
- Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
- Employment and accessibility for staff members with disabilities in the United Nations Secretariat (ST/SGB/2014/3)
- Disability Inclusion and Accountability Framework (World Bank)
- mhGAP Intervention Guide for mental, neurological and substance use disorders in non-specialized health (WHO)