Disability in the workplace: How we can create a more inclusive environment

Niamh was born in a small town in Leitrim and often experienced harassment as her condition was quite “visible” when she was young. “When I was a kid, my albinism was very visible because of my white hair. I was bullied by strangers, who’d pull my hair in the playground to see if I wore a wig and stuff like that – that was traumatizing for me. So I dyed my hair as soon as I could.”

When she went on to secondary school, she struggled without supports in place that were needed for her success. “I had done terribly on the Leaving Cert because some of the supports were taken from me a week before and I didn’t know. For example, I wasn’t allowed extra time in subjects that required a lot of reading like history.” But she persevered, and instead of letting it block her path towards further education, she chose to pursue a path in law. She applied to Maynooth University through their arts program, then transferred to their law programme.

When Niamh’s family suggested that law might be too difficult to study with her visual impairment, she was determined to disprove their assumptions. “I like when people expect less of me because I prove them wrong 99% of the time. So I got my degree, and I did really well in college. I loved it because no two people were the same there. I was meeting everyone from different backgrounds.”

Niamh found Maynooth University’s Access Office to be an invaluable resource and she was able to find an encouraging community of friends. “The Access Office was extraordinary and they made sure I got every support I needed for my degree. I thrived and my exam results were great. I went to the school’s orientation program called Launchpad for people who came in through a disadvantaged route to education, such as those from DEIS schools, disadvantaged areas, or a disability background. It was brilliant; I got so many opportunities from it and I ended up becoming the Launchpad coordinator for logistics in my final year. It was like a family within the college.”

This inclusive environment is needed for Niamh to succeed, she explains. “It means people like me don’t feel like an outcast or like we’re less than anyone else. An inclusive workplace isn’t just about cupcakes and random celebrations; it’s more than that. It’s about changing attitudes and people’s way of thinking. And we’ve helped accomplish that with the Ability Committee.”

As part of this committee and as a member of Eversheds’ Disability Network – the firm’s organisation that aims to bring awareness to the staff about different topics on disability and educate them on the best ways to be allies in the workplace – Niamh helped organise disability awareness training for the staff last year and is starting a monthly coffee club, encouraging a support group of people to discuss all things disability.

“The awareness training helped make people see things from everyone’s perspective – and that’s hard because, with disability, there are multiple perspectives. Everyone is touched by it in some way and everyone, if we’re lucky enough to grow old, will experience disability due to our age. So, it shouldn’t be ignored and we should tackle it head-on. ‘Disability’ is a word many people feel frightened of, but I think the more people say it, the better. It’s just a fact. Of course, we try to see the ‘ability’ in the word, but it’s important to talk about disability and make sure the environment is inclusive for everyone, that it’s not just a token, and attitudes are actually changing.

“As part of the Ability Network, we are also starting a monthly coffee club. We emphasise that no one is obligated to disclose a disability but we aim to foster an environment where people feel comfortable to do so if they want to.” The aim of the club is to help spread awareness and provide a supportive network.

As a wider initiative, Niamh has also joined the disAbility Legal Network, established to promote equal opportunities for people with disabilities within the legal sector. “It’s a network of people that support each other and spread awareness about disability in the legal field. I’ve been on the steering committee for two years now, and we primarily organize events around disability. So every firm that’s an ally of the network, including Eversheds, have pledged to host an event and to try to create a more inclusive and accessible environment. 

“We’ve hosted events that touched on everything from neurodiversity to accessibility in buildings. It means that our colleagues get to hear our perspectives in an environment that they already know as able-bodied people. So it’s a really great opportunity – and it’s not only for people with disabilities, it’s encouraged people without a disability attend the events because they’re often the people that need to hear these perspectives more.”