Do you know that 80% of existing disabilities are invisible? If people suffering from motor disabilities are often still the subject of teasing, invisible disabilities are also the source of discriminations within companies. So, what are invisible disabilities and how to raise awareness to it in companies?
What are invisible disabilities?
Among the 12 million people who suffer from a disability, 9 million of them suffer from an invisible disability. The distinctive feature of an invisible disability is that it is hard to identify for other people. The professional relatives of a person suffering from an invisible disability who do not identify it have no way of know about the difficulties they are going through.
A list of invisible disabilities
The list of invisible disabilities is long and the alterations can affect multiple functions such as:
- Psychological functions;
- Sensory functions;
- Mental functions;
Numerous diseases can also be at the origin of an invisible deficiency. It is the case of:
- Epilepsy;
- “Dys” troubles (dysfunctional troubles such as dyslexia, dysphasia, etc.);
- Some cardiorespiratory diseases;
- Multiple sclerosis;
- Etc.
Some disabilities are definitive whereas others are temporary. Nevertheless, invisible disabilities within companies are also the source of potential discrimination.
Problems due to the presence of invisible disabilities in companies
Figures on invisible disabilities within companies
The figures of the Agefiph-Ifop barometer from December 2021 prove that disabilities are still unknown within companies. According to these statistics, less than 10% of the people questioned would really know what invisible disabilities are.
For that matter, this concept remains largely stigmatised. Many employees associate disabilities to motor and mental deficiencies. They specifically associate disabilities with wheelchairs which shows that the notion of disabilities alludes to a visible deficiency, which completely differs from reality.
For the employers as well as for the employees, the difficulties to integrate a disabled person depend on the origin of the deficiency. It would be thus easier to integrate people suffering from:
- Hearing troubles;
- Invalidating diseases;
- Motor disabilities;
- Etc.
Conversely, some psychological deficiencies would be highly incapacitating according to the interrogated employees and CEOs.
What’s more is that most workers and their employers consider that discrimination is one of the most important causes for the difficulties experienced by people with reduced mobility at work. Prejudices towards invisible disabilities are still very much present. Disabled people end up thus suffering from a lack of acknowledgment and loneliness.
What does the law say?
The legal framework of the law on disabilities within companies was established on the 10th of July 1987. Since, the companies who employ more than 20 people must have an employment rate of disabled people equal to 6% for the total amount of people employed in the company.
To alleviate the absence of people suffering from disabilities within a company, they can also pay contributions to the AGEFIPH (national association for the management of the fund for the professional insertion of disabled people). They can also cooperate with structures who support people with reduced mobility.
Raising awareness of invisible disabilities within companies
Raising awareness of invisible disabilities within companies is one of the unquestionable ways to improve professional inclusion.
Do you want to get rid of the prejudices towards invisible disabilities in companies once and for all? Do you wonder how to promote knowledge on invisible disabilities? There are multiple ways to raise awareness of that among your collaborators.
At PlayMoovin’, we have decided to fight against the discriminations related to all forms of disabilities using sport practice.
Change how people think
It is difficult to put oneself in the place of a disabled person. It is however possible to experiment what they are living with every day. That is at least, what we can offer you: allow the members of your team to know what it feels like. What is better indeed than playing a game of wheelchair rugby or of wheelchair handball to raise awareness of invisible disabilities within companies?
Your collaborators could thus grasp the nature of the difficulties related to disabilities. They are also put in a situation which requires team spirit. Most of the time, people have a good laugh!
A wheelchair to help raise awareness of disabilities
In order to raise awareness of disabilities, we have created a playful, light and safe sport wheelchair: the FreeMoovin’. While they sit on their wheelchair, your employees are stripped of their main way of moving. Moreover, all players are on the same page.
This process is about allowing people to have a different point of view by opening up to others in a completely natural way.
Invisible disabilities within companies indeed exist. But there is still time to fight against prejudices and discriminations towards them. PlayMoovin’ can support you in the process of raising awareness of disabilities among your collaborators. Thus, do not hesitate to contact us if you want to organise a disability awareness activity.
source
La perception de l’emploi des personnes en situation de handicap
