Employees with disabilities are disclosing their condition at work but afraid to ask for accommodations
There’s some good news when it comes to disability inclusion at work: employees today are mostly open to disclosing their condition, new research shows. But when it comes to requesting accommodation from their bosses, they’re still afraid of being judged, rejected, or discriminated against.
Around 88% of workers with disabilities have disclosed their status to at least one person at work, with 78% saying they’ve told HR, according to a new survey from consulting firm Deloitte, which surveyed 10,000 people with disabilities, chronic health conditions, or those who are neurodivergent, between January and April 2024.
A high rate of overall disclosure is a good thing, as it means more employees are willing to open up about their workplace experience. But that doesn’t mean everyone is unconcerned about doing so. Roughly 20% of those with disabilities say they’re worried about discrimination from their supervisor should they disclose, and 22% worry about their career progression being impacted should a higher-up or manager doubt their ability to do their job. And these feelings are valid. A startling 41% of those surveyed say they have experienced bullying at work in the past 12 months. That bears out in other data as well; of 110 lawsuits filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in 2024, nearly half (48 cases) fell under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
But fears among employees with disabilities ratchets even higher when it comes to asking for a workplace accommodation, which can include anything from crafting alternative schedules, to adjusting noise and lighting levels in the office. Out of people who have disclosed their disability at work, 75% haven’t asked their employer for an accommodation. That may be due to their previous inability to get one approved. A staggering 74% of respondents say they’ve had at least one rejected, and nearly 20% say they’ve had all formal queries rejected. Of employees with disabilities who have had their requests rejected, 41% were told it was too costly, 30% that it would be too annoying to implement, and 29% that it was simply unreasonable.
“Employees may not ask for an accommodation because they automatically assume that they’re not going to get it,” Emma Codd, global chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer for Deloitte, tells Fortune. She notes this is why it’s crucial that HR teams inform folks on how the accommodation process works, and let people know what options are available.
There are of course, ways to provide workers flexibility with next to no cost for employers, such as offering remote work, alternative schedules, frequent breaks, or private work spaces. These kinds of requests, says Codd, are often easier to get approved for that reason.However, employees with disabilities may be concerned that if they do ask for a flexible work schedule, their lack of in-person attendance may hold them back professionally.
Missing out on professional opportunities ranks highest (39%) as a reason these workers choose not to work remotely, and 30% cite concerns over people thinking less of them for ditching the office. And about 60% of workers with a disability say they’ve been unable to attend a work event because it wasn’t accessible, according to the study.
“Those are really important events, the sort of moments that matter, that we talk about,” notes Codd. “That level of exclusion cannot be productive. It can’t be an engaged workforce.”
Luckily, there are ways HR leaders can improve their company’s inclusion. When asked for their views on what employers could do better, nearly a quarter (24%) of respondents noted that the workplace could be more physically accessible, followed by making disability inclusion a key priority that’s discussed at the board level (16%). Respondents also say having a visible role model with a disability at their company would help foster a more inclusive culture, though as the study points out, those are often few and far between.
“It’s so important for leaders to stand up and say, ‘I’m a person with a disability,’” says Codd. “The research shows how important having access to role models, who are people with disabilities, chronic health conditions or who are neurodivergent is to those who are struggling with similar issues.”
Brit Morse
brit.morse@fortune.com
Today’s edition was curated by Emma Burleigh.
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