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Tag: disability workforce

  • I’m Disabled — And Here Are 3 Meaningful Ways Companies Can Foster a More Inclusive Workplace | Entrepreneur

    I’m Disabled — And Here Are 3 Meaningful Ways Companies Can Foster a More Inclusive Workplace | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Disability Awareness Month is not just about acknowledging the hardships that come with having a disability — it’s also about recognizing the work of disabled people and how we can make physical spaces, policies and practices more accessible in the workplace.

    I’ve lived with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, but I’ve never let it affect my corporate position for over two decades, and I’ve seen firsthand what true inclusion can do for an organization.

    Related: How to Revolutionize Your Organization Through the Power of Inclusive Leadership

    Here are three meaningful ways companies can observe Disability Awareness Month and make lasting changes:

    1. Organizing educational workshops and training sessions

    Team-building training and workshops are the best ways to celebrate Disability Awareness Month. Workshops can dispel myths and prejudices about people with disabilities and educate employees on appropriate etiquette and awareness when discussing and working with people with disabilities. This includes appropriate and inappropriate behavior and language, accessibility considerations and more. Workshops and training sessions can serve as the foundation for creating an inviting environment that can promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace.

    • Bring in guest speakers: Invite experts, advocates or a person living with a disability to share their insight and experiences. Real-world stories can help employees better understand the difficulties and triumphs faced by people with disabilities. These events are also a way for employees with disabilities to be guest speakers, further enhance the dialogue and build a sense of community and belonging.
    • Sensitization workshops: Conduct a workshop to educate employees on how to interact with people with disabilities and use correct terminology. The workshop should also create a safe environment where people can learn more about people with disabilities.

    Employees will have a better understanding of disabilities, which can lead to more sympathetic and supportive work policies and better accommodation practices and policies within the workplace.

    2. Heighten accessibility and accommodation practices

    In honor of Disability Awareness Month, take a closer look at the current accessibility and accommodation practices within your company. Ensuring that your working environment, from the physical perspective, is universally accessible to everyone gives a foundation for creating an inclusive environment. Accommodation policies are intended to provide a barrier-free environment that allows people with disabilities to access employment, public services and facilities as independently as possible.

    Accessible workplaces are not just about responding to minimum legal requirements; they ensure all employees can perform to the best of their abilities without unnecessary barriers.

    • Accessibility audit: Have accessibility experts conduct assessments of the physical and electronic workplace. This will reveal where accessibility might be lacking, be it ramps and signs or websites and internal platforms that are more friendly for persons with vision or hearing impairments.
    • Update accommodation policies: Frequently reevaluate your policies to ensure they are fully implemented across the workforce. Requests to update accommodation policies should not be met with friction — do not automatically refuse an accommodation request or have an inflexible policy that doesn’t allow exceptions. Implement a simple and straightforward procedure for employees to submit a request for accommodations via a dedicated portal with step-by-step instructions where they feel heard and supported. Doing this can alleviate potential aggression or harassment and create a more inclusive and supportive workplace environment. This can also lead to a great opportunity for empathy training for HR and upper management.
    • Invest in assistive technologies: All employees should be provided with tools and gadgets that will enhance their productivity, such as screen readers, voice recognition technologies, and ergonomic office supplies.

    Employers who make their places of work accessible to all consider this a good inclusiveness policy. Such actions would benefit not only the specified employees with disabilities but also all employees, as diversity is an aspect of mutual respect towards employees and results in higher morale and productivity.

    Related: How to Embrace People With Disabilities In Your Business: A Disability Advocate Explains

    3. Celebrate and recognize employee contributions by people with disabilities

    Another effective strategy for observing Disability Awareness Month is to celebrate employees with disabilities. Recognition and appreciation can be given in various ways, including honors, awards and talent performance.

    Recognition enlightens and accentuates a sense of worth that comes with having a disability among employees.

    • Spotlight stories: Feature stories of employees with disabilities in company newsletters, social media and internal communication channels. Share their stories, accomplishments and contributions because they will help the team feel inspired and educated.
    • Awards and recognition: Incorporate awards specifically devoted to honoring the hard work and achievements of all employees, including staff with disabilities.
    • Talent showcases: Organize an event where employees have a platform to showcase their talents and skills, such as art, music, writing or any other artistry, to appreciate the diversity of talent within the organization.

    Celebrating and recognizing the contributions of all employees boosts their morale and makes them feel like part of the team. It also sets an excellent opportunity to appreciate all forms of diversity in the workplace.

    Conclusion

    Disability Awareness Month affords companies the perfect avenue to increase inclusivity and support for their employees with various disability conditions. Ways to achieve this would be through educational workshops, raising office accessibility, and recognizing contributions by people with disabilities.

    These would not only benefit the employees with disabilities but also truly enhance the organizational culture by making it more robust and much more cohesive. Embracing all these makes for real change in life, whereby each employee feels valued and can contribute at their best. I, being one who has gone through the challenges and triumphs of being in the corporate world while disabled, can attest to what a tremendous difference genuine inclusion makes.

    Let this month not just be about awareness but about concretizing actions that will make life different for employees with disabilities. Together, we can build workplaces where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

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    Jose Flores

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  • How to Embrace People With Disabilities In Your Workplace | Entrepreneur

    How to Embrace People With Disabilities In Your Workplace | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    People with disabilities face several barriers to entering the workplace and frequently face discrimination and exclusion. To develop an institution of inclusivity, people with disabilities must be represented and embraced at every level. According to the World Health Report, an estimated 1.3 billion people — or 16% of the global population — experience a significant disability today. Unfortunately, people with disabilities face mistreatment and discrimination just for having a disability.

    Based on the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, a 2004 survey found that only 35% of working-age persons with disabilities are employed, compared to an employment rate of 78% in the rest of the population. Two-thirds of unemployed respondents with disabilities said they would like to work but could not find jobs.

    I have been a disability advocate for several years, and I have the experience of growing up with one. I am currently the co-chair of the disability inclusion network where I work, and I’ve volunteered for many organizations focusing on disability rights. I’ve advocated for people with disabilities at the White House during the first-ever Mental Health Youth Action Forum.

    People with disabilities have more difficulty finding work because they are perceived as less than others or assumed to be unable to work, which is a common misconception. The pandemic’s move toward remote and hybrid was a positive step toward providing more flexibility and accommodations for people with disabilities. Before the pandemic, many people with disabilities weren’t offered a role due to requesting to work remotely. Offering these options isn’t enough, and more changes need to continue to embrace them fully.

    Related: How Hiring People With Disabilities Will Make Your Business Stronger

    Addressing ableism and sanism

    Ableism is discrimination against people with disabilities based on just having a disability, and sanism is the same, except for people with mental health conditions. Other forms of discrimination often dominate conversations about diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) more than ableism and sanism.

    Based on the Harvard Business Review, only about 4% of DEI programs include disability. Even DEI programs designed to address workplace discrimination still fail the disability community, which is why ableism and sanism commonly perpetuate in the workplace. This statistic is concerning as people with disabilities significantly face barriers in the workforce, like low labor force participation rates, higher unemployment rates and pay inequality.

    On top of that, many organizations don’t incorporate the “A” in DEIA — accessibility — because they don’t view it as an issue of equity. For example, issuing two people the same equipment doesn’t achieve anything if someone with a disability cannot use the technology to perform.

    Invest in accessibility

    It isn’t enough to announce that your organization prioritizes hiring more people with disabilities if your institution is inaccessible. If any practices are inaccessible, people with disabilities must navigate and maneuver additional barriers. It will be substantially more difficult for them to be seen, hired, considered and celebrated. Accessibility is a growing need every organization should invest in to create the best experience for its users, customers and staff members.

    Accessibility transforms information, content and anything else in your business into something sensible, meaningful and easier to use. Are you thoughtfully investing your resources into accessibility or treating it as an afterthought when someone comes forward with an issue? Accessibility should begin before someone requests an accommodation by approaching accessibility proactively. It would help if you devoted a sizeable fraction of your budget to assemble a dedicated team or position to accessibility, e.g. chief accessibility officer. Consider also working with a consulting agency if you want a third-party perspective.

    If you have a team in accessibility, is it being evaluated across the company rather than specific areas like technology and infrastructure? Assessing accessibility at every business function, like recruitment, job descriptions, content, social media, operations and events, will upscale and streamline more remarkable results. An example of this is clearing any ableist language on job applications because that already excludes a talented pool of candidates with disabilities.

    Accessibility isn’t only making work equitable for people with disabilities — it makes it easier for everyone. People with disabilities should be your target demographic for creating the most equitable products for them to enjoy and use. However, if you lead with accessibility in your organizational strategic plan, everyone will systemically benefit.

    Related: How We Can Redefine the Word “Disability” One Superpower at a Time

    Celebrate disability pride

    Based on the National Organization on Disability (NOD), while recently, more people with disabilities are entering the workforce over the last 12 months, self-identification (self-ID) rates have decreased from 4.09 in 2020 to 3.68 in 2021. Supporting people with disabilities must move from only offering accommodations to celebrating disability pride.

    Disability pride is the concept that disability isn’t just a medical condition but a social identity with enriching intersectionality, community and culture. Disability pride affirms that people shouldn’t be ashamed of their disabilities. Disability Pride Month is in July, and the National Disability Employment Awareness Month is in October. Because disability has been stigmatized and shamed for centuries, diverting that shame to pride is the future of disability inclusion.

    These are paramount organizational-wide moments to address disability, tell meaningful stories of their lived experiences and show your actionable commitment to DEIA. While those are noteworthy times to prioritize the disability community, disability pride should be distributed throughout the whole year because people with disabilities don’t stop existing and living outside of those months.

    There are limitless choices to include people with disabilities in the workplace by hosting workshops on disability inclusion, encouraging self-identification, outlining legal resources, facilitating open discussions on disability pride and history, establishing an employee resource group (ERG) to invite people with disabilities, caregivers and allies to join forces and hold the organization accountable and cultivate a more positive culture, work with other networks to showcase the intersectionality of disability and different social identities, appointing board members with disabilities and monitoring how your organization is operating.

    Related: 5 Ways Employees With Disabilities Help Maximize a Company’s Growth

    Diversity without disability is not diversity

    Suppose your organization does not include people with disabilities in your mission, decisions, products and leadership. In that case, your organization will never be diverse, and ignoring a substantial and vital population segment will only negatively influence your performance and impact. People with disabilities have the right to work and belong to an organization valuing their contributions and ensuring they have opportunities to thrive as much as everyone else.

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    Zane Landin

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  • How to Use Technology to Run Your Company as an Executive with a Limitation | Entrepreneur

    How to Use Technology to Run Your Company as an Executive with a Limitation | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    If you suffer a limiting condition, such as fading eyesight, mobility issues or total vision loss, technology can be the difference between leading in business and falling behind. Many executives experience common ailments such as farsightedness or broken limbs, temporary setbacks such as recovery from eye surgery or more permanent disabilities like hearing loss or blindness. In these situations, knowledge is power. I wouldn’t be able to run my company without technology.

    I was sixteen when the doctor told me I would be blind by forty. A devastating retinitis pigmentosa diagnosis brought a drastic new vision of my future. I knew the disease was progressive, so I had some time to research companies and products supporting people with vision impairments. As I’ve adapted to new tech, I am sharing some tools and in a small way, paying my knowledge forward. Programs have evolved, and I rely on several key software apps and devices to support me in my role as a blind CEO. Here are a few that get me through each day.

    Related: What Vision Loss Has Taught Me About Balancing Extremes in Business

    Screen enhancement

    Computer accessibility solution technology, such as Zoomtext, makes it possible for anyone with vision impairments to use their computer screen, assuming they can still use their mouse as well. Freeware and shareware programs are cheaper, but Zoomtext is more than a screen magnifier.

    The screen readability at high zoom levels is made possible by AI Squared technology that eliminates blurry text on freeware programs. With Zoomtext, you also get color-changing and enhancement capabilities. Vision impairment can strike anyone at any time. Looking into screen enhancements before you need them can help preserve your vision, preventing simple eye strain.

    Related: 5 Types of Technology All Entrepreneurs Need Access to in the Digital Age

    Voice accessibility technology

    My partner in running my company is JAWS or Job Access With Speech. Like Zoomtext, JAWS is a screen reader, but the advantage is that it works without a mouse, either with text or Braille. As long as the information is on a Word document or Microsoft Outlook email, JAWS will read it; in fact, JAWS and I get up early in the morning to start reading emails.

    The voice access tech allows you to send replies and compose Word documents. There are several levels of service at a variety of price options. Someone with significant vision loss or a legally blind business leader can still bring their heart, mind and talent to corporate teams, keeping communication channels open.

    Related: Employers Need Workers. Now They’re Realizing The Untapped Talent of These People.

    Tech readers

    Be My Eyes provides volunteers who can help visually-impaired persons “see” their environment. You can be connected to a live person who can see through the camera via your phone, assisting with navigating your surroundings or helping you do your work. If you’re having trouble finding a suite number or rooms at a conference, they can help. As a legally blind person, I might need help crossing a street, especially if my guide dog, Frost, can’t go with me someplace.

    AIRA, a paid service, can pull up a GPS map to pinpoint your location to help in navigation. AIRA uses screenshare; a remote person can take control of your computer to help do things directly, such as conducting research or filling out online forms. Tech readers can reveal what a piece of mail says, what a sign says, or read a document. Be My Eyes is developing a virtual assistant via the new Chat GPT4 language model. Both tech readers can help the visually impaired and business leaders with broken limbs or fingers to keep the recovery period productive.

    Orcam is about two inches in length, and it is tied to your sunglasses. After it magnetizes to the glasses, you can tap the Orcam, and it will take a picture of what you’re looking at, reading out everything it sees, from items on a shelf to the pages of a book; all ages can use it. Orcam can read bills as well as what’s being shown on TV. This is especially important if the announcer says, “Call the number on your screen,” without reading the digits. Now, you won’t miss out on infomercial purchases.

    Another tool, Cashreader, works with the iPhone camera. You can put any dollar bill up to the camera, and Cashreader will tell you the denomination. The tool reads not only dollars but all foreign currency.

    If you’re traveling, you now have options to get quick visual support, and on days you work long hours, you can lean on these tools to help you complete projects, work seamlessly in multiple locations, and always feel in charge of your environment.

    Labeling

    I invested recently in barcode labels and ID Mate; the latest version is I.D. Mate Galaxy. I can’t see the contents of closets and storage areas in my workplace. Something as simple as finding a file in a cabinet is a breeze with I.D. Mate. The barcode system takes a bit of time investment: You can have an assistant record the contents of storage bins, filing cabinets, boxes of documents, etc.

    All you do is point a reader at the barcode, and you will hear your assistant’s voice reading the information you need. This tech makes organizing your life a reality. You can now keep track of model and serial numbers on hardware or other information in fine print on machinery, equipment or containers. Barcoding and labeling save time, taking the mystery out of finding the things you need when you need them.

    Related: 5 Ways ChatGPT Is Empowering People with Disabilities

    Always new tools to try

    Companies and university engineers are developing new tools daily to help disabled persons to do things they couldn’t do before. There is technology to help quadriplegic people use their cell phones, response-to-text tools for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, and tech to help wheelchair users find accommodating facilities.

    Universities are embracing assistive tech on campuses across the country. Hundreds of technology aids and new products come out every day, designed to help you get through each day’s challenges. Anyone injured or dealing with low mobility, vision loss, or hearing impairment can work smarter; you can run your company, keeping the flow of work moving forward. If you’re open to new technology, you can emerge from the learning curve with a new sense of freedom that allows you to take charge of every area of your life.

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    Nancy Solari

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  • 3 Ways to Meet the Needs of a Divergent Workforce

    3 Ways to Meet the Needs of a Divergent Workforce

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Mental health, well-being and stress management will rise to priority status as workers demand a work-life balance. This is good news for disabled employees, but how will business leaders rise to meet this need? Executives will work harder than ever to create a more inclusive, welcoming, and accommodating environment to attract and retain these creative and productive workers. Learning to listen, communicate effectively and make changes in how teams work together can go a long way in creating an environment where everyone feels safe and respected.

    Rather than a “sink or swim” approach, leadership can meet workers where they are. This is where a business leader with a limitation can use intuition, see areas for improvement and change the dynamic in the workplace so that needs are understood and met. Business leaders should focus on three main areas to meet the needs of a divergent workforce.

    1. Empathy

    When a worker with a limitation applies for a job in the business world, they often fear the staff will not accept them. They are often worried they will not be heard if they ask for an accommodation. They may be concerned that what seems easy for everyone else will be difficult — or impossible — for them. Empathy is the quality of compassion that allows us to feel what it might be like to be in someone else’s shoes. It is the action-oriented part of compassion.

    It’s not about the number of divergent employees a company has on the roster; it’s about the employee work experience. Executives can show they are aware of the unique needs of the staff and are willing to meet those needs. Managing with empathy means understanding that someone in the office or on the other end of a remote call might have a disability or a limitation they are unwilling to share. It means taking the time to get to know the staff member on a more personal level and responding to their needs in a meaningful, timely way.

    Related: Why Empathetic Leadership Is More Important Than Ever

    Being open about diverse abilities begins with the company website, the company’s reputation on the web and the interview process. From the beginning, a potential candidate with a limitation can tell whether a company will be open to discussing their needs, the accommodations that might be required, and the way a limitation might change aspects of the work experience. A leader with a disability intuitively asks the right questions. Does a new employee need to communicate differently than other employees? What about physically navigating the building? How can the team best work with a staff member’s condition?

    For executives without disabilities, learning to be open and accepting of workers with limitations, striving to communicate more effectively and helping staff members feel safe will benefit not only disabled workers but will also improve the work experience for everyone.

    As an executive, you may feel uncomfortable asking questions or looking for feedback from disabled employees. The truth is that empathy is as uncomplicated as being a good listener, a good observer and a good mentor. When you create a culture that celebrates workers’ contributions with limitations, they may open up about their needs. An employee with dyslexia might need a team member to enter data on an excel sheet. A staff member with PTSD might have to schedule telehealth visits on breaks. If these workers are hiding their needs from you, the cost can be overwhelming stress for them. The company’s stakes are also high: rising turnover, absenteeism and low productivity.

    Related: 5 Ways Employees With Disabilities Help Maximize a Company’s Growth

    2. Accessibility

    A business leader with a disability has the edge when it comes to creating an environment that is equally accessible for everyone. Chances are that a wheelchair-bound executive has circled the parking lot looking for a ramp or dealt with oncoming traffic in a parking garage attempting to make it to the elevator. A legally blind business leader has experienced more than a few meetings where important information was presented only on PowerPoint. If you are an executive without a disability, you may have never considered how many potential candidates might have found your building or information inaccessible; they may have made it to the parking lot, quietly leaving without pointing out how their lack of access left them feeling helpless and excluded.

    A leader with a limitation will look at the corporate space from a perspective of challenge. A disabled executive will ask, “What hurdles will a disabled person meet attempting to work here?

    Do your meeting spaces accommodate divergent needs? Ramps, elevators, the width of doors and aisles between desks, lighting and closed-captioning are just the beginning. If an employee with anxiety issues needs a peaceful place to calm down, or if a worker needs to keep moving to improve chronic pain, is there a place for them to go? What about transportation? Could the company offer a car service or a monthly stipend to cover a ride share?

    However, it isn’t just about disabled staff. The need for accommodations can arise at any time. Workers without disabilities can break limbs, have painful surgeries, be wheelchair-bound or use crutches. Leaders can anticipate how the workspace might become a burden for staff and make adjustments.

    Beyond the physical environment, corporate heads can embrace technology to assist divergent employees in reaching their potential. Technology has moved beyond closed captioning and voice accessibility. Consider how you can make technology more accessible for your staff. A simple solution might be making transcriptions of meetings. These could be emailed out to staff, including those who are hearing impaired.

    Some apps allow people to take pictures and have documents read to them. There are apps that magnify text for those with impaired vision. Young engineers are working with AI to create more effective communication between the hearing impaired and people without that limitation. Executives can fund training and innovations that meet employees’ needs. Both staff and business leaders will be challenged to find different ways of doing things, working together to find solutions so that everyone can be more productive. Simply delivering material and information in a variety of ways will enable everyone to have better access.

    Related: Employers Need Workers. Now They’re Realizing The Untapped Talent of These People.

    3. Team building

    Even if business leaders grow in their understanding of divergent staff, the next step is even more critical: Management can bring employees together to learn from one another. If staff members hide in cubicles or a remote office without fellowship, mutual understanding can’t occur. One of the most innovative ways to find common ground in the workplace is to use team-building exercises.

    What if the office meeting wasn’t just the usual grind? What if part of that time was spent on team building? This can be done online or in the office. A manager can help staff clarify the team and individual goals. Employees can share their hopes or their vision for their lives. Leaders can go around the room, asking the same question, such as, “What are you most proud of?”

    Another option is to bring in a corporate trainer to build synergy. This can be done across departmental lines to bring a fresh perspective. Trainers may give the teams “assignments,” such as a project to complete, a problem that needs solving, or a set of tasks that force them to rely on each other and pull their own weight. Members of the team are pushed out of their comfort zone. They learn how to accommodate diverse abilities in their group using resourcefulness, recognizing strengths and weaknesses, and filling in the gaps when needed.

    A corporate retreat is a chance to get workers out of the office and into an environment where they can open up and share things they wouldn’t ordinarily reveal in an office setting. Staff members can relax, share their fears, and get vulnerable. Whether the retreat lasts a couple of days or a week, they can get to know each other. After a retreat, employees often feel they have gained trust, respect, and a sense of purpose where they work. They may feel they have a better grip on leveraging their team and workplace’s diverse abilities.

    Final thoughts

    An executive with a disability may have the edge in anticipating the needs of staff members with diverse abilities; however, leaders without limitations can find ways to maximize the potential in all staff members by making empathy, accessibility, and team-building a part of the corporate culture. Celebrating your team’s unique skills while working to meet their individual needs will create the kind of environment where the most talented candidates will thrive.

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    Nancy Solari

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  • Why Business Executives with Disabilities Must Take Back Their HealthCare Now

    Why Business Executives with Disabilities Must Take Back Their HealthCare Now

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Anything less than full throttle is not an option for any business leader, but when you’re running the company with a disability, it takes something more than overcoming a lack of confidence or changing perceptions in the boardroom.

    It’s already tough to get to the top, let alone run your own business. When you get there, taking a day off is not an option; neither is calling in sick. If you require special accommodations, your biggest fear is that corporate heads will put someone else in your role — someone without the need for doctor’s visits, work accommodations, or even surgeries.

    Leaders with limitations often push themselves to prove to stockholders and CEOs that they can thrive in a stressful environment, outperform others gunning for the top role, and do everything themselves. But this is an unrealistic and dangerous way of thinking; this mindset is often responsible for deteriorating health and well-being as leaders put off important medical visits, forego physical therapy or miss medications.

    There is a way to take control of your health and wellness, but it takes a proactive, intentional approach. You can run your personal healthcare strategy the way you run your company — using the skills that brought you your current success. Here are three ways to take back the reins and manage your health.

    Related: How Hiring People With Disabilities Will Make Your Business Stronger

    1. Seize your day

    You may feel you don’t have time for your condition, but if you intentionally plan your medical visits, you can take control of every facet of your personal health care by choosing when you see health care providers. You can decide the time of day and, most often, the frequency of visits to physicians and therapists.

    Think about which appointments are taxing and which help you and your mindset; in other words, which visits work with your day rather than against it. Some physical therapy sessions, for example, might look like a gym routine; for others, therapy might be more relaxing, such as massage or meditation. Think about where in the day your medical visit would best help your productivity — and plan accordingly.

    If therapy relieves you, schedule it early in the day, perhaps at the beginning. You can choose your medical professional based on availability in the morning. But if you’re going through something that puts you in a negative mental or emotional state, save it for the end of the day or even the weekend.

    Business leaders with limitations often complain that they don’t like leaving work, where they feel most confident and take pride in what they do, to walk into a doctor’s office feeling helpless and out of control. If you’re in corporate leadership, you may feel that the negativity you experience going to the doctor goes against the positive mindset you need to motivate others and run your company effectively. But the skills you employ daily running your business can take you far in planning and managing your healthcare needs.

    Related: Why Leaders with Disabilities Bring a Secret Weapon to the Negotiating Table

    2. Be your own advocate

    As a leader, you’ve been hired to solve the tough problems for your company. You can apply this same know-how to your healthcare by assembling a team of positive, upbeat and effective healthcare providers to help you achieve your wellness goals. So often, we accept assigned healthcare workers or doctors on referral. We don’t look past the general requirements of insurance policies to ask questions that could help us find the right individuals to form a healthcare team to support our needs.

    Find like-minded people to care for you. If you need a physical therapist with a “coach” mindset, do the research, read the reviews and find one. If you need a counselor for talk therapy to help you cope with your condition, keep digging and asking questions until you find the right person.

    Since you’re giving up a large portion of your day to attend to your health needs, use the same mindset you have for hiring people at the workplace. Does each person on your team have a positive mindset? Do you feel uplifted when you leave the clinic, even if all the news isn’t good? Does each member of your healthcare team listen to your needs and help you find solutions? Why would you sacrifice your health by accepting unvetted practitioners if you don’t accept inferior performance at work?

    Don’t accept “No,” for an answer, and don’t listen when someone says that a much-needed treatment is not covered by insurance. Often, a little self-advocating can go a long way. You will eventually find a person willing to help you get answers. Using your leadership skills to advocate for yourself and how you stand in the gap for your company is important.

    Related: Employers Need Workers. Now They’re Realizing The Untapped Talent of These People.

    3. Delegate to create a work-life balance

    If you’re in a leadership role, you may not hire employees directly, but knowing who to trust in your workforce is central to managing your company if you have a disability. You’ll need a “go-to” person to step in for you. Find the person who can keep the home fires burning, take that person under your wing, and bring them up to speed on the specific needs of your role in the company. Share with them how you do things, especially the daily schedule, the “musts” of your job, and where to find important information.

    You can simplify this for others if you learn to embrace technology. Invest in researching tech that keeps you in the loop, even if you’re in physical therapy or recovering from surgery. Look for training on iPhone or Android technology that can help you see spreadsheets, scan reports, analyze productivity or go over profit and loss figures, all from your phone.

    Thriving at work is essential; however, managing your time is key to taking control of your wholeness. Your well-being is as vital to the company as it is to you and your loved ones. There’s always time to invest in a healthier and more productive future. You can turn the tide on your health needs using the know-how that brought you to lead in the first place.

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    Nancy Solari

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