The COVID-19 pandemic opened the floor for conversations that ordinarily didn’t get as much traction as they deserved. One of such has been around diversity and inclusion. The conversation around this has mostly dwelled on addressing discrimination based on race, gender and sexual orientation, but with 15% of the global population living with a disability, according to the World Report on Disability 2011, it has also become important to continuously highlight issues and trends pertaining to disability inclusion, especially in the workplace.

In 2018, the World Health Organization reported that of Nigeria’s 195 million-strong population, about 29 million were living with a disability. This number could be higher considering that there is a sparse database on disability in the country. But even with such high prevalence, it isn't uncommon that companies, businesses and corporate institutions, despite the trending diversity and inclusion culture, do not have policies that cater to, or are inclusive of Persons with Disabilities (PWD). This is only a reflection of the prevalent exclusion culture against PWD in the wider Nigerian society, where they suffer stigmatization, discrimination and even violence.

Even with the signing into law of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018 (.pdf), which sought to address this problem by criminalizing any form of discrimination against PWD, as well as instituting a National Commission for Persons with Disabilities to foster their access to education, healthcare and housing, not much has changed as there is a lack of structure to bring the policy into proper execution.

Disability Employment Rate and Pay Gap

Studies show that globally, the employment rate for PWD stood at 53.7% as of 2020, compared to the 82% rate for non-disabled people. That translates to a staggering employment rate gap of 28.4%. It is only logical to posit that this figure is definitely more dreary in the Nigerian context given that the employment rate as of the last quarter of 2020 stood at 66.7%. This systemic exclusion of PWD from jobs begins right from job descriptions and the way they are worded with implicit bias against them, such as having requirements that do not really affect the skills needed to carry out a role. For example, job descriptions may require that candidates applying for a position should be able to sit for long periods or be able to type or perform any other physical tasks. This may be done without any intent to discriminate, but it effectively discourages PWD from applying for a role even if they are qualified. The standard interview process in Nigeria is fraught with such barriers and more that work against PWD: from online accessibility to the demand for mobility, to inaccessible interview venues, and all this in addition to the disability bias of hiring personnel.

Furthermore, not only are PWD less likely to get a job, but when they do, they are more likely to be paid less for the same job compared to non-disabled people. A 2017 study showed that people with certain disabilities may experience up to 40% disability pay gap. On top of this, they are forced to navigate and contend with an ableist-configured work environment. Workplace ableism, which is one more manifestation of disability discrimination can take forms such asworkplace building designs inaccessible to PWD, company work policies that do not make space for or take into account the challenges of PWD, use of ableist language (such as ‘deaf’, ‘blind’, ‘insane’, ‘crazy’ etcetera) in the workplace and so on.

The Cost of Excluding Persons with Disability

A 2009 study that sampled 10 low- and middle-income developing countries, including 7 from Africa, calculated that the economic cost of excluding PWD from work in developing countries amounted to the loss of between 3 to 7 percent of GDP. This is a huge loss for any growing economy and is more apparent when we consider that inclusive growth is taken as the major economic goal for developing economies. Globally, PWD represents a large market size with a disposable income of up to $8 trillion according to a report by Return On Disability Group. Sidelining 29 million disabled people in Nigeria from the workforce not only means forgoing a large talent pool but also means missing out on the opportunity to innovate your business product and services in a way that appeals to such a large market.

How Diversity and Inclusion Policies in the Workplace can Include Persons with Disabilities (PWD)

Having D&I policies that include PWD in your business is a corporate social responsibility; every human being deserves an equal opportunity to a better life, and none should be denied the opportunity to fully and effectively participate in society. Here are some ways your D&I policies can cater to PWD:

• Remove barriers that automatically exclude PWD from jobs: Revamp the recruitment process of your business with PWD in mind. This includes watching the language of the job description, making job recruitment calls accessible to PWD, using an interview venue that is accessible to PWD and educating your HR department against disability bias.
• Make the workplace accessible: This is a major problem in the exclusion of PWD in Nigeria. Locating your work environment in physical structures that cannot be accessed by disabled people simply indicates that your inclusion policies do not cater for them.
• Make policy programs that educate your workforce on disability inclusion: This should not only start from the recruitment process but also your general workforce. Having employees who, for example, are unaware of how ableist language can hurt or target disabled people can make for a toxic work environment for PWD.
• Involve PWD in the making of policies: Having disabled people at the table when policies are being made is one of the ways to indicate a true dedication to disability inclusion.

Taking the steps to institute diversity and inclusion policies that include PWD not only positions your business as forward-looking and innovative but also as a destination for forward-minded talents. The best part is that it makes economic sense since it also positions your business to appeal to a wider customer base. Will Way Paradigm can help revamp and implement diversity and inclusion policies for your business that cater to PWD following global best standards and practices.