Presented by the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

#PartnersDiversity

For questions about the series, please contact Jarrod Chin,

Senior Manager for Education and Consulting, at JJChin@partners.org

Click here to learn more about the series

Insight into Identities. Vol. 2 – 2 – July 2019

Insight into Identities

July 2019

The Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion’s “Insight into Identities” series is a system-wide learning

initiative dedicated to exploring aspects of human difference. A self-guided learning opportunity, Insight

into Identities is designed for Partners staff to further understand how diversity and inclusion expands

our ability to effectively work with others and improves patient care. Each edition of Insight to Identities

will contain an overview of that month’s featured identity, multi-media items for learning, questions for

reflection, relevant statistics/definitions, and Partners-based resources. In addition, this series provides

Partners staff with simple yet meaningful skills for inclusion that they can implement in their professional

work immediately. Every month, a new Insight into Identities will be shared throughout the Partners

system using this format. The goal of Insight into Identities is to not only engage all Partners Institutions

and staff in a coordinated learning experience around diversity, equity and inclusion, but to foster personal

reflection and conversation with colleagues about how issues of identity impact the care we provide our

patients daily.

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This edition explores

People with Disabilities at Partners HealthCare

Insight into Identities. Vol. 2 – 3 – July 2019

Overview We all want to live and work in environments where we feel a sense of belonging, respect and purpose. For

1 in 4 Americans who live with a disability, this is sometimes more of a hope than a reality. As a health care

system, Partners realizes the importance of creating spaces where people with disabilities can utilize their

talents to their fullest. This starts by recognizing the tremendous value and contributions people with

disabilities make across the Partners system and how this identity impacts patient health. In coordination

with “Insight into Identities,” Partners is launching the Toolkit for Empowering and Accommodating

People with Disabilities in the Workplace in October. The toolkit is a way to share best practices and

resources across the system to better understand this issue and to be more inclusive of colleagues and

patients who have disabilities. Consider the following statistics:

According to a report by the Center for Talent Innovation:

• 30% of employees in the U.S. have disabilities, while only 3.2% of employees with

disabilities self-identify as having a disability to their employers.

• 30% of people with invisible disabilities have experienced workplace discrimination

relating to their disability, while 44% of people with visible disabilities have experienced

workplace discrimination.

• 57% of employees with disabilities feel that they cannot advance in their careers and have

been “stalled” from promotions in their workplace.

As it relates to health care, according to the CDC:

• 1 in 3 adults with disabilities does not have a usual health care provider.

• 1 in 3 adults with disabilities has an unmet health care need in the past year because of barriers related to cost.

• 1 in 4 adults with disabilities did not have a routine check-up in the past year.

Lessons for Learning The media materials presented below provide useful information about people with disabilities through

personal stories and insights into the unique challenges they face professionally. Moreover, the various

media sources illustrate ways you personally can support people in the disability community to openly and

freely express their identities at Partners HealthCare.

Media Materials

Articles

• The Case for Improving Work for People with Disabilities Goes Way Beyond Compliance.

This Harvard Business Review article looks at various ways for workplaces to improve their inclusivity

and support for people with disabilities.

• Becoming Disabled. This New York Times article discusses the variety of ways people personally

identify with their disabilities, both as individuals and as part of the disability community.

Podcasts

• Disability Visibility Project: “Employment” – Rooshey Hasnain and Kate Caldwell (guests). Two

professors from the University of Illinois discuss employment and disability (transcript of podcast is

available).

Insight into Identities. Vol. 2 – 4 – July 2019

Videos

• Haben Girma: “Disability & Innovation: The Universal Benefits of Accessible Design.” Disability rights

lawyer and activist Haben Girma shares how incorporating universal access principles into product

development can increase access for people with disabilities, while simultaneously improving the

overall usability.

• PBS Series: “Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers” – Featuring our own Dr. Cheri Blauwet:

Gold medalist Dr. Cheri Blauwet, who is a physician at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Brigham

and Women’s Hospital, describes her journey as a Paralympic gold medalist and physician with a visible

disability.

• TED Talk by Aimee Mullins: “The Opportunity of Adversity.” Groundbreaking runner Aimee Mullins is out

to redefine the word “disabled”. She shows how adversity – in her case, being born without shinbones

– actually opens the door for human potential.

Questions for Reflection Whether you have reviewed one or all of the selected

media sources, the following list of questions can be

used either individually or in a small group to reflect on

the identities of people with disabilities.

1. The identity of being a person with a disability can

be very personal for some of us. Think about the

social stigma that can come from having a disability.

How has that identity impacted you or people that

you personally know?

2. Colleagues with disabilities can face a variety of reactions from others who notice their disability. Has a

disability (yours or theirs) influenced or effected an interaction you have had with a colleague? If the

interaction was not positive, what steps can be taken to ensure that future communication is productive?

3. For a few moments, reflect on your preferred method of communication (email, phone call, text or face-

to-face). Does your preferred method of communication take into consideration how others may receive

and process information most effectively? Have you ever considered how your preferred method and

style of communication is received by others? Do they create space for others to actively engage and

share their perspective or does it create unintentional disparity? Here is a link to a few tips for being

more inclusive in how you communicate with others. What are some things that you could do to ensure

that your approach and style of communication is more inclusive?

Insight into Identities. Vol. 2 – 5 – July 2019

Skills for Application Whether it’s in our daily interactions with others or creating change across the Partners system, there are

simple steps we can all take to be inclusive of people with disabilities in the workplace.

Skills for Every Day with Colleagues

Disability Etiquette

Sometimes when employees work with colleagues or serve patients with disabilities, we may not know

the most effective ways to communicate and interact. Work Without Limits, an organization based at

UMass Medical School, provides simple and concrete skills and tips for engaging with people with

disabilities. Click here to see Work Without Limits Disability Etiquette Guide - a fantastic resource for

increasing your cultural competency around disability to ensure positive interactions.

Reasonable Accommodations

Employees who disclose their disability may require reasonable accommodations at work to do their job

effectively. The need for accommodations are not only valid for the person, but also protected by law.

Employees’ accommodations do not reflect their work ethic, skills and ideas that they bring to your team or

department. Being open and willing to make reasonable accommodations for coworkers will allow them to

work and excel as effectively as possible. A person’s disability may change over time. If you are a manager,

check in with staff to ensure that they have the proper accommodations. Additionally, work with

Occupational Health Services, Human Resources or the Employee Assistance Program to ensure that your

colleagues with disabilities are properly supported.

Skills for Organizational Work

Removing Barriers in Your Work

Disability rights lawyer and activist Haben Girma states: “Disability is not something that people need to

overcome. The barriers that exist are created by society, and it's up to every single one of us to work

together to remove those barriers.” As a team or department, review any existing policies or programs to

identify if there are barriers that may have been unintentionally created that limit access to people with

disabilities. Moving forward, as you develop new systems, programs or policies, seek diverse perspectives,

including people with disabilities. This will help identify potential barriers and develop innovative solutions

that allow greater levels of accessibility for every employee at work.

Insight into Identities. Vol. 2 – 6 – July 2019

Terminology

Person with a

Disability

An individual with a long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.

Accessibility Accessibility is an evolving concept: defined as the freedom of choice in entering, approaching, communicating with or making use of a situation. The goal of accessibility is to enable persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life. (UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities)

Accommodation An alteration of the environment, curriculum format, process or equipment that allows an individual with a disability to gain access to content and services and/or complete assigned tasks. These modifications enable an individual with a disability to have an equal opportunity not only to get a job, but successfully perform their job tasks to the same extent as people without disabilities. The ADA requires reasonable accommodations as they relate to three aspects of employment: 1) ensuring equal opportunity in the application process; 2) enabling a qualified individual with a disability to perform the essential functions of a job; and 3) making it possible for an employee with a disability to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment.

Resources • Partners HealthCare EAP (Employee Assistance Program) (Services, Information)

The Partners EAP (Employee Assistance Program) is a voluntary workplace-based consultation, short-

term counseling, information and referral program for employees and their household members.

Professional, licensed EAP counselors provide private, confidential and safe assistance for all types of

work/life, family or personal concerns. EAP services include free, confidential consultations; short-term,

problem-focused counseling and community referrals for treatment or other assistance, and it is a liaison

between the workplace and community resources.

• Occupational Health Services (Services, Information)

Occupational Health Services (OHS) is the primary conduit for employees with disabilities who seek an

accommodation in the workplace. OHS meets with the employee to conduct a medical review to

determine if the employee’s condition meets the ADA’s definition of a disability. If you need to make an

accommodation request, contact your institutions’ OHS. If your institution does not have an OHS, please

contact your Human Resources Business Partner. Click here to view an Accommodation Request

flowchart for Partners HealthCare.

• American Association of People with Disabilities (Advocacy)

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is a convener, connector and catalyst for

change, increasing the political and economic power of people with disabilities. As a national cross-

disability rights organization, AAPD advocates for full civil rights for the over 60 million Americans with

disabilities by promoting equal opportunity, economic power, independent living and political

participation.

• Disability: IN (Advocacy, Services, Information)

Disability:IN is a national non-profit that helps business drive performance by leveraging disability

inclusion in the workplace, supply chain and marketplace.

Insight into Identities. Vol. 2 – 7 – July 2019

• Massachusetts Office on Disability (Advocacy, Information)

The Massachusetts Office on Disability (MOD) works to ensure the full and equal participation of all

people with disabilities in all aspects of life by working to advance legal rights, maximum opportunities,

supportive services, accommodations and accessibility in a manner that fosters dignity and self-

determination.

• Work Without Limits

Work Without Limits is a network of engaged employers and innovative, collaborative partners that aims

to increase employment among individuals with disabilities. In 2012, Work Without Limits set a 20-year

goal to position Massachusetts as the first state in the nation where the employment rate of people with

disabilities is equal to people without disabilities. Work Without Limits, an organization based at UMass

Medical School, provides training and consultative services to individuals with disabilities, family

members, employers, state agencies and employment service providers.