How even ‘accessible’ workplaces leave out 33 million Americans with disabilities

On the latest episode of The New Way We Work, we talk about how to make workplaces more inclusive to people with invisible disabilities.

There’s a big problem with work that’s invisible to too many of us: According to the CDC, 61 million adults in the United States (26%), have at least one disability. About half of that group: 33 million adults in the U.S. have an invisible, or non-apparent disability. These afflictions often don’t manifest themselves in ways that are immediately evident to others: things like chronic pain, diabetes, autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, arthritis, and more.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990 to protect against discrimination and requires workplaces to offer reasonable accommodations. Still, many employees or job candidates are reluctant to disclose a disability for fear they won’t get a job or won’t be treated fairly. And many employers are clueless on what they’re doing wrong.

So how can we make advocacy easier, open up opportunities, and build a world of work that works for everyone?