|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Increasing numbers of Canadians, especially women (16% compared to 10% of men), are living with lifelong episodic disability. What does this mean? According to the Episodic Disability Network (EDN), episodic disability is characterized by fluctuating periods of wellness and disability that are unpredictable in nature. The range of episodic disability is wide, from chronic medical disabilities such as multiple sclerosis, diabetes and HIV/AIDS to mental health challenges including depression and bi-polar disorder.
The vast majority of people who are affected by episodic disabilities are in their prime working years (EDN, 2014). The unpredictable nature of episodic disability in tandem with today’s unstable labour market and more precarious work poses notable challenges for career management. Indeed, many may move in and out of the labour force in an unpredictable manner and have great difficulty securing stable employment and income supports (EDN, 2014).
As career professionals, it is important that we are knowledgeable about the barriers people with episodic disabilities face in their careers and what we can do to help.
What are some of the barriers?
Following are just some of the many barriers people with episodic disability can face in acquiring and maintaining meaningful employment and career expansion.
- People with episodic disability face greater work and productivity pressures because of insufficient communication – for example, between employer expectations and employee needs, accommodations and return-to-work strategies. A study by Vick (2014) found managing chronic symptoms alongside employment pressures can often lead one to forfeit their health and safety in order to retain work.
- Some people with episodic disability experience concerns relating to belongingness, stigma and discrimination. Employers can hold misperceptions that a person with an episodic disability is untruthful, unreliable or unproductive, which has negative psychological effects. Certain conditions such as HIV or bipolar disorder are also highly stigmatized and the fear of being misunderstood or mistreated can prevent disclosure or access to necessary supports.
- Those with episodic disability can experience challenges in qualifying for disability income supports. The majority of supports target people with permanent stable disability or who are completely unable to work. For example, to qualify for the Canadian Pension Plan disability benefit, one’s disability must be severe and prolonged.
- Women with episodic disabilities face compounded barriers. Women are far more likely to have an episodic disability and are more likely to be at or near the poverty line and to be caretakers for others, which exacerbates employment challenges.
- There is a general lack of awareness and knowledge about episodic disability across employers, policymakers and the public. As a result, people with episodic disability may not get the support or workplace accommodations they need to thrive in their careers.
What can we do?
Career professionals can integrate the following practices when working with those with episodic disabilities.
1. Build strong rapport. Taking a collaborative and reflective approach that emphasizes co-operation and communication, as well as outlining clear expectations for the working relationship, can contribute to creating a safe space for clients who may be facing disability-related discrimination.
2. Understand their story. Hutchison (2021) recommends first understanding your client’s holistic career narrative, involving not only work but their broader You can tease out your client’s strengths, barriers and areas of resistance through informal discussion. For example, you could ask about their best and worst jobs. It is important to be aware of the many areas that comprise a client’s identity beyond their disability and any key contextual influences. You should aim to understand their sense of autonomy, competence and belongingness.
3. Career assessments can help you build on the client’s story. It may can be helpful to also assess for any disability-related limitations, which may later help to inform an accommodation plan.
4. Career action plan. You can work with the client to create an action plan involving goals (and sub-goals) as well as a contingency plan in case of fluctuations in disability. Relevant considerations for those with episodic disability are employment flexibility and/or part-time work, access to training and proactive conversations about one’s needs in the context of workplace disclosure and accommodations.
-
-
- Disclosure. Those with episodic disability may struggle with deciding to disclose their disability to their employer. You can support clients to consider the risks and benefits of disclosure as well as timing considerations (e.g. disclosing before securing the position or only if/when they need accommodations). Here are some strategies for disclosing disabilities at work for the youth population.
- Accommodations. In 2018, the Canadian government introduced the Accessible Canada Act to ensure a barrier-free Canada. You can help inform clients of federal human rights laws including the employers’ duty to take reasonable steps to provide accommodation and ensure employees can reach their full potential. You could also discuss other informal accommodations to help remove the stigma as well as increase communication and inclusive language in the workplac
-
The bigger picture
The above strategies serve as a starting point for practitioners to support people with episodic disability, but the call to action does not end there. Many of the barriers people with episodic disabilities face operate at the system and policy level. At the intersection between contemporary career counselling and disability is advocacy! Career professionals can play an important role in expanding awareness of the barriers that people with episodic disability face at the individual and policy level, promoting inclusive workplaces and adequate accommodations, and advocating for stronger income supports and employment benefits.
