Returning to work with a disability? Here’s what you need to know.
We don't know what the long-term impact of COVID-19, but we know that there are folks who are living with long-term impacts, whether on their respiratory system, on their heart, or even long-term physical disabilities including paralysis or amputations due to blood clots. While working at home may make it easier to make the changes necessary to work, thinking about going back to work can feel scary. It can even feel more intimidating if you haven’t "come out" with a new condition while being home.
Remember, the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) says that you can disclose your disability status at your place of work WHENEVER you want to or need to. It also says that you only need to disclose if you're in need of accommodations in order to perform the "essential functions of your job." So first, sharing your disability status is a choice that ONLY you can make, but you're not on a stopwatch with a fixed time to out yourself.
Second, you have a RIGHT to accommodations. Don't feel like you have to frame your request as an apology for getting sick. Over a million people got sick because of the coronavirus, and so no professional manager should assume you're "faking it" or trying to get out of doing your job. If you do need accommodations, like continued work from home, a change in your working hours, or a relocation of your office to a more accessible space in a building, ask for them. So make your request clear, assertive, and unapologetic. Put it in writing, or, if you'd prefer to do it in person, follow up in writing (this is key for you to have YOUR documentation in line). If you need help figuring out what you may need or what language to use, reach out to resources like the Job Accommodation Network, or check out the “411 on Disability Disclosure” (though the document centers young adults, the tips are solid and credible).
Third, the reality is there is no "new normal" coming back from such a cataclysmic event. The last few weeks have been significantly traumatizing, and part of this is creating a collective awareness that trauma in itself, both physical, emotional, or mental, is a disability. Organizations should be proactive in offering resources and supports to assist all employees, like promoting the use of mental health services and paid leave for people who may need to self-isolate due to a compromised immune system.. Some employees who are newly disabled may need therapeutic means to understand their new bodies and lives, and workplaces can be proactive in making sure employee benefits cover these services. In reality, we are all being affected by the pandemic, and can all benefit from therapeutic support; having an employer take such a stance shows that our mental health does not have to take a backseat to capitalism and the demands of productivity. Organizational leaders, if you hadn’t been proactive on including disability/chronic illness in your diversity, equity, and inclusion work, use this time to start given that you are likely to have both staff, clients, and partners who need your support.
While it’s on employers to do the work to learn about and comply with the ADA, it’s good to have your own resources at the ready. Here are a few to get you started:
The National Conference of State Legislatures, “Disability 101: Employment Policies and Etiquette”
University of Michigan School of Public Health, “Surviving the Coronavirus While Black: Pandemic's Heavy Toll on African American Mental Health”
Office of Disability Employment Policy, “Return to Work Toolkit”