Seeing Through Another’s Eyes
I recently took a nasty fall in my front yard while walking a couple out to their car after dinner at our home. One moment I was laughing and talking about what the lovely evening we had shared, and the next moment, I hit an uneven surface, fractured both sides of my ankle, hit an outdoor light during my fall, and fractured my tibia. I wish I could turn back the clock that night. I landed in the emergency room on a Saturday night, waiting desperately to be seen while awaiting pain medication. Emergency surgery followed the next morning. I could not put any weight on my right foot for six weeks, relegating me to the couch, a wheelchair, and occasionally, a walker. I started home physical therapy to regain movement in my foot — toe wiggles, forward movement and sideways turning were impossible in the first couple of weeks. My thoughts started to darken — would I ever get back my previous life?
As I strived for independent movement around the house and outside for errands with my husband, I caught the smallest glimpse of the life of someone wheelchair bound. I could not get through any door in my house and the bathroom, the pantry, and the office were not accessible to me at first, though eventually I could when walker assisted. Luckily, the shower has a bench and a dog bath extension. I scoot up the stairs backwards (not by foot) while my husband carries the “lightweight” wheelchair and waits for me at the top. We put a walker in the shower and an upside down cook pot where I can rest my foot. The whole process is exhausting and I put it off as much as possible. I cannot get out to the backyard to play ball with my dogs due to a small threshold that is like a mountain in a wheelchair.
Getting out of the car and into a wheelchair at the grocery store required 2 people. Even if I could manage to get inside unaided, a wheelchair and a grocery cart are not manageable, not to mention most products are unreachable. On a positive note, I finally came to know all those products you never see on the bottom two shelves of the displays. The corridor to the restroom was crowded with boxes and cartons so I was not able to traverse it, and I could not see the credit card display while paying.
Going to the restroom in a crowded restaurant was unmanageable, even if I was lucky enough to find an ADA bathroom. The “ADA Accessible” bathroom at my doctor’s office, of all places, had such a heavy door that I was unable to get inside by myself. I visited a friend’s office which was so chaotic and crowded with desks, files, banker boxes, and other items, that I was unable to make my way through it unlike the beautifully designed spaces in Interior Design Magazine.
When I worked for a global architecture and design firm, we used to hold programming sessions called “Living a Day in the Life” to understand that organization and its employees. While I had put myself in someone else’s shoes, it was always someone without a disability; it was still someone like me. I came to understand so many obstacles that had never crossed my mind before. Today, much effort is also going into the design of workplaces that support a neurodiverse population. Can we really live a day in the life when our perspective is so different — when we live in a different world? I have come to think including and hiring those individuals who require accommodations and are neurodiverse is the only way to remove barriers, improve access and truly incorporate needed changes in the workplace, the grocery store, or the doctors office.
According to the US Department of Labor Statistics, in 2021 11.9% of the civilian population had a disability, but only 19.1% of them were employed. The unemployment rate for those with disabilities has nearly doubled compared to those without disabilities. A large part of this is because of the lack of inclusive workplaces. Although the majority of companies say they value disability inclusivity in their workplaces, only 4% focus on making the changes to their businesses. The first step is being proactive to future employees and visitors by looking at your own space and finding what barriers can be removed. There are many ways to start this journey from talking to company leaders and decision makers to running Accessibility Audits or hosting disability trainings.
This population was one of the hardest hit by the Covid pandemic, but they also have more opportunities now than ever. It is estimated that Covid resulted in an additional 1.2 million people with disabilities. Disabled people are more likely to work at home or for themselves, and we all know Covid has created (and maintained) a larger opportunity of work from home and hybrid jobs. Some companies have created flexible hours or positions that also aid in more options for those with limited workload capacity.
Creating an inclusive workplace has many benefits including tapping into a wider pool of candidates and having a broader variety of approaches to problem solving. There is also a sense of pride that comes from working for a company that values all people and skill-sets equally. It benefits workers and the companies they work for immensely.
I am lucky — I will recover and regain my life back, or at least 95% of it. I have been the recipient of the kindness of a multitude of strangers, giving me a new perspective in a world seemingly filled with hate and divisiveness. My neighbors, who I have only known a short time since our move to San Diego, have come to my rescue with dinners, lunches, flowers, gift baskets, and simply sitting with me to keep me company through a difficult time. At one point, my friends and family had sent so many beautiful flowers that our home nearly became a flower shop. And lastly, my husband — who before this was already the best person I’d ever met in my life — has risen to new heights to support me and help me heal. I recognize that my situation is temporary, but for so many it is not. It is on us to include them in our world and consider them in our decisions, as only they know what is needed to make life a little bit kinder.
Susan Grossinger is the President of Susan Grossinger Consulting which provides management and marketing consulting to contract furniture manufacturers and industrial design firms. She can be reached at susan@sjg-consult.com.
