Storytelling has played a fundamental role in every culture since the dawn of civilisation. It connects us, teaches us, inspires us, and shapes our core values. Stories also have the power to drive change, shift attitudes, foster empathy, and even reduce prejudice.
When it comes to promoting disability inclusion in the workplace, storytelling becomes especially powerful. Encouraging employees with disabilities to share their experiences can be one of the most authentic and impactful ways to demonstrate your commitment to inclusivity. After all, anyone can claim to be an inclusive employer, but having real-life stories of your employees’ journeys will truly prove it.
By leveraging these narratives, (whether through story telling or through case studies), you create a powerful tool for both internal and external engagement. Not only does this help attract and retain employees with disabilities, but it also promotes greater empathy and drives meaningful cultural change within your organisation.
Where to begin
Finding and encouraging staff with disabilities to be examples can be challenging, depending on where you are on your journey toward true inclusivity. If you have very few employees with disabilities, it may be necessary to take a step back and assess some fundamental areas such as your recruitment strategies, policies, workplace culture, training programs, your overall environment etc, before focusing on creating role model stories.
It’s crucial to remember that the power of ‘role models’ with disabilities can only be harnessed once meaningful changes have been made to support their success. As your recruitment processes evolve to attract more applicants with disabilities, and as employees experience genuine support through effective accommodation, reasonable adjustment and an inclusive culture, only then does it become appropriate to encourage them to share their stories.
Encouraging participation and approaching staff
When encouraging employees with disabilities to act as case studies, it’s essential to respect that not everyone will want to participate, and their wishes should always be upheld. No one should ever feel pressured. Some people may not personally feel ready, they may feel uncomfortable or that it may be a disadvantage to them in some way, and it is entirely their choice whether or not they take part.
Encouragement should be pressure-free, with a simple and accessible invitation and process. Having initial examples to showcase makes it easier to demonstrate the positive impact of these stories and highlight the organisation’s ongoing commitment to creating an inclusive culture. These will also exemplify how stories can inspire both current and future employees with disabilities. The reason for doing it should also be clear: to support existing and future staff with disabilities feel welcomed and not anything to do with targets and/or tick boxes.
To accommodate different comfort levels, consider adapting the format of these stories. For example, a shy employee might prefer to complete a questionnaire, while someone more confident might be open to being the subject in a video case study. Flexibility ensures that every individual can contribute in a way that feels right for them.
Beginning with a case study from a more senior staff member with a disability can be particularly powerful. Seeing representation at a leadership level can encourage others and reinforce the message that inclusion is truly embedded within the organisation.
If you have a disability network, steering group or forum, ask them to lead with the case studies, and if you don’t have such a group, consider creating one. The group should be a mix of all members of staff from different levels of seniority and teams including both disabled and non-disabled people. This way, if someone wants to share their story, they know exactly who to approach.
Themes and content
Once you have a happy participant, ask if they would be willing to have a chat and discuss their journey first to gather an understanding. The case studies are always more powerful if they are specific to each person rather than following the same generic questions and process.
Consider things like the support that has been received, reasonable adjustments made, how the person has adapted, what their colleagues have been like, and most importantly, the role the company has played in helping them bring their best selves to work.
Start off with an understanding of who will benefit from hearing the story- whether that is other team members, people that may be hiding a disability, potential new job applicants with a disability, senior staff or all of the above- and ask the questions that will most resonate with these audiences.
Hidden disabilities and disclosure
Role models play a crucial role in normalising disability, which means storytelling will naturally lower the number of people hiding a non-visible impairment. It’s worth remembering that 24% of the population have a disability, and 80% of all those disabilities are hidden. In recent research (from Bupa), it was found that two in five (43%) of employees with a non-visible disability made the decision not to mention it to their employer, meaning millions of people are hiding their disability in the workplace.
In the Disability @ Work Report 2024, 47% of staff with disabilities said they felt more comfortable disclosing their own disability or health condition, when other voices and stories of disability were presented.
When leaders and peers openly discuss their experiences, it signals to others that it is acceptable to do the same. It also shows that if they do reveal their disability, that the organisation will do it’s best to support them, and others will not stigmatise them, as culturally, the company embraces disability and difference. They will then be far more likely to feel comfortable sharing their own experiences.
Despite the power of sharing the voices and stories of employees with disabilities, it remains an underutilised practice. According to the Disability @ Work Report 2024, only 36% of respondents reported having access to workplace role models with disabilities. Yet, 58% believe that such representation would help foster a more inclusive culture. Additionally, 47% of those who do have access to disabled role models say it has increased their confidence in their own ability to succeed and achieve their professional goals within the organisation.
Raising awareness and enhancing empathy
Sharing the voices and stories of employees with disabilities has a profound impact on raising disability awareness across an organisation. It reinforces the message that inclusion is not just a policy but an integral part of the company’s culture, one that embraces diversity, and values every individual. Storytelling also plays a crucial role in fostering empathy among staff, helping them develop a deeper, more personal understanding of disability. In fact, research has shown that compelling storytelling can actually trigger the release of oxytocin, a neurochemical linked to empathy, trust, generosity, and stronger social bonds.
In summary, encouraging employees with disabilities to tell their stories can be a powerful tool for transformation. It showcases your commitment to creating an environment where people can bring their best selves to work. These narratives can influence the attraction, recruitment, and retention of new talent with disabilities while also shaping how disability is perceived within the workplace.
So, if someone in your company has a story waiting to be told, that highlights your dedication to inclusion, and their journey to success, maybe now is the time to tell it.
Chris Jay is an accomplished training facilitator, public speaker, commentator and writer on the topic of disability awareness. Chris provides training for a variety of businesses and organisations in the education sector including schools and universities, training people to be understanding and aware of disability and the needs, challenges and unique life experiences of people with disabilities.
Prior to launching his training company, Bascule Disability Training, Chris worked as a Training Facilitator and Project Manager for the disability awareness charity- Enable Me, where he developed and delivered training programmes for businesses, universities and schools. He was later appointed as the Executive Chairman of the charity.