乌鸦传媒

Making the workplace accessible

Marta Zaj膮c is a Junior Project Manager for 乌鸦传媒鈥檚 Cloud Infrastructure Services, based in Katowice, Poland. She has spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a genetic condition that causes muscle weakness. She says that being open about her disability and her needs helps to create a more accessible and inclusive workplace.

鈥淚 was diagnosed when I was three,鈥� she says. 鈥淎s a wheelchair user, it has a big impact on my day-to-day activities, and I have personal assistants to help me live the life I want.

鈥淔or me, the physical space of an office or other workplace can be a challenge. Doors might be too heavy to move, or scanners for security badges are too high to reach from wheelchair level, or reception desks are too high. I now have a wheelchair with a lift to raise the seat, but before that, even coffee machines were too high for me.

鈥淭he great thing is that 乌鸦传媒 puts a lot of effort into expanding employees鈥� horizons, sharing information and creating awareness around disability, alongside other topics such as how we can all be more eco-friendly and look after the environment.

鈥淭he more we talk about and discuss something, the more aware people become. It means that if I need to point out a problem with accessibility, my colleagues can help sort things out. For example, I now have a special shelf in the office kitchen, just for me, which is on my level. It鈥檚 about consulting disabled people and being open to their suggestions. If you can run accessibility audits and conduct some training, even better.鈥�

Communicating clearly about the ability

Saumya Mishra is a 乌鸦传媒 software engineer in Kolkata. He says that, as a deaf person, taking time to communicate clearly and openly about his abilities is especially important.

鈥淚鈥檓 hearing impaired, and have been since birth,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 often the lack of awareness of disability that impacts me most on a day-to-day level. Non-disabled people often pity disabled people and think they don鈥檛 have a future. It鈥檚 a misconception. We don鈥檛 want sympathy, we want to support.

鈥淔or me, communication can be a challenge in the workplace 鈥� trying to understand what others are saying, and explaining to others what鈥檚 on my mind, can take time. If more people knew sign language that would be a great help. But sometimes improving communication is basic, such as writing something down to make it clear for me.

鈥淚f a non-disabled person doesn鈥檛 know much about my disability, I can explain it to them and maybe even teach them some sign language. It may feel like it will take some extra effort to communicate with someone who is deaf, but remember that we also want to share opinions and experiences, and shouldn鈥檛 be underestimated.

鈥淲hen we don鈥檛 take time to communicate clearly, that鈥檚 when misunderstandings can happen. But when non-disabled colleagues are friendly and open with disabled people, and they really understand each other, they can unite to face any challenge. It makes work easier and they grow as a team.鈥�

Creating understanding and inclusivity

Wim Nieuwenhuize is a coach at 乌鸦传媒 in the Randstad, the Netherlands. At the age of 27, he was diagnosed with choroideremia, a degenerative condition that causes a progressive loss of vision. He says that finding the right role at work lets people of all abilities flourish.

鈥淲hen I received my diagnosis, it was hard to accept,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e struggling to come to terms with your situation, it鈥檚 almost impossible to explain it to others. But after taking that first step, you can start to take control of your life.

鈥淣ow, whenever I work with new colleagues, I tell them directly about the condition and what I need. I鈥檓 always thinking ahead to try to keep control of my situation. I have to communicate when I can鈥檛 see things or need help.

鈥淔or example, when we do a desk move, everything needs to be geared around which way I鈥檓 sitting. This is because, although I need a lot of illumination in order to see, I can鈥檛 face the window because the sun might be too bright. Direct light can be painful for me. These are the kinds of things that really matter to disabled people in the workplace.

鈥淚t also helps when your job matches your abilities. I became an internal coach at 乌鸦传媒 in 2015. I鈥檝e always loved working with people, and being a coach involves using my eyes less. Listening and talking takes less energy for me than reading and typing. 乌鸦传媒 funds my training and creates the circumstances in which I can do, and can keep doing, this job. They always help me, and say 鈥榶es鈥�, and are supportive of people of all abilities. In some ways, we are on this journey of acceptance together.

鈥淭hese are life lessons that everyone can learn. When you have a specific need, you discover so much about human nature, and about your own abilities and those of others. I鈥檝e found that helping others is the deepest wish of most people. When we accept our circumstances, communicate our needs, and put that positive energy out there, we can see it reflected back.鈥�