A workplace beyond light

Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) at work seems to have come under attack. It started with a number of global corporations that have rolled back their EDI programmes. The fear is that it will continue with other corporations in several countries, and may trickle down to small and medium enterprises.

Just to remind ourselves, EDI promotes the fair treatment and full participation of all people, especially those groups of people who have not been given the opportunity to meet their aspirations at the workplace because of their background, identity, disability, etc.

One particular group is blind people. It is always difficult to understand fully what a person with disability feels, let alone the visually impaired.

All one needs to do is try to walk around a place with their eyes closed or speak to a person without seeing their behaviour. I do not wish to take this matter to the absurd, but all we need to do to understand the problem is try to walk through Merchants Street in Valletta blindfolded.

Translate such feelings onto the work environment and one realises that for a blind person to hold on to a meaningful job is very difficult, unless one is highly talented. We all know of blind persons who have made it, and successfully so. However, they are the exception and not the rule.

A workplace beyond light is not a question of pity but a question of recognising talent, possibly where we do not know it exists

Is it possible to create a workplace beyond light, as the title of this week’s contribution suggests? The answer is yes, and this is where EDI policies become essential. Thanks to technology, visually impaired people can now do jobs that they couldn’t do before. But four important elements are required.

First, we need to create workspaces that are conducive for such persons to work in. This requires creativity on the part of designers. A cluttered work environment would hinder a visually impaired person.

Another aspect where creativity is required is in job design. It is possible to design jobs that blind persons can do better than non-visually impaired people. These could be jobs that have an audio component.

Third, a change in attitude by employers and other employees is needed. As a friend of mine told me recently, people do not need tolerance but respect. Employers and employees should not be tolerating persons with disability as that would be disrespectful. Persons with disability of all types need to be welcomed and respected.

Fourth is making a distinction between qualifications and skills. We often take the easy way out and assume that qualifications bring with them certain skills. Experience has shown us they do not. They are not even proof of knowledge, as experience has also shown us.

A workplace beyond light is not a question of pity but a question of recognising talent, possibly where we do not know it exists. I have always expressed my view that Malta’s economic model needs to evolve. Such an evolution process also needs to take into account the effective inclusion of employees with disability.