For years, Stripy Lightbulb CIC has advocated for greater inclusion of people living with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (M.E./C.F.S.) in the workplace. Since 2018, we have worked to ensure that the minority who are able to work receive the reasonable adjustments and support they need to have equal opportunities alongside their non-disabled peers. Yet, despite widespread awareness of diversity, equity, and inclusion (widely known as DEI), businesses have consistently demonstrated a reluctance to include disability within these efforts.
While DEI discussions have gained significant traction over the years, particularly in response to social movements and workplace reform initiatives, disability remains the most overlooked aspect. Employers, rather than adapting existing policies or making accommodations, often choose to let staff go or avoid hiring chronically sick or disabled staff altogether. This trend is particularly troubling at a time when anti-DEI rhetoric is gaining momentum, especially in the United States. However, amidst the pushback against DEI initiatives, disability is not even mentioned—further proof that it has always been an afterthought in workplace inclusion efforts.
Even when DEI policies reached peak popularity, disability inclusion remained on the fringes. It was often perceived as too difficult to implement, too costly, or simply not a priority. Companies might have updated their websites with statements about diversity and accessibility, but in practice, the structural changes required to make workplaces truly inclusive for disabled employees were rarely realised.
A simple test of this exclusion can be seen in current discussions about DEI. In the past three weeks alone, how many times has disability been explicitly mentioned in mainstream DEI conversations? Discussions about diversity often revert to topics surrounding race, gender, and sexual orientation—important issues, certainly, but ones that still fail to acknowledge the unique challenges faced by disabled individuals. The shift back to conversations centred on “straight white men” in anti-DEI discourse further highlights this exclusion. Chronic illness and disability are rarely, if ever, considered in these narratives, leaving disabled individuals entirely out of the equation.
It is disheartening to see that even in discussions about exclusion, we find ourselves excluded. The workplace remains a challenging environment for chronically sick and disabled individuals, and without explicit and ongoing advocacy, their needs will continue to be ignored. This is why it is critical for businesses and policymakers worldwide to recognize that DEI cannot be truly effective unless it includes all marginalised groups—disability included.
To the rest of the world: please continue pushing for greater inclusion for ALL. Let’s not allow disability, in the midst of the mass disabling event that is the COVID19 pandemic, to be the first thing dropped in the fight for equality.
