Disability in the chemical sciences
The diversity of disability and the need for active allyship.
浪花直播 should be welcoming and accessible to everyone. But, all too often, the experiences of disabled chemists and chemistry students are shaped by stigma and discrimination.
There is a pervasive lack of awareness and understanding of disability and accessibility throughout the chemical sciences sector.
Disabled employees often have to self-advocate for the adjustments they need to work comfortably and effectively. But, if organisations and institutions planned environments and processes with inclusion in mind, many barriers would be reduced or eliminated.
Embracing disability inclusion is not just a legal or moral obligation. It is a strategic decision that brings numerous benefits to employers, institutions, and society.
We鈥檙e here to help the chemical sciences community create a more open, sustainable and equal environment where everyone is welcome.
On this page, we share what we have learnt from those in our community with experience of disability. And we provide suggestions for how organisations and institutions can improve disability inclusion.
On this page
What do we mean by "disabled"?
Disability is a broad term encompassing many conditions, impairments, and differences. These can be mental, physical or both. Disability can be seen or unseen, lifelong or acquired, permanent, temporary or fluctuating.
The umbrella of disability covers:
- sensory and mobility impairments
- neurodivergence
- mental health conditions
- chronic illness
Each disabled person has their own unique experience, influenced by factors such as age, gender, race, ethnicity and culture, socio-economic status, and LGBT+ identity. These factors interact with disability to shape individuals鈥� experiences and the barriers they face.
Why we use the social model of disability
According to the social model, 鈥榙isability鈥� refers to the ways that socially constructed barriers are disabling towards people with impairments or differences. In contrast, the medical model views a person鈥檚 disability as arising from their condition or impairment, and sees the individual as someone who needs to be fixed or cured.
The social model highlights the importance of addressing societal structures and attitudes to create an inclusive and accessible environment for everyone. Other, more recently developed models aim to give a more holistic overview of different aspects of disabled experience. From our perspective as a leading voice in the chemical sciences, the social model is most useful for us to design interventions and actions that remove barriers and promote equality for disabled chemists.
The social model of disability 鈥� Shape Arts
Removing all barriers will be challenging. It requires a collective effort from governments, organisations, communities, and individuals. We can and must continue to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of workplace and study environments. In doing so, we will increase the diversity of people choosing and fulfilling their potential in the chemical sciences.
Who has contributed insights?
The insights on this page come from three years of dedicated work on disability and accessibility in the chemical sciences. Our members have played a crucial role in enriching our understanding of disabled experiences, especially:
Grant holders from our 2021 and 2022 Inclusion and Diversity Fund Special Calls, which funded 24 community-led projects to investigate and tackle the barriers facing disabled chemists
The participants of our two Disability and Accessibility Roundtables, who generously shared their lived and professional expertise. Their contributions helped us map the facets of disability exclusion in chemistry and identify ways to overcome them
We are grateful to everyone who contributed to our work in this area, including changemakers from many different backgrounds across industry, academia, and education.
Data sources
Our quantitative research findings are drawn from our Member Surveys in 2020 and 2022 and Pay and Reward Report 2021. Note that percentages are rounded and may not add up to 100%.
This publication contains data provided by Jisc Services Limited based on the HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency) Student and Staff record from 2017/18鈥�2021/22. Copyright Jisc 2023. Neither Jisc nor Jisc Services Limited can accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived by third parties from data or other information supplied by Jisc or Jisc Services Limited.
We also conducted a secondary data analysis using data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).
All numbers are rounded to the nearest five in accordance with
Student numbers are obtained from HESA student dataset by summing the full-time equivalent (FTE) numbers filtered by: 'Subject of study (Principal subject JACS 2)' = '(F1) 浪花直播' up until 2018/19 or 'Subject of study (CAH3)' = '(CAH07-02-01) chemistry' for 2019/20 onwards; 'Session population marker' = 鈥�'. 'Undergraduate' students refers to 'Level of study' = 'First degree', 'Foundation degree' or 'Other undergraduate' and 'PhD' refers to 'Level of study' = 'Doctorate'.
Staff numbers are obtained from HESA staff dataset by summing the full-time equivalent (FTE) numbers filtered by: 'Cost Centre' = '(113) 浪花直播'; 'Staff contract session population' = 'Contract counted within session population'; 'Academic employment function' = 'Academic contract that is teaching only' or 'Academic contract that is both teaching and research' or 'Academic contract that is neither teaching nor research' or 'Academic contract that is research only'.
Total staff numbers include staff at all contract levels. 'Professorial staff' comprise staff with 'Contract level (Full) (since 2012/13)' of 'Professor' or 'Senior Management' or 'Head of Schools/Senior Function head' or 'Function head'. 'Non-professorial staff' comprise staff with 'Contract level (Full) (since 2012/13)', which do not include these levels grouped as 'Professor' or 'Assistant professional staff, Administrative staff', 'Junior Administrative Staff, Clerical Staff, Technician/Craftsmen, Operative' or 'Routine task provider; Simple task provider'.
'Russell Group' and 'non-Russell Group' universities for students and staff have been determined by mapping 'HE provider' onto these groups.
For HESA staff data percentages with known disability are calculated as the percentage of those who replied 'Known disability' with respect to the total number of staff who replied either 'Known disability', or 'No known disability', or 'Unknown/Not available'.
Barriers to self-identification
Many people are unaware that their experience can be described in terms of disablement. For example, a person with a mental health condition or an older person with a physical impairment may not realise the label of disability can apply to them
- Some may not feel comfortable sharing that they are disabled for fear of discrimination
- A proportion may see little benefit of self-identifying
- Others may prefer not to identify with a label that is perceived so negatively by society
- Stigma, imposter syndrome, and a lack of disability awareness are all barriers to self-identifying with a disability
These barriers can prevent disabled people from seeking and getting the support they need to work and study in inclusive, enabling environments. They also highlight the complexity that surrounds the collection of accurate disability data.
Our work aims to foster a science culture that is inclusive and welcoming to all. We encourage positive self-identification with disability and are committed to challenging the stigma. But we also recognise that there will always be a gap between those described by "disability", those who identify with it, and those who choose to share that information. Irrespective of self-identification, our ultimate goal is to make the chemical sciences as accessible as possible for everyone.
How our community recognises their disability
Data from RSC Member Survey 2022
Just 4% of our members self-identify as disabled people. 10% of our members, however, said they "experience barriers or limitations in their day-to-day activities relating to a form of disability, long-term health condition or impairment" - meaning that up to 10% of our members may meet the legal definition of disability.
Data from 2022 RSC Member Survey, approx 17% of respondents preferred not to say or left blank
The number of RSC members sharing disability data is underrepresented compared to the UK baseline (). Data analysis from HESA also reflects this underrepresentation, both at student level and, even more starkly, at academic staff level:
HESA Student and Staff record from 2017/18 - 2021/22. Copyright Jisc 2023
浪花直播 students and academic staff identifying as disabled over the last five years
HESA Student and Staff record from 2017/18 - 2021/22. Copyright Jisc 2023
Download an accessible version of this graph
Students identifying as disabled
Our research also shows that mental health conditions and neurodivergence are increasingly represented among the chemistry student population.
A 2019 Royal Society report revealed a more than 1,000 percent increase over eleven years up to 2019 of STEM first degree entrants reporting a mental health condition.
These numbers may be the combined result of multiple factors, including:
- Increased sharing of disability information due to better awareness and decreased social stigma
- Better support enabling more students with mental health conditions to access university
- A greater number of students developing mental health conditions than in the past
However, other groups, such as students with physical, visual or hearing impairments, see little to no increase in numbers over the same period. It is clear that more research is needed to understand how inclusive university environments are for those with different access needs. We cannot assume that an overall increase in disabled student numbers represents progress for all disabled student
Intersectional disabled experiences
Disability intersects with other diversity characteristics in multiple ways, shaping individuals鈥� experiences and influencing how they navigate society.
When we cross-analysed disability with gender among respondents to our Member survey 2022, we found that:
- 14% of our members identifying as women also say they face barriers or limitations relating to a disability or health condition
- 10% of our members identifying as men say they face these barriers
- The proportion of non-binary or gender-diverse members identifying as disabled is higher at 33%. However, the small sample size prevents this from being statistically significant.
Our cross-analysis of disability and race among respondents to our Member Survey 2022 showed that members identifying as White were significantly more likely to identify as disabled than members identifying with all other racial groups:
- 13% of White members say they face disability- or health-related barriers, compared to between 4% and 8% of members from other racial groups.
We prefer to analyse specific groups on their own terms and transcend the notion of a White/non-White binary division. However, small sample sizes make it difficult to draw statistically significant conclusions.
Cross-analysing disability with sexual orientation shows some stark trends, but the sample sizes are small. However, we do notice a general trend among members who identified their sexual orientation under the LGBT+ umbrella. They are more likely to identify as disabled compared to those who identify as heterosexual.
Disability data is so complex that it鈥檚 hard to draw causal or fundamental conclusions from these trends. It is unclear whether certain groups are more likely to experience disability or are more likely to report their experience of it.
A recurring theme in our focus group discussions was the acknowledgment that access to medical diagnosis and treatment is influenced by race, gender, and sexuality. This underlines the case for moving away from medicalising disability in the workplace and education.
The burden of self-advocacy
Disabled people often encounter situations where they need to advocate for themselves to access a comfortable workplace or study environment. are one example.
This "burden of self-advocacy" can be particularly challenging for those who may already be dealing with the physical, emotional, or cognitive impacts of their disabilities.
The common requirement for medical evidence 鈥� sometimes specialist medical evidence or diagnosis 鈥� to access adjustments is a bigger obstacle than non-disabled people realise. It is a generally disproportionate check against system misuse that leaves many disabled people in limbo.
Some of our roundtable participants felt that the requirement for medical evidence represented an unnecessary invasion of their privacy. All agreed it reflected a lack of trust in disabled people鈥檚 authority over their experiences. A disabled person is best placed to determine 鈥� with professional support if they wish 鈥� what would make their working environment more accessible for them.
Medicalising disability disregards the social, cultural, and environmental facets. It reinforces the deficit model, which views the individual鈥檚 difference as the problem, not the environment that disables them.
Instead, employers and institutions should empower employees, staff, and students to advocate for the conditions they need to flourish. And the chemical sciences must design workspaces and practices with this human diversity in mind.
Necessary adjustments in the workplace
In the UK and many other countries, . Disability-related support in most workplaces happens primarily on a case-by-case basis. This framework aims to address individuals鈥� unique needs, but is not without its limitations, as reflected by our research participants.
Some workplace adjustments carry a cost to the employer, like making changes to buildings and providing hardware, software and equipment. But accessing adjustments can also present administrative and even financial hurdles for disabled individuals.
Employers may be hesitant to cover the costs of adjustments, especially if they have limited knowledge or understanding of the types of accommodations that disabled employees may require.
During our research, participants reported frustration with a lack of accountability for the cost of workplace adjustments- different departments would "pass the buck", leaving them in limbo. Wait times for or were sometimes prohibitive, and participants reported a lack of assessor expertise regarding science-specific activities such as laboratory work.
Medical evidence requirements also present an administrative and financial burden for the individual and their employer. For example, individuals may need to take time off work to attend additional medical appointments and can face extensive waiting lists.
The time and energy spent pursuing medical evidence and the likelihood of delay may affect work productivity and lead to missed opportunities or reduced performance. There may be associated costs which, in the UK, can range from paid GP letters to expensive private diagnostic routes. Our community reported that the combined impact of these factors far outweighs the cost of providing most workplace adjustments outright, without requiring medical evidence.
Disabled staff often have to navigate unclear and inconsistent processes to obtain adjustments. Many within our disabled community reported relying on informal arrangements or failing to access support.
Employers and organisations can remove these barriers by:
- Involving disabled employees and staff in creating clearly defined processes and policies that impact them. This approach would help prevent any discriminatory practices and ensure that policies are inclusive and accessible to everyone
- Effectively communicating processes and policies to all employees. Be clear about employees鈥� rights, accommodations, and support they are entitled to. This supports consistency in how all employees are treated
- Encourage feedback from disabled employees to ensure their voices are heard and their needs are met
- Better training for managers on disability awareness and adjustments so that they can support their disabled colleagues. (Educating all employees on disability awareness and etiquette will help to create a culture where disability is seen as just one aspect of diversity)
- Not solely relying on medical evidence to make adjustments for disabled employees - accessibility is an organisational asset, not a burden
Useful links
Some adjustments require ongoing inclusive practice, such as communication support, or flexible working hours.
In the case of ongoing adjustments, disabled staff rely on consistent, inclusive practice from managers, supervisors and colleagues. This means disabled chemists can become reliant on particular individuals, especially where there is a general lack of disability awareness. As a result, they can suffer if there is a change in reporting line.
It's key that organisations demystify lines of accountability and support for obtaining adjustments, and that training is implemented widely to facilitate a whole-organisation approach to disability inclusivity.
The layout and design of laboratory spaces are often inaccessible for disabled chemists and chemistry students.
For example:
- doorways and turning spaces can be too narrow, and work benches and equipment too high for wheelchair users
- the sensory environment of a lab can be overwhelming for some neurodivergent people 鈥� for example, strong odours, loud or persistent noises and bright lights can cause sensory overload
- accessible toilets are sometimes an unreasonable distance away
- equipment and fixtures may not be suitable for use by those with mobility, dexterity or strength impairments
- visual only or audio only information (for example alarms without a flashing light element or vice versa) poses an access issue for those with sensory impairments
- Several community projects offer knowledge and resources to support the development of accessible labs.
Useful links
- 鈥� Journal of Chemical Education, ACS
Digital accessibility principles often align with good design practices, leading to better user experiences for everyone.
However, many websites and applications are not designed with accessibility in mind. They may lack appropriate coding, navigation options, or alternative text for images. This makes them difficult or impossible for some disabled people to use.
Our research shows that submission systems, digital collaborative tools and more specialist software still need to be made available for many in our community. We are reviewing our own resources and systems to improve accessibility. If you notice an area we should improve on please get in touch using the contact details on this page.
Useful links
- 鈥� UK Government
- 鈥� Worldwide Web Consortium (WC3)
It can be difficult for our disabled community to access support when not in stable employment or a formal education setting.
For example, students may require support with job hunting during their transition to full-time employment.
We created two open-access webinar series to share expert guidance on navigating the barriers of disability and mental health:
These include a with guidance on how to make recruitment and onboarding more accessible and attract disabled talent.
Career progression and job satisfaction
The disparities in pursuing a career in the chemical sciences result in a loss of promising talent from our sector.
HESA data shows a significant drop-off in disabled chemists at undergraduate and graduate levels who then move into academic employment. In the academic year 2021/2022, only 5.6% of academic staff in chemistry had a known disability, compared to an estimated 23% of the working-age population ().
Our HESA data analysis shows a disparity in disabled representation between Russell Group and non-Russell Group universities.
Percentage of students with a known disability (2021 - 2022), 15 percent at Russell Group universities and 17 percent at other universities. HESA Student and Staff record from 2021/22. Copyright Jisc 2023
As we reported in Missing Elements this trend is comparable with that of chemists from Black and minoritised ethnic backgrounds. Black and Asian chemistry students are less likely to study at a Russell Group university than their White peers. This puts underrepresented groups at a further disadvantage because the more research-intensive Russell Group institutions provide greater opportunities to gain high quality research experience.
During our roundtable discussions, participants noted that these inequalities are present at earlier stages of education. One example cited was the lack of chemistry teaching resources at Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) schools.
Our analyses of 2021鈥�22 HESA data on disability and gender show a complex picture. A more straightforward 'leaky pipeline' appears for disabled chemists from minoritised ethnic backgrounds.
Gender
Female undergraduates with a known disability are overrepresented in comparison to female undergraduates as a whole, which aligns with our membership data finding that women are more likely than men to identify as disabled. Female disabled chemists appear to face a steeper decrease than average through doctoral study into non-professorial academic roles. But at professorial level, women鈥檚 representation is reduced in all chemistry professors compared to professors with a known disability. As noted above, the complexities associated with disability data and self-identification can impede our ability to interpret quantitative data, and further research into intersectional disabled experiences is needed to clarify this picture.
Number of students and staff with a known disability in UK HE chemistry departments by gender. HESA Student and Staff record from 2021/22. Copyright Jisc 2023
Download an accessible version of this graph
Ethnicity
Because HESA anonymisation methodology rounds numbers to the nearest five, any number less than 2.5 is rounded down to zero. According to this anonymisation methodology, 2021-22 HESA data shows that, for all non-White ethnicities, there are so few chemistry professors with a known disability that the numbers round down to zero.
As well as demonstrating the compounding impacts of 'double marginalisation' of disability and ethnicity, this also means that disabled students from minoritised ethnic backgrounds are unable to encounter role models who 'look like them' and have personal understanding of their lived experience.
Number of students and staff with a known disability in UK HE chemistry departments by ethnicity, see link for full accessible version of stats. HESA Student and Staff record from 2021/22. Copyright Jisc 2023.
Our Pay and Reward Survey 2021 revealed that disabled chemists are less likely than non-disabled chemists to feel that their pay is fair for the work they do.
Other factors contribute to this inequality as well as the stigma and discrimination in the hiring and promotion processes. In industry, for example, disabled chemists can feel they have to sacrifice higher paid opportunities in favour of prioritising necessary benefits, such as adequate cover for sick leave.
The survey also showed that disabled chemists were less likely to have high levels of decision-making power in their jobs:
- Only 5% of respondents who said they had executive authority were disabled
- 19% of all respondents who said they had the least decision-making power were disabled
- While 55% of non-disabled respondents said their role included supervisory responsibilities, this drops to 40% for disabled respondents.
These trends are also reflected in the area of budget responsibility:
- 37% of disabled respondents said they had budgetary responsibilities as part of their role, compared with 51% of non-disabled respondents.
Aspiring disabled chemists are caught in a self-perpetuating cycle that holds them back. The less experience they have of greater responsibility, the less likely they are to advance to positions of greater responsibility.
Our roundtables underlined that stigma and direct discrimination remain prevalent; training, accountability checks, and other initiatives to combat the impact of these in decision-making processes are crucial.
But it鈥檚 not as straightforward as changing hearts and minds; there are deeply-embedded material and structural barriers in place for disabled chemists in their careers. As well as tackling implicit bias, organisations need to break down systemic barriers and actively create opportunities for disabled individuals to showcase their skills and leadership potential.
How our disabled and non-disabled members feel about their pay. RSC Pay and Reward Survey 2021 data
Providing flexible working options for disabled workers is a win-win for employees and employers. Allowing employees to work when they are most productive can optimise the performance of an organisation鈥檚 workforce.
Employees are more likely to feel supported and valued by their employer if they can work flexibly. This fosters a sense of loyalty and commitment, reducing turnover rates and recruitment costs.
Sadly, this is not the experience of many disabled chemists. Our roundtable participants stressed difficulties associated with workload expectations. This is a particular issue in academia and for early career researchers where the pressure to publish is high ("publish or perish").
Those who cannot work long hours (due to a chronic illness, for example) suffer from a culture of overwork and a lack of part-time, remote, and flexible working opportunities, both in industry and academia.
Within the chemistry student community, we see a disparity between those disabled students choosing part-time versus full-time. Our analysis of 2021/2022 HESA data shows that disabled students made up 21.7% of the part-time student population (including all levels of study) compared to 15.7% of full-time students. This disparity is reflected in chemistry careers as well.
In our 2022 Member Survey, 25% of respondents working part-time in academia were disabled, compared to nine percent working full-time. Outside academia, eleven percent of respondents working full-time are disabled, rising to fifteen percent of respondents working part-time, and 22% of respondents with another self-described working pattern.
By offering a variety of working patterns, organisations and institutions can create a more inclusive and supportive environment for staff. This will increase their appeal to a wider pool of candidates and help retain employees who might otherwise seek opportunities elsewhere that better align with their work-life needs.
Networking and professional development environments pose barriers for many disabled chemists.
Our Accessibility Grants provide funding to address the additional costs arising for many, such as extra travel and accommodation costs or to pay an interpreter. But this bottom-up approach must be matched by a top-down commitment to making these events more accessible. Event organisers must anticipate the needs of delegates, such as communication support, rest breaks, comfortable seating and step-free access.
Useful links:
The financial burdens
Living as a disabled person can entail various financial burdens. These can vary depending on the type of care, support or tools needed, and on access to public or job-based funding to support these needs.
The or "disability tax" represents the extra expenses incurred by disabled people to have the same standard of living as a non-disabled person. For example, an individual may need to use wheelchair-accessible taxis, home delivery services, or pay for housekeeping or personal care. Bills may be more expensive for those who need electrical equipment. Healthcare expenses compound these extra living costs, as do reduced earning potential and professional development costs.
The Chemists鈥� Community Fund provides holistic support to RSC members facing financial difficulties. But funders and employers need to make structural changes to mitigate these barriers. We need a broader review of the structures available to support disabled chemists. For example, a lack of assessors with the necessary scientific expertise compounds long waiting times for financial aid, such as the Disabled Students鈥� Allowance and Access to Work.
We believe positive targeted action, such as ring-fencing funding for disabled researchers, should be considered. And, sources of funding need to be established to address the barriers we have highlighted, such as the design of accessible laboratories.
Organisational culture and disability awareness
The impact of organisations and institutions on disabled people is multifaceted. Unfortunately, some organisations may perpetuate discrimination or stigmatisation against disabled individuals. This can manifest as bias in hiring decisions and limited opportunities for career progression. Discrimination can also be indirect: if policies and systems are not inclusively designed, they may put disabled people at a specific disadvantage.
The participants in our roundtable shared their personal experiences, highlighting how stigma and discrimination have shaped their lives.
Many expressed the negative impact of assumptions based on a "deficit" model of disability where the focus is on an individual鈥檚 perceived weaknesses or limitations. They emphasised the importance of promoting the social model. This helps focus on creating a disability-inclusive environment and recognises the unique strengths that disabled chemists bring when given equal opportunities to participate fully.
A general lack of disability awareness means disabled chemists can face barriers in the form of unquestioned norms and practices. Participants expressed their frustration with encountering outdated practices defended by the argument of 鈥渨e鈥檝e always done it this way鈥�, even when those practices excluded disabled people. Examples included needlessly exclusionary health and safety policies, and the predominance of assessments requiring immediate recall and processing of information (such as exams and interviews), which could unfairly disadvantage many.
Disabled people often become pioneers for change in their organisations simply by pushing for the adjustments they need. Unfortunately, in some cases, they are treated as antagonistic rather than an asset to their organisation.
This burden of self-advocacy could diminish if institutions and organisations made inclusion and diversity a strategic priority. Recognising and rewarding disabled people鈥檚 contributions to inclusion in the workplace sends a strong message that an organisation values inclusion, diversity and equality.
There are broader perceptions to challenge too. When it comes to chemistry as a career, research participants cited the "one path" assumption as a barrier. This is the assumption that there is only one traditional (laboratory-based) route to working in the chemical sciences. However, our roundtable participants generally felt that this assumption was diminishing and that a greater diversity of chemistry careers was becoming highlighted.
Disabled role models 鈥� at all career stages 鈥� would help to demonstrate diverse careers within the chemical sciences. For example, the showcases the many ways neurodivergent STEM professionals contribute to science.
Inequalities in academic funding structures disproportionately impact disabled chemists.
In Breaking the Barriers, we reported several factors that impact women鈥檚 retention and progression in the chemical sciences. These barriers also impact people with disabilities:
- funding eligibility criteria
- the dominance of short-term contracts
- a "publish or perish" culture characterised by narrow definitions of scientific excellence.
For disabled chemists as well those with caring responsibilities (disproportionately women), additional challenges arise, such as a lack of provision for extended leave if their health or caring requires it and inadequate support upon returning to research after a career break. On top of these issues, research funding rarely provides for those who need to work part-time or flexibly. Our participants described how this can lead to burnout when disabled researchers push themselves to work according to non-disabled norms.
Actions for employers and institutions
There are steps that employers and institutions can take to create significant, positive change for disabled people.
Fostering a supportive work environment for disabled staff benefits the individuals and enhances overall employee well-being and morale. Employees who feel valued, respected and supported are more likely to be engaged, productive and satisfied in their roles.
Employers who embrace the strengths and capabilities of disabled employees can harness their potential and benefit from their unique contributions.
Inclusive workplaces are beneficial to everyone, not just those with a disability.
Disability is a broad term that covers a multitude of conditions, impairments and differences. Environments, systems, and processes should be designed with disabled people in mind. This can only be achieved by including the voices and perspectives of disabled people in decision-making processes that directly impact them.
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Disabled people鈥檚 input contributes to developing more effective and relevant solutions that address the real challenges they face. Their perspectives can lead to innovations in accessibility, assistive technology, and inclusive design. This collaborative approach builds trust, increases employee engagement, and enhances an organisation鈥檚 reputation.
Many factors contribute to the burden of self-advocacy disabled chemists face. Bureaucracy, unclear processes, and the need for medical evidence make life so much harder for disabled people.
As we have seen, the individual accommodations model burdens the individual to request and advocate for specific adjustments. Employers can ease this burden by adopting a more inclusive and accessible model. Below are some suggestions that could make a big difference to disabled employees and staff.
- Streamline the accommodation process. Establish clear procedures and designated personnel for handling accommodation requests. If an employee shares that they are disabled, offer occupational health support upfront to help determine what adjustments might benefit them.
- Proactive communication. As an example, a job advert could explain how the organisation makes adjustments for disabled candidates. Our webinar on supporting disabled employees offers more recommendations on inclusive hiring practices.
- Universal design. Design workplaces and policies to be accessible as possible to a diversity of people. Some initial support to help with this can be found in these accessibility resources.
- Training and awareness. Educate all employees about disability inclusion, etiquette, and the importance of allyship in creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace.
Discrepancies between the number of people who meet the legal definition of disability and those who share that information can make disability data difficult to interpret.
However, by understanding the barriers to data sharing, employers can make progress with disability inclusion. For example, people are more likely to share information about their disability if they are confident they will be met with understanding and a willingness to support. This collaborative approach creates an environment of trust vital for better data collection and decision-making.
We encourage organisations to use our standardised diversity questions to set benchmarks for measuring improvement and increasing accountability. Adopting this approach will help everyone in our community to understand the landscape of disability in the chemical sciences.
Our community agreed that networking, peer support, and mentoring are vital for helping them to navigate the barriers they face.
Organisations should support and resource disability-focused networking events and staff networks.
Mentoring can enhance an individual鈥檚 skills, boost confidence, and provide valuable insights and advice specific to their unique challenges and needs. It also encourages the development of a talented and diverse workforce. The training for our mentoring scheme includes guidance on making mentoring accessible and how to discuss issues relating to disability. We encourage disabled chemists at later career stages to consider becoming mentors as they are currently underrepresented.
Useful links:
- 鈥� a network for disabled scientists (set up with support from the RSC Inclusion and Diversity Fund).
- 鈥� a super-network connecting disabled staff networks with an active STEMM action group.
Resources for employers and institutions
Resources
Tools, guidance, frameworks, funding and recognition opportunities, and other resources to support you in your own setting.
If you are aware of a resource that would be valuable more widely, please do share it with us so we can consider including it here.
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