eSight Members: Weed Out Workplace Paternalism
(New York City, NY - September 12, 2005)
It's time to weed out paternalism in the corporate world.
That's the message eSight members sent to employers this week in a new article currently featured in the Employer Resources section of eSight Careers Network - http://www.eSight.org
The article, "Weed Out Paternalism in the Workplace," is available at http://www.esight.org/View.cfm?x=1815
During August 2005, participants on eSight's "Swimming in the Mainstream" (SiM) blog talked about how individuals with a disability can best deal with paternalism on the job, and, in the process, they came up with some insight about what both employees and employers can do to both prevent and combat it.
In summarizing the group's comments for the Employer Resources article, Jim Hasse, eSight's senior content developer, called paternalism on the job "a weed which can sap your company's productivity and competitiveness because it chokes off the potential that employees with disabilities have for helping you effectively and efficiently serve customers.."
eSight's SiM bloggers noted paternalism flourishes under these three conditions: the employees lack of experience, the employees misguided approach toward disability and the employer's lack of awareness.
The Employer Resource article includes personal experiences from SiM bloggers to illustrate each of the three conditions which foster paternalism.
Jeremy, for instance, is visually impaired and operates Disability Solutions (see http://www.disabilitysolutions.co.za), which focuses on disability integration issues. He submitted this comment on the SiM blog:
"...I have definitely noticed this tendency to regard one as not quite adult. I know my business partner, Guy, who is a paraplegic, can relate to this, too...
"I have noticed a tendency with clients to being more cautious when making a decision about using our services. They are simply awed at having to deal with a person with a disability on the same level as they, particularly since they have no experience whatsoever (with disability) ... at their level in the organization...
"I was most annoyed recently when I was told that my training on disability awareness was too expensive. This in the face of the client having spent more on a diversity program which had left disability out..."
Available at http://www.tabinc.org/sim/, eSight's SiM blog is designed to help:
1. eSight members share their personal experiences as individuals with a disability in the workplace.
2. Job seekers showcase their accomplishments to prospective employers.
3. Employers expand their awareness of disability employment issues.
The blog is made possible by a grant the American Express Foundation has awarded to The Associated Blind, Inc.
The Associated Blind, Inc., a 66-year-old non-profit organization, has been providing members of eSight Careers Network opportunities to collaborate on disability employment issues through accessible online discussions and resource building since October 2000.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Source: The Associated Blind, Inc.
Contact: Nancy O'Connell, Executive Director
Tel: (+1) 212 683 4950
E-mail: MemberServices@eSightCareers.net
Online community: www.eSight.org
Blogs: http://www.tabinc.org/jsn/
http://www.tabinc.org/sim/
http://www.tabinc.org/blog/
2006-01-06 00:00:00
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