I have always had a physical disability; the result of childhood cancer. Despite my somewhat unusual gait, this handicap has never really slowed me down. However, I have always tried to minimize it. Not out of shame. But most certainly for fear that I will not be judged up to certain situations.
Posted at 10:00 a.m.
It is true that inclusion has become, in recent years, a decidedly fashionable concept. Events on the subject have multiplied. There is often talk of female inclusion and cultural diversity. Sometimes of sexual diversity. Rarely of body diversity or disability.
We are currently celebrating the Quebec Week of Persons with Disabilities. More than 16% of the Quebec population aged 15 and over has a disability. Not all disabilities are equal. Nevertheless, more than half of Quebecers who have a disability are employed.
And yet. They are practically absent from the professional models that we are offered.
After 20 years of active business life, it would still be impossible for me to name a single senior corporate executive with some form of disability.
It is clear that even today, it is difficult to celebrate and highlight disabled workers, who nevertheless contribute to the growth of companies, in the same way as we do with female role models or ethnocultural diversity. , for example. Fortunately, initiatives taken by a few daring companies, employer organizations such as the Quebec Employers Council and the Quebec government are slowly helping to lower the barriers.
The fact remains that disability, particularly physical, remains taboo. The individual who finds himself facing a handicapped person feels uneasy. Disability also arouses an emotion that other forms of diversity do not arouse: pity.
These emotions are the very proof that disability must be on the agenda of the discussions we have in our business circles. This is the first, unavoidable step in changing perceptions. We also need to give more visibility to successful models. This will be essential to have the inclusive society we dream of.
To unfold itself
My disability took on a greater dimension eight years ago, when new sequelae of cancer and its treatments appeared. At that time, I was a young professional, mother of two children, who was facing the already immense challenge of combining family and professional life. I now had to, in addition, mourn some of my abilities.
Human nature being what it is, I adapted. However, I realize with hindsight that I have long continued to minimize. Above all, I didn’t want the label “physically diminished” to be affixed over those of wife and mother that I already wore. Even though my work is intellectual work, I feared that people would be reluctant to give me certain professional responsibilities because my body was starting to fail.
And then one day I understood that, although my fears sometimes proved to be justified, I also had a responsibility: that of demonstrating that a disabled person is not necessarily a diminished person.
About a year and a half ago, as part of the Ensemble inc. movement, I made a commitment to share my story and finally make my disability visible in the workplace.
I decided to reveal this side of myself because I believe that our society — and our business community in particular — needs role models of people with disabilities who contribute to its advancement. Because I would have liked, in the first years of my career, to have models of professionals, workers and leaders with disabilities, who look like me and who succeed.
I am therefore taking advantage of the Quebec Week for Persons with Disabilities to claim my handicap and claim it. To stand tall, literally and figuratively, and proudly display the competent, intelligent and caring professional and manager that I am. Despite my disability and also because of it. To assume this responsibility that I have. that we all have.
I also urge all decision makers, leaders and senior business leaders who also have a disability of any kind to share their story. To counter the discomfort. No. To put the taboo to death. To instill confidence in those who are different like me. Like them.
And I invite all those who do not have one of these disabilities themselves to commit to promoting, celebrating and valuing those of others within their companies, just as they do for others. forms of diversity.
So that we can finally have a truly inclusive society and economy.