LEARNING DISABILITIES ON THE JOB

A recently promoted employee looked up from her desk to see her supervisor standing in front of her and holding the first report she had completed in her new role as a senior management executive.

"Susan," the supervisor huffed. "The content is stellar us usual, but the spelling and grammar are atrocious! I expected better from someone who speaks so well."

"Bill, I told you when you first offered me this new position that I would probably need some help with the writing part of the job."

Susan’s job performance had always been lauded by colleagues as being nothing less than superb and she was well like by co-workers. She had compensated for her dysgraphia (writing disorder) with incredible business acumen and visionary thinking, and had always been considered an indispensable asset to her team. After a few years of enthusiastic hard work, Susan’s efforts were rewarded with a much-deserved promotion. The change in job demanded a level of writing skills that up until then, Susan had been able to avoid.

After clarifying her exact needs, arrangements were made for Susan to receive voice dictation software, spelling and grammar checkers. Her confidence improved dramatically and so did her report writing. Her supervisor considered the $650 cost of the accommodation a very worthwhile investment.

Susan is but one person in the estimated five-to-ten percent of the population – up to 1.2 million people in Ontario alone – affected by learning disabilities (LD). Included among successful people with LD are business leaders such as William Hewlett (Hewlett-Packard), Charles Schwab and actress Whoopi Goldberg. By creating inclusive work environment, employers are in a unique position to incorporate diversity initiatives into their hiring strategies, broaden their labour pools and enhance productivity by utilizing the unique talents of a vastly untapped and undervalued community.

WHAT ARE LEARNING DISABILITIES?

"Learning disabilities" is the collective term used to describe a wide range of information processing disorders that may affect auditory, visual or organizational abilities. Perhaps the best-known of these is dyslexia (reading disorders), but others can include auditory processing problems, visual-spatial difficulties or working memory deficits. Employees with LD have proven themselves to be extremely hardworking, persistent employees who are creative problems solvers. In fact, a large corporation’s surveys of its employees showed that a vast majority of those with disabilities rated average or above average in performance and attendance.

And yet, because of its hidden nature and wide-ranging manifestations, LD remains a confusing condition, shrouded in myths and misperceptions. People with learning disabilities are not incompetent, clumsy or lazy. They do not have intellectual disabilities. People with LD possess average to above-average intelligence, but remain hampered by challenges isolated to specific areas of performance.

POSSIBLE INDICATORS OF LD IN THE WORKPLACE

• A computer programmer with an exemplary track record may often get lost on the way to work.
• A skilled apprentice mechanic who quickly solves problems, seems to have trouble understanding written instructions or work orders given to him by his boss.
• An accountant with excellent attention to detail may not be able to understand social and non-verbal cues.
• A receptionist with outstanding interpersonal skills may not be able to accurately route phone calls to the appropriate extension.

These are just some of the ways LD can manifest on any job. Because we live in a time-challenged society that operates on a series of assumptions, we often don’t take the time to consider other potential explanations for behaviour that seems incongruous with our expectations. If a person does not read well, we question intelligence. If we speak clearly or at a louder pitch, we assume the listener understands. A worker with LD may be a high performer with numerous strengths, but may also demonstrate inconsistencies in work outcomes or behaviour. It would be wise to consider the presence of a learning disability if aspects of job performance are unreliable. With assistance, and appropriate support strategies, many workers can compensate for these difficulties.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Peter, a construction worker with a reading disability needed to pass a test on interpreting blueprints in order to receive a promotion. After finally disclosing the disability to his instructor, he was granted extra time and a volunteer to read the exam questions to him, all at no cost to the employer. Peter’s subsequent success resulted in a new position with increased pay and growth opportunities.

"Accommodations" are often cost-effective adjustments, either to the work environment or job description, which allow the employee with LD to perform the essential tasks of a job.

Accommodations are a legal requirement under the Ontario Human Rights Code and should be available to all employees with disabilities and candidates going through the selection process, unless to do so causes undue financial hardship to the employer.

Fatima, a business journalist with auditory memory problems, had to report on meetings for a weekly online column. She was granted the right to use a tape recorder during meetings (at a cost of $120) and extra time to complete her stories so that she could listen to the tape and make notes. Her articles reflected the added attention to detail.

Azam, who had problems with sequencing, obtained a position as a clerk in a busy office. When he encountered difficulties filing information in correct alpha-numeric order, he was provided with a filing stick, or "sort-all" (at a cost of $25), and this greatly enhanced his productivity and organizational skills.

Accommodations are creative solutions that enable an employer to enhance work performance by implementing techniques such as:

• Providing information on tape, through written instruction or e-mail to employees with auditory processing problems.
• Breaking tasks into chunks with tightly structured time frames for workers who may have issues with sequencing information, memory or organization.
• Enabling staff who are easily distracted due to their disability, to work independently in a quiet location.
• Offering mentoring programs, which partner existing staff to new employees with LD, to offer guidance, support and occasional assistance with specific tasks, such as proofreading.

When two departments were merged, the performance of Bev, a long time employee, faltered. She was struggling to master the new database system, even after the standard training sessions. The employer arranged additional one-on-one training on the new system with a co-worker who was experienced with the database. With this accommodation (costing some additional time of her co-worker), Bev gained confidence and was successful.

It is worth noting that in some cases, accommodations may not even be required. Many employees with LD have already identified performance gaps and have successfully developed strategies to compensate for these problem areas. While accommodations should always be determined in conjunction with an employee, employers may find it helpful to conduct a thorough job analysis to assess if the skills and cognitive demands, considered necessary to perform a job, are in fact essential. Outcomes of this analysis will help determine training and performance requirements as well.

DISCLOSURE

Some of the most successful accommodations depend on disclosure of the disability, which is challenging for some job seekers, since they may fear rejection or reprisals because of misconceptions about LD. Employers can do much to proactively promote diversity by using statements such as "we are an equal opportunity employer" on company literature and job advertisements, and by asking if accommodations may be required at the application, screening or interview stages, or before training or performance evaluations. If the worker or potential employee feels assured that disclosing a disability can be done comfortably in a welcoming environment, this will provide the foundation for a productive and mutually rewarding working relationship.

A BUSINESS CASE

By consciously incorporating the hiring, promotion and accommodation of workers with LD into a company’s business strategy, employers will benefit from increased brand loyalty and the array of contributions made by a diverse workforce. People with disabilities are responsible for an estimated $25 billion in annual customer spending power in Canada alone, and companies recognized as having inclusive hiring policies are more likely to attract customers with both disabilities and purchasing power. Businesses who promote diversity will be able to rightfully promote themselves as socially progressive key players in a highly competitive market place that struggles to attract and retain the best and brightest workers.

It’s something we can all benefit from.

RESOURCES