Celebrating (Dis)abilities in the Workplace
My third Daily Cal Orientation
Implicit and explicit bias
In the quest for a more equitable and inclusive society, it is crucial to understand the different forms of bias that influence our attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors toward individuals or groups, particularly those with autism. Bias can broadly be categorized into implicit (unconscious) and explicit (conscious) bias, both of which play significant roles in perpetuating inequality and discrimination.
Implicit Bias
Implicit (unconscious) bias, refers to automatic and unintentional attitudes or stereotypes that individuals hold about certain groups, even when they are unaware of these biases. These biases are deeply ingrained in our subconscious minds and can influence our actions and decisions without conscious awareness. For example, a person may hold implicit biases that lead them to associate certain racial groups with negative traits or behaviors, despite consciously believing in equality and fairness.
In the context of autism, implicit biases can manifest in various ways:
Healthcare: Healthcare providers might unconsciously underestimate the pain or discomfort expressed by autistic individuals, leading to inadequate care or misdiagnosis. Implicit biases can affect clinical judgments and patient interactions, often resulting in suboptimal healthcare outcomes for autistic individuals (van Ryn & Fu, 2003).
Education: Educators might unconsciously hold lower expectations for autistic students, impacting their educational opportunities and achievements. Implicit biases can lead to autistics kept in segregated special education rather than mainstreamed or differential treatment in the classroom, affecting the quality of education that autistic students receive.
Employment: Implicit biases in hiring processes can result in autistic candidates being overlooked for job opportunities, despite having the necessary qualifications. This perpetuates high unemployment rates among autistic adults and limits their economic independence.
Recognizing and addressing implicit bias is essential for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion across all areas of society. Tools such as the Implicit Association Test (IAT) can help individuals identify their unconscious biases, enabling them to take steps toward mitigating these biases in their interactions and decisions.
Explicit Bias
Explicit (conscious) bias, on the other hand, is deliberate prejudice or discrimination against specific groups of people. Unlike implicit bias, explicit bias is readily recognized by the individual holding these beliefs. For instance, an individual openly expressing discriminatory attitudes or engaging in discriminatory behaviors toward people of a certain ethnicity demonstrates explicit bias.
Explicit bias against autistic individuals can take many forms:
Hate Speech and Discrimination: Autistic individuals might face overt discrimination or bullying in social, educational, or workplace settings. This can lead to increased social isolation, anxiety, and depression among those affected.
Discriminatory Policies: Explicit biases can influence the creation and implementation of policies that disadvantage autistic individuals. For example, policies that do not provide adequate accommodations in schools or workplaces can limit the opportunities available to autistic people.
Stigma and Stereotyping: Explicit biases contribute to the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes about autism, such as the belief that autistic individuals are incapable of contributing meaningfully to society. These stereotypes can negatively affect the self-esteem and mental health of autistic individuals and hinder their social integration.
Addressing Bias in Autism
Both implicit and explicit biases are important to understand and address to promote a more equitable and inclusive society for autistic individuals. Here are some steps that can be taken:
Education and Awareness: Raising awareness about autism and the biases that affect autistic individuals can help reduce both implicit and explicit biases. Educational programs and campaigns can challenge stereotypes and promote understanding and acceptance.
Policy and Advocacy: Advocating for policies that support the rights and needs of autistic individuals is essential. This includes ensuring access to appropriate healthcare, education, and employment opportunities.
Training and Development: Providing training for professionals in healthcare, education, and other fields can help them recognize and address their biases. This can lead to more equitable treatment and better outcomes for autistic individuals.
Community Engagement: Engaging with the autism community and including autistic voices in decision-making processes can ensure that their needs and perspectives are considered. This promotes a more inclusive society where autistic individuals are valued and respected.
By understanding and addressing both implicit and explicit biases, we can work towards a society that is truly inclusive and equitable for all individuals, including those with autism.
References
- van Ryn, M., & Fu, S. S. (2003). Paved with good intentions: Do public health and human service providers contribute to racial/ethnic disparities in health?. American Journal of Public Health, 93(2), 248-255.
- Project Implicit. (n.d.). About the IAT. Retrieved from Project Implicit
DSM-5 Diagnostic Statistical Manual
The DSM-5, a diagnostic tool published by the American Psychiatric Association, classifies autism as a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction, along with restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities.
PlainSpeak: The DSM-5, a guide used by doctors to diagnose mental health conditions, defines autism as a condition where people have challenges with social interactions and communication, and often have specific, repetitive behaviors or interests.
Related Posts [DSM],[ICD],[RDoc],[Measures],[Diagnosis]
Lives Worth Living
Lecture 1 of my first Disability Studies Class at UC Berkeley with Prof Victor Pineda.
The disability rights movement was inspired by the civil rights and gender equality movements and drew on many of their tactics, especially that of civil disobedience.
The sit-in in the rotunda was a masterful stroke, and more so tying themselves to their wheelchairs and to each other, so as to prevent forcible removal. It is definitely not easy for a cop to lift both a person and a heavy motorized wheelchair. I can imagine that the image of disabled individuals dragging themselves up the steps did not sit well with lawmakers, especially since it was televised and drew the attention of a national audience.
No laws get passed without the support of lawmakers and in a way it was fortunate that the Kennedy family had a personal stake in the issue along with a few other well-wishing lawmakers. Robert Kennedy was able to end large institutions by exposing the appalling practices at places like Willowbrook in NY. Though he had not intended to, President G.W Bush ended up being a proponent of the movement and declaring, “let the wall of exclusion come tumbling down.”
I liked the movement’s clear message of, “nothing about us without us,” and that the change had to happen “now.” For too long, the non-disabled had decided what was best for the disabled, a very paternalistic attitude. A non-deaf president of Gallaudet University for the deaf was forced to step down, which added momentum to the movement. Incidentally, the director of Disability Services at San Jose City College is deaf.
Early on, the disabled had realized that there was strength in numbers and came together as a community instead of each disability acting for its particular interests. Clearly, as a very large group, their tireless efforts did help get laws passed.
Since the movie laws like IDEA have passed which has addressed both physical and intellectual access. The disability movement which started with physical disabilities grew to include developmental, intellectual and other forms of disabilities.
However, implementation of the law is still lax and societal attitudes have not caught up. I have experienced a pervasive culture of low expectations by special educators and a reluctance to mainstream despite the underlying principles of LRE and FAPE in IDEA. In high scoring districts like those in south bay, the reluctance is also fueled by parents of typical kids who do not want their high-achieving, kid’s education to be distracted by the presence of disabled kids in the classroom. The result is the large numbers or special education classrooms rather than mainstreaming a great majority of those kids. It ends up limiting their opportunities in life.
I have been fortunate that Cal is such an accepting place. I wonder about my life after Cal, would ADA give enough protections or would I be presumed incompetent or an economic burden yet again.
Lives Worth Living
The disability rights movement was inspired by the civil rights and gender equality movements and drew on many of their tactics, especially that of civil disobedience.
The sit-in in the rotunda was a masterful stroke, and more so tying themselves to their wheelchairs and to each other, so as to prevent forcible removal. It is definitely not easy for a cop to lift both a person and a heavy motorized wheelchair. I can imagine that the image of disabled individuals dragging themselves up the steps did not sit well with lawmakers, especially since it was televised and drew the attention of a national audience.
No laws get passed without the support of lawmakers and in a way it was fortunate that the Kennedy family had a personal stake in the issue along with a few other well-wishing lawmakers. Robert Kennedy was able to end large institutions by exposing the appalling practices at places like Willowbrook in NY. Though he had not intended to, President G.W Bush ended up being a proponent of the movement and declaring, “let the wall of exclusion come tumbling down.”
I liked the movement’s clear message of, “nothing about us without us,” and that the change had to happen “now.” For too long, the non-disabled had decided what was best for the disabled, a very paternalistic attitude. A non-deaf president of Gallaudet University for the deaf was forced to step down, which added momentum to the movement. Incidentally, the director of Disability Services at San Jose City College is deaf.
Early on, the disabled had realized that there was strength in numbers and came together as a community instead of each disability acting for its particular interests. Clearly, as a very large group, their tireless efforts did help get laws passed.
Since the movie laws like IDEA have passed which has addressed both physical and intellectual access. The disability movement which started with physical disabilities grew to include developmental, intellectual and other forms of disabilities.
However, implementation of the law is still lax and societal attitudes have not caught up. I have experienced a pervasive culture of low expectations by special educators and a reluctance to mainstream despite the underlying principles of LRE and FAPE in IDEA. In high scoring districts like those in south bay, the reluctance is also fueled by parents of typical kids who do not want their high-achieving, kid’s education to be distracted by the presence of disabled kids in the classroom. The result is the large numbers or special education classrooms rather than mainstreaming a great majority of those kids. It ends up limiting their opportunities in life.
I have been fortunate that Cal is such an accepting place. I wonder about my life after Cal, would ADA give enough protections or would I be presumed incompetent or an economic burden yet again.
Disability in Society
A presentation for my Community Planning and Public Policy for Disabilities Class in Wurster Hall.
Reflection: The Role of Disability in Society by Jaeger
The author emphasizes that disability is a social construct, which makes its impact all the more significant. This social construct can be seen in terminology that reflects societal attitudes and changes. Disability is often the master status that defines the individual. I am uniquely Hari who also happens to have Autism. Autism should not be the sum total of who I am.
This master status impacts the way the disabled are treated. It reinforces stereotypes, exclusion, oppression, hostility, feigned concern, over-romanticism, sentimentality, indifference, and marginalization. It presumes incompetence in the workplace or some kind of economic burden on the employer. Even with laws like ADA in place, only 25% of the disabled are employed. The unemployment rate is 70% compared to 5% in the non-disabled population.
An irony is that many typical people are willing to support equal rights for minority groups based on race, gender, sexual orientation etc. Yet there is social distancing when it comes to disability. Disability is seen as distressing with varying levels of reactions depending on the nature of the disability.
When enough people in a society try to classify a set of people they come up with ways to exclude them socially and legally. Even the founding fathers thought we disabled just needed to be taken care of. The supreme court has time and again, taken a narrow interpretation of disability protection laws even as they have allowed for a broad interpretation in other laws.
The disabled need to be part of the decisions made about them, both individually and as a group. Historically this has not been so. Even media images are guided by non-disabled people. The 7 negative stereotypes about the disabled that continue to perpetuate in the media are - pitiful and pathetic; supercrip; sinister, evil, and criminal; better off dead; maladjusted and their own worst enemy; burden; and unable to live a successful life.
The world is built to cater to the needs of the abled perspective. They have no idea of the everyday challenges of the disabled in trying to navigate this environment. The social perspective sees disability as the result of an unsuitable environment, a kind of Disablism. Hence the need for social justice. If the environment is changed through laws and social norms, the disability lessens.
The idea of access is both physical and intellectual. Physical access is the architectural access along with a dose of dignity. A wheelchair user should not have to use a separate ramp or elevator at the back of the building. The spatial aspects of enablement in Pineda’s article could well be fulfilled by the planned cities envisioned by Le Corbusier which Alexander is so critical of in his article. On the flip side, the compartmentalized nature of a tree city could end up with some inadvertent segregation as well.
Intellectual access requires clarity and organization in the way information is presented. Education and Information is power in a democracy and the disabled need equal access to it. They need equal opportunity to understand the content. Technology itself is both a blessing and a problem. It’s hard to keep up with changing technology and the smaller screen sizes do make things more challenging.
Disability is growing and a worldwide issue. The author cites the number at 550 million, only 15% disabled at birth. Ironically the US is the country that provides most rights. Some countries even restrict access. Australia has turned away immigrant families who have disabled kids. The parents were welcome but not the disabled kid.
Though we have made progress in disability laws, the implementation is lax. For example, a core principle of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is that a student should be removed from general education only if his disability is so severe as to impact his educational needs. Yet time and again my school district refused to mainstream me. Their nod to compliance with the law was to allow me in the same playground as other children during recess. Somehow by magical osmosis, I was supposed to pick up skills from them.
As a disabled individual, I am thrilled that we have laws. But unless social attitudes shift, we are not going to see meaningful change. At the end of the day, all of us, whether abled or disabled, have a common goal, to be a meaningful and productive member of society.
Father of my Children - Film Review
The Kid who would be King - Film Review
Save the Redwoods League - Local Event
It was an Edgar Allan Poe kind of night - a thunderstorm was going on. Hard to even locate the bookstore in the pouring rain.
The place was packed nevertheless. The room was milling with people around a table loaded with snacks. Another table nearby served wine. Only after the eating and drinking was done did the talk begin.
The result of the joint effort by Save the Redwoods League and Heyday was this remarkable book on coast redwoods. I learned so much.
Empathizing-Systemizing (E-S) Theory
While no single theory fully explains all aspects of autism, each attempts to provide insights into different cognitive and behavioral characteristics.
- Developed by Simon Baron-Cohen, this theory suggests that autistics have an imbalance between empathizing (understanding others' emotions and mental states) and systemizing (understanding and predicting systems and patterns). They tend to have strong systemizing abilities but weaker empathizing skills.
- Implications: Strengths in areas requiring analytical and logical thinking, such as mathematics and engineering, but difficulties in social communication and understanding others' emotions.