a disabilit or impairment—significantly lower than the overall UK working age popu- lation of 19% (Department of Work and Pensions). Ableism teaches us that we are a burden, and that our disabled bodies require “fixing”. Historically we have been shut away and now we are portrayed in the media as benefit scroungers or inspirations, and in fiction as either the villain, the sidekick or the sacrifice, always enabling the non-disabled hero to triumph. It’s a toxic narrative that needs to change and this can be done by centring disabled voices and understanding the true realit of disabilit. The publishing industry has the power to do this in incredible, positive ways, and this article is our invitation to all those within the industry to look at how you can make this happen.
What is disability? According to the Equalit Act 2010, the term “disabilit” covers everything from physical impairment to chronic illness, mental health problems, neurodiversit and energy limiting conditions. You are considered disabled if your condition “has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long- term’ negative effect on your abilit to do normal daily activities”.
The common narrative is that disabilit equals incapabilit, but disabled people are some of the most focused, determined and creatively adaptable people you will ever meet—they have to be to navigate a world not designed for them. In fact, the social model of disabilit proposes that it is harmful atitudes, stereotpes and societ’s structure which truly disables people. It is these obstacles that prevent us from living the same lives, with the same opportunities, as non-disabled people.
The social model of disability proposes that it’s harmful attitudes, stereotypes and society’s structure which truly disables people
Changing the status quo requires allies, active participants within the industry who see that a more inclusive approach doesn’t just help disabled authors. If we create an industry that empowers everyone to find ways of working, no mater their physical abilit, no one has to quit when ill health and disabilit strike.
TheBookseller.com Inclusivity
Enabling disabled people to access the same opportunities as non-disabled people isn’t an act of charit—it’s required by the Equalit Act 2010. Under “reasonable adjustments”, changes have to be made to a workplace or to the ways things are done to remove or reduce the disadvantage for the person with the disabilit. For adaptations beyond reasonable adjust- ments, funding is available through Access to Work for both employed and self-employed people, and practical and financial support can be provided for special equipment, adap- tations, extra transport costs and support worker services. For some disabled authors, access to suitable aids and support is all they require, while others will also need flexibilit around deadlines. This isn’t due to laziness or lack of a work ethic, it’s a result of living with condi- tions that can be unpredictable and require adaptabilit; intentionally building extra time into a project is a simple way to insure against potential problems.
An open dialogue
Disabled authors and employees need to be able to have open conversations without fear of discrimination and prejudice; they need to know they will be met with patience, a willingness to understand and flexibilit in finding a solution. We are all guilt of unconscious bias,
so it’s essential that all staff members receive specialist disabilit awareness train- ing, no mater the size of the organisation. Education means people are prepared to have the important conversations that up until now have oſten been avoided for fear
Adaptability Many of the activities you take for granted as “easy” and “normal” are barriers to disabled people. Some are insurmountable, while others take planning and preparation to make them possible. Nobody asks for adjustments unless they genuinely need something—however strange it might sound. Small changes are oſten all that is needed to make things possible and accessible. Generally, the disabled person knows exactly what they need to make a situation viable,
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of saying the wrong thing. It takes courage to talk about your own ill health and there is no one size fits all when it comes to disabilit; many conditions are invisible and oſten dynamic, fluctuating over time. We have to find a way to make it easier for authors with disabilities to self-identify without the fear of judgement and rejection. Start by including an “access needs” section on every form, as standard practice. This provides a neutral place to state any necessary requirements, without puting the onus on the disabled person to make a big, public declaration.
If you’re putting out a call for under-represented writers remember to include disabled people. Provide contact details so they are able to discuss any access concerns
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