Disability Education: Psychiatric Disabilities in the Workplace

One of the most difficult tasks faced by disability employers of almost every industry is developing an environment in which employees with disabilities can receive the individual support they need to work effectively.  Much of this battle is fighting the preconceived ideas that current employees, managers, and even customers may hold regarding those with mental and physical disabilities.

When we think of providing equal employment opportunity to those with disabilities, individuals with physical disabilities almost always come to mind first.  However, we must expand our perceptions to encompass individuals with mental disabilities as well.  We must further our ideas of what may or may not be considered a disability to also include psychiatric disabilities. Psychiatric disabilities are often disregarded when organizations consider disability employment; individuals who suffer from depression, bipolar disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder are sometimes overlooked during an organization’s efforts to employ disability training and education.  However, an estimated 26 percent of Americans over the age of 18 suffer from a mental disorder, providing impetus for businesses to utilize disability education to better understand these conditions (i).

Program Development Associates has a number of resources to help build employer relations among an organization and potential prospects.  Organizations interested in developing programs aimed specifically at spreading awareness of psychiatric disabilities will find the Accommodating Employees with Psychiatric Disabilities DVD an invaluable resource.  This closed captioned DVD uses a diverse cast of 27 different characters to explore the workplace needs of individuals with six major disabilities:  Depression, anxiety, chemical dependency, bipolar, obsessive-compulsive, and psychiatric expressive disorder.

Disability education products are perhaps the best supplement to an organization’s disability training initiatives.  These interactive products are capable of engaging large audiences, making them ideal for educating sizable groups of employees and management teams.  Specific products can be utilized when training to accommodate individuals with psychiatric disabilities in particular.  Such resources help to spread awareness and build cohesion among employees, two key ingredients to long term productivity.

(i) http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-numbers-count-mental-disorders-in-america/index.shtml