Episode #39 - Yvette Pegues, M. ED, Discusses Giving a Voice to People with Disabilities

About Yvette:Yvette Pegues, M.ED, is a Professional Speaker, Educator, Author, Advocate, Ms. Wheelchair International and the Founder and Chief Transformation Officer of Your Invisible Disability Group. Yvette works as a Corporate Disability & Diversity Consultant and she is the host of disAbilityLifeTV.She is the author of the workbook, The "Art of Adaptability" which is designed to help Newly Disabled & Diagnosed individuals like herself and she is the Co-author of, "My Mommy had Brain Surgery & I'm Okay!" with her young sons, Isaiah and Elijah.Topics Discussed:-Yvette shares her story about being diagnosed as an adult with a congenital disease that created a disability -She also suffers from an invisible cognitive disability-Diversity of thought is just as important as diversity in the workplace-Our customers also suffer with disabilities-Leaders should understand people’s abilities, not just hiring for disabilities-Publically declare that you’re looking for a diverse workforce-Build relationships with the organizations in your geographic location that help train and retrain people with disabilities-4 out of every 6 people will have a disability at some point in their life-75-80% of people with disabilities have invisible disabilities, like depression or cancer or chronic pain-Apparent disabilities only account for about 15% of those with disabilities-Recommendation on when to reveal your invisible disability, does it impact your work-Discuss with you physician, occupational therapist or physical therapist about your limitations -Fear of job loss and discrimination-Federal funds are available to those who hire those with disabilities-Architectural and attitudinal barriers for people with disabilities in the workplace-We might not understand what’s on the other side of the rules and laws-It’s about an inclusive tomorrow, not making special exceptions-It’s important to understand the requirements of the ADA law-In order to keep from being insensitive to a person with disability, it’s OK to say, “Please tell me what your accommodations are,” and “How can I make this office situation work for you so you can be most successful?”-It’s no different than asking the same type of question of a new intern/employee-The question that managers ask behind closed door or are afraid to ask is, “How do we fire someone with a disability?” -You protocol should apply to everyone, not just for someone with a disability-Yvette helps companies look through their current HR policies and processes to confirm that your policies are in good shape before bringing on people with disabilities-Advice for people with disabilities and speaking up in the workplace, have someone on their behalf to support them, an advocate outside the workplace-The advocate can listen objectively to see if issues are related to disabilities or just a human grievance unrelated to the disability -Advocates understand the law and your particular disability and work situation-Advocates are available in all US states and in many countries outside the US-Federal, state and local services are available to help people with disabilities to get into or stay in the workforce. It benefits the country to get people in the workforce.-The US is the model for setting the stage for inclusion for people with disabilities-What does it look like to make your organization more accessible?-People with disabilities can be very loyal when they find a great place to work-For people with disabilities, it may be “safer” at home, but it’s important to get out and get in the way; getting in the way is a good thing to help make the world more accessibleQuestions Answered:How can I to hire people with disabilities?Why should I hire people with disabilities?As a person with disabilities, how and when should I speak up at work?What are invisible disabilities?