My badges are fading, Badges of honor, The least of all that I could show for the battle; My scars. Slowly erasing them, through mornings and nights, diligently rubbing cocoa butter, emu oil, shea butter, breaking down the scar tissue, breaking down the scars, and slowly erasing my badges of honor. If I wanted to show them off, why did I also try to hide them? If they're gone, will people know what I've been through? Does it matter if they do? Battle, we talked about battle, Battle wounds, battle scars, battle metals, Those who go get recognition. Wounded in battle; Additional funding sequestered solely for those who became disabled from war through peace agreements. While those who already had a disability, silently struggled. No longer able to walk through a conflict zone for their medication, no longer able to leave their home due to rubble and inaccessible streets. Those long forgotten in the urgency of the crisis, barely remembered before, and, after, denigrated. Their battle lowered in worth and recognition.

x-ray of my spine with grade 4 spondylolisthesis What broke down... The idea that I can be like them. I want to stand in, But my body forces me to stand out. Ignore. As much as I can. As much as is possible. It's not possible. No, try harder. But I don't bend. I can't fit myself into their mold, As hard as I try to hold, My body already broke. What grew instead... I don't take for granted, The ability to move. And yet I know I'm my body, and more. Identify with the I that is my soul. I need to speak, I have to say no, I have to break the mold. I give them the space they need to exist, A fight to be here. A fight to express. The good, the bad, and the ugly. The routine that nourishes.

"Pain medication so you can do life our way," But what does the pain have to say, does it need to be erased, Does it have a message, A soul of its own, A wisdom, a teaching, a wish to find a home, How does it transform, through methods of honoring and speaking to it, When we see it, there is so much we learn. What are we missing when we don't take the time to stop and listen? Can we take the time when we're rushed, pressured and pushed to keep up? Pain; does it have a soul of its own, that must be recognized, seen, and honored, not condoned? Disclaimer: This is simply one thought amongst millions of thoughts I've had about taking the medicine prescribed to me by my Doctor. I support everyone taking medication prescribed to them. I see the need for it and the positive benefits. I am not in any way supporting not taking medication.

This world was made for people who have stamina People who can hop on a train, stand up for 30 minutes, then run up a flight of stairs, walk five blocks, work all day, and do it in record time, because, by the way, you are being timed. And repeat the whole process again. People who put their spirit and needs aside to just continue producing, and for what? Not for people who have tingling in their feet or who have pain so intense it feels like fire from head to toe - and by the way, focus and produce - isn’t staying present enough? People who hide away their aches and pains and want others to do the same Does the machine run the people, do the people run the machine? They have aches and pains, it seems they should understand what it means. Does it take this much to run the world, what exactly are we running? For people who are given a huge task on Friday for the upcoming week, which ultimately indicates they’re supposed to work on it through the weekend. There wouldn’t be enough time to complete it during the week anyway.

This space is a system - do you integrate me into the system, or, do you integrate the system to me? When I enter into it with my accommodation, the whole space shifts, the whole system shifts. Yet, this isn't formally represented as accommodations have been applied in an isolated way. A recurring experience I’ve had is the practice of maintaining a fixed organizational system while ‘handing out’ the accommodation modification. One small example of this is that when I use my assistive chair in the classroom, I, and other students, spend about 5-10 minutes rearranging the whole space to fit together in a new way so that it works better for the size and space of the chair. We spend time doing this because it hadn’t been done prior; my chair was simply added in. But the reality is that the assistive chair impacts everyone in the space and the system as a whole.  Researchers Kensbock, Boehm, and Bourovoi discover that an accommodation can be considered an individual-level change. “Job accommodation processes primarily affect single employees and their immediate work environments. By contrast, organizational-level change processes typically affect many employees simultaneously (Kensbock et al, 2017).” Here, the authors are distinguishing that job accommodations follow an individual-level analysis of change management, not an organizational-level. Furthermore, they found that the understanding and implementation of the accommodation process can benefit by applying change management theories. Their finding is critical to uplifting that workplace disability response is intricately woven within organizational behavior. Yet, repeatedly, the authors discovered that the accommodation solves practical problems, yet generates a wide range of problems that haven't been given attention to yet. In my research and experience, this is because accommodations are treated as an individual-level change. The variety of unseen problems relate to social psychology and organizational power structures. When the accommodation is recognized as a change which impacts everyone, vision of unintended consequences will arise. Imagine The personal example I shared can be taken as a micro example of an organization. When the chairs stay fixed and they add my accommodation to it, this is what it means to respond at an individual-level. When the chairs are reconfigured they all relate to each other in a new way, a slightly different way, to accommodate this new piece that was just added to the system as a whole. That is what it means to respond at a system level.  If the organizational structure assumes it will stay fixed and simply provide accommodations at an individual-level, then they aren’t encompassing the reality of the impact of their decisions. Whether they plan for it, or welcome it into their understanding of things, the reality is that accommodations are not an isolated phenomena and neither is disability. The logical structural response has been to maintain the same system and add the modification into it. But what if it acknowledges the natural reality which is that the shift enters the system and naturally impacts the whole system. A systems theory understanding allows for recognition of the emergent and dynamically shifting environment that disability is situated within. Acknowledging the systemic impact of accommodations allows the organization to anticipate unintended consequences across a constellation of structures and respond with flexibility. Flexible organizations have been known to be the most resilient. Therefore, acknowledging the natural impact of an accommodation can lead to strengthening and creating a more resilient organization. In Conclusion, When the link between accommodations, change management, and organizational behavior becomes part of mainstream academia and organizational psychology, workplaces will be able harness the power and resiliency that can arise from anticipating the relationality and impact of introducing new structures into the system.

Analyzing the experience of employees with disabilities as it relates to the leaders conflict style and the organizational conflict culture. Within an organization, a supervisor’s actions impact accessibility, perhaps even more than the human resources department (HR). Here’s one of my latest experiences trying to get accommodations which demonstrates this. I first went to HR with my Doctor's letter explaining the accommodations that I needed due to my neuropathic pain and spine disability. They ordered the chair I requested and promised to develop a plan that would include modified tasks in the workplace. But weeks went by and nothing materialized, despite my reminding my supervisor periodically about the importance of the plan.  Meanwhile, because there was no plan in place, my managers were getting more annoyed about my inability to perform the tasks that they were assigning which was conveyed to me in passive aggressive ways - never directly. Admittedly, they were unaware of my condition even though my supervisor could have informed them of modified tasks without any formal plan from HR. The situation became so uncomfortable at work - both physically and mentally - that I went to my supervisor for help. I specifically asked them to notify the team of my condition and press HR to create my plan. Instead of helping me, they admitted that HR was slow and sent me back to my office. They seemed to recognize that HR had fallen on the job but acted as though it wasn't important and could do nothing. Essentially their way of dealing with it was to avoid the conflict entirely. Middle Management and Team Dynamics This incident demonstrates a common problem; the failure of training middle managers to understand the power they have as well as their impact on organizational culture and group dynamics. While HR was responsible for the concrete accommodation plan, the supervisor was responsible for the social dynamic.  The lack of clarity and understanding about my accommodation needs, created a competitive environment as managers responded indirectly to my inability to do certain tasks. Morton Deutsch researched competitive and collaborative team dynamics. Deutsch's Crude Law illustrates that an employee will likely become more competitive when they feel that they’re in a competitive working environment. This sets up the ideological underpinning of the space, most of these interpersonal exchanges can be very difficult to describe directly. Yet, this tension can build until someone decidedly changes it, the employee leaves, or something more harmful happens (Coleman, 2014).  Integrative negotiation training could have helped my supervisor because research shows that practicing these techniques is linked to cooperative group dynamics (Coleman and Lin, 2000). This form of training also creates better negotiation outcomes. The win-win approach requires both parties to identify the other’s needs and creatively find solutions for meeting these needs. This form of cooperation impacts the organizational culture because as the leader is more comfortable approaching conflicts with an integrative approach, they create structures within the organization to support this constructive dialogue and that in turn creates a workplace culture of open communication, safety, and collaboration.  Symbiotic Organizational Processes This incident also demonstrates the symbiotic relationship between the social dynamic, organizational culture, and structures created for communication which Peter Coleman analyzed through his Critical Postmodern Framework of Organizational Power (CFOP). As it relates to those with disabilities, the CFOP provides vital structures that bring greater wellness to the set of unique challenges disabled employees face. CFOP states that the messaging of the organizational leaders gets transmitted throughout the organization relationally, structurally, and culturally. When applied to the accommodation process, it highlights the importance of open communication channels, regular formal and informal check-ins. These tactics help because it is helpful to re-visit accommodation needs. New issues arise and previously unknown challenges are surfaced. Given potential social responses or job dependency, the disabled employee may not disclose ongoing challenges. They are likely to struggle each day with it and not mention it. By setting both formal and informal check-ins, you will learn much more about their daily experience, challenges, and ways you can be supportive.  One key message of the CFOP is that the relational, structural, and cultural modes are interconnected, and my personal work example illustrates this phenomenon. The leader’s conflict avoidant behavior perpetuated a conflict avoidant organizational culture. The reason for this was because the lack of communication structures reinforced avoidant behavior. The relational dynamic remained passive aggressive, exclusionary, and contentious. Had my supervisor received training and been equipped with the appropriate tools to consciously change the conflict culture by creating structures for open dialogue, then this would have also changed the social dynamic to one that was more cooperative and productiv e.     In conclusion, In this instance, I stayed at this job for two years without any accommodation plan or further support from HR. While at work, I felt isolated and hopeless with a great deal of anxiety. My supervisor never took further action and I finally quit the job. Yet the experience didn't end there - the negative memory hindered my application process immediately following the job and continues to impact me today.

Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM) techniques can be used to facilitate shared meaning of disability and accessibility. Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM) has powerful implications in the workplace for understanding the experience of employees with disabilities. The understanding CMM fosters is through narratives, influences and operating forces. Through my CMMI Fellowship, I am currently developing a framework that will be used for organizational change consulting to walk participants through the SEAVA process and facilitate conversations about disability. Co-Create with CMM “ In this space of both reflection and agency, afforded by the CMM tools, each party can understand the other in a deeper way and together determine a pathway forward. ” An extraordinary aspect of CMM is that the variety of techniques grounds the parties in the present as they navigate through the past. This approach allows participants to discover both themselves and each other. The  discovery is characterized by each person sharing their reality of the episode. In this space of both reflection and agency, afforded by the CMM tools, each party can understand the other in a deeper way and together determine a pathway forward. Therefore, CMM can be used to facilitate conversations about disability and foster a powerful internal shift.  Conflict resolution framework combines with CMM In the movement toward #accessibility in the workplace, there are many absent conversations regarding  the social experience of accommodations. More specifically, those wanting to have these conversations may feel silenced due to the unique combination of power, (defined in the formal sense of status due to organizational roles) dependency, (benefits from the job and/or accommodations to do their job), and dynamic (collaborative or competitive), as laid out in the situated model of conflict (Coleman et. al., 2012). These social dynamics inhibit conversations meaning that people can continue to operate unaware of how their actions impact employees with a #disability.  Personal Experiences “ I discover the many narratives which I carry with me impacting my communication. ” I have a personal connection to this goal because I have experienced a variety of issues in the workplace related to #accommodations. For example, supervisors storing items on my assistive furniture, assigning me tasks without being aware of my accommodation plan, or requesting me to move my furniture to different buildings on my own. Furthermore, gaps in #communication from Human Resources about workplace accommodations compound the issue. When I consider my response, I discover the many #narratives which I carry with me impacting my communication. Participating in this discovery process with others in the workplace could create a powerful shift fostering a deeper understanding of disability. Application The situated model of conflict applied to this context highlights that an entry level employee with a disability may experience a difficult time speaking up due to the level of power, dependency, and dynamic of the #relationship between parties. If left unaddressed, the hidden issues can lead the employee to disengage, isolate, or lose their sense of agency; all of which are compounded by the experience of their condition in relation to social participation. Due to this link, these instances of potential conversation around issues related to their work accommodations can be especially transformative if they have the right tools and resources to respond, or particularly harmful if they don’t. The SEAVA process in CMM Solutions: Field Guide for Consultants  teaches the application of a comprehensive combination of CMM tools (Sostrin et. al., 2012). By using the complete #SEAVA method, each tool weaves into the next, walking the participants through a journey to ultimate transformation, if the parties choose. For example, the Daisy Model can highlight the influences each party brings to the conflict (Pearce et. al., 1999). Furthermore, the #LUUUUTT model can unearth vital wisdom of all involved including organizations; the many stories unheard, unknown, and often even untellable (Jensen et. al., 2018). As in the Field Guide, I too want to develop a framework which incorporates CMM tools through the SEAVA process to provide a cumulative experience for the impacted parties.  Therefore... This targeted form of workplace consultancy is important because a better work environment results from people feeling that they can express and #co-create shared meaning. When employees are settled, feel safe, and have the support they need, they are able to contribute dedication, passion, and ease to the workplace. When people have the communication tools they need, they can create a better social world by opening the lines of expression and understanding. These actions then expand out to impact the work culture as a whole supporting #inclusion and #belonging.  In Conclusion... In conclusion, I believe the scholar practitioner method of applying #CMM frameworks to the organizational setting will be extremely beneficial. It will open barriers to participation thus allowing employees with disabilities more opportunities to contribute to life in a meaningful way. The CMM tools can inform a deeper level of accessibility. Furthermore, combined with the situated model of conflict can also highlight the unseen social forces such as pressure and dependency which influence communication and how they specifically impact an employee with a disability.  References Coleman, P. T., Kugler, K. G., Bui-Wrzosinska, L., Nowak, A., & Vallacher. R. (2012). Getting down to basics: A situated model of conflict in social relations. Negotiation Journal , 28 (1), 7-43. Jensen, A., Penman, R. (2018). CMM: A brief overview. https://cmminstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/65_CMM-BriefOverview.2018.pdf   Pearce, W. Barnett (1999). Using CMM: The Coordinated Management of Meaning . A Pearce Associates Seminar. Sostrin, J., Pearce, B., & Pearce, K. (2012). CMM Solutions: Field Guide for Consultants, 2nd Edition. Lulu.com . ISBN: 97880557995592.

W. Barnett Pearce reminds us that through the act of communicating, certain words imply a set of actions that must be coordinated with others to carry out the goal of that speech act. Speech Act The word accessibility is a “speech act”. This means that when the word is spoken, it implies that an action or a set of actions will occur. Barnett Pearce, and a variety of scholars (Searle, 1990; Pearce, 2007; Wittgenstein, 1953/2001; Kreckel, 1981), determined the term speech act denotes that we use language (verbal as well as non verbal) to accomplish various actions (Pearce et. al., 2007, p. 109). In part, speaking is an activity in and of itself. However, in addition to the act of speaking, a ‘speech act’ refers to the part of speech that is seeking to accomplish an action. When the word ‘accessibility’ is spoken it implies a set of actions coordinated by a variety of individuals to create the act of ‘accessibility’.   “ If those worldviews have different meanings of the speech act ‘accessibility’, there will be no coordination without negotiation." Coordination Since the speech act ‘accessibility’ implies a set of actions by a variety of individuals, this speech act must be made in coordination. Coordination is created when two or more differing sets of world views come together to accomplish an action. Differing worldviews coming together takes various acts of negotiation and clarification (strategic communication) in and of itself. Furthermore, if those worldviews have different meanings of the speech act ‘accessibility’, there will be no coordination without negotiation. Therefore, to accomplish the speech act with coordination each person must have awareness of their own worldview and the ability to learn about the others’ view. Perceptions What is accessibility? When the word is spoken by a supervisor, does it imply the same set of coordinated actions as it does when spoken by an employee with a disability? The supervisor and/or Human Resources may believe they have satisfied the speech act ‘accessibility’ by following the ADA policy for formal accommodations. Yet the person with the embodied experience of disability may have a very different set of actions in mind to perform the speech act ‘accessibility’. Personal Experience In my experience, Human Resources is concerned with satisfying legal requirements. They aren’t able to intervene any more than ensuring that the Doctor’s recommendations are upheld to the best of the organization’s ability. Their role could be expanded to include much more such as sharing supplementary resources, educational workshops and opportunities to meet with employees and supervisors. For example, when I began a new job, my supervisor didn’t know information about the disability services shuttle van, where to find that information, or how we could modify my tasks until my assistive furniture arrived. These are gaps that Human Resources could step in to fill. However, since they have satisfied their legal requirements their role ends. Therefore, there are missed understandings and missed opportunities to perform accessibility in other ways as the coordination of the speech act ‘accessibility’ is static. References Pearce, B. (2007). Making Social Worlds: A Communication Perspective . Blackwell Publishing.

Written during quarantine. Stay Home My community has been threatened for a long time. When their community was threatened they adjusted, and quickly. As a response to the pandemic, governments created mandatory quarantines. The quarantine is a form of a collective, forced exile. Every country around the entire globe created its own mandates shutting cities down and forcing people to stay at home. Many struggled to get out of a country they were visiting and get home immediately. Many were forced to stay in the country they were visiting, even if it wasn’t home. Those who were in their home country were internally exiled to the confines of their home.  At an individual level, however, I had a different experience. I have felt metaphorically exiled for most of my life; like an outsider who doesn’t belong. Due to neuralgia and chronic pain, I often don’t leave my house and if I do, I don’t go far. I don’t participate in many social activities because I’ll end up in pain very quickly and then I can’t talk or socialize because the pain becomes so loud it takes over everything. I tend to stay home where I know I can manage pain levels. If I do travel, I’m greatly supported and have time for recovery, I then explore near where I’m staying to ensure that I can get back quickly if in too much pain. Even within my own body, I feel exiled due to the stainless steel within and up and down my spine.  Through the forced exile of quarantine, I found a community. Since everyone had to stay home, everything became remote. I was finally able to join the university community, student organizations, academic conferences, social events, exercise classes, and more. The whole world opened up for me. I was able to go back to school and finish my Bachelors degree after a twelve year leave of absence. Being trapped in one’s body, and one’s home is an experience that I long ago made peace with being bedridden after my first surgeries. There is much richness to be found there if we let ourselves find it. I hope that as the world recovers from the pandemic, people don’t forget what was gained by exploring oneself and staying home. I hope that remote continues to be an option as it has allowed us to remain a community even during isolation.  My experience may not be appropriate given the devastation and depression that everyone has experienced being separated from families and community; not able to share meals and the richness of togetherness. However, it is my experience nonetheless. I’ve felt divided for a long time, and now everyone feels divided, even if not forced to be, then voluntarily through the fear of possible infection. We’ve been through something truly incredible, and we all went through it together, which makes it all the more remarkable.

This is a personal excerpt written after an experience where an administrator told me to make my requests with the Disability Services Office. I felt a mix of defensiveness, pain, hurt, and defeat. What came up within me was a type of rage related to looking at this person and feeling, you have no idea what happens when I don't say something, but I know. You were gonna leave me behind, didn’t even blink an eye. I had to kick, scream, and cry to get you to see me.    It’s a full time job on top of a full time job; navigating the healthcare system, advocating for myself, navigating the disability services system. If I don’t speak up, no one knows. If I don’t do this, you’ll continue on without me. It doesn’t impact you, you could care less. I’m the one who has to fight to be in this social space - negotiate, back to back appointments, updating forms, paperwork, accommodations, making sure all departments are in communication with one another. The job never ends, I’m the one who has to do this just so that I can participate, just so that I can join in. This is my experience, every day, along with my disability which is embodied - in my body. There is no 9am-5pm, go home, turn it off. This is my life.  I’m exhausted. *The first couple lines were to society in general.  The other section was written in response to a school administrator who told me to reach out to Disability Services. Although he meant well, what he didn’t realize is that I’m more aware than any of them what I lose if I don’t advocate for myself. I’m doing all of the above so that I can be in the classroom and it’s a testimony to my desire to be there. No one cares more than me. And him telling me to go to the DS office felt like it really downsized all the work I put in and I felt like “who are you to tell me this, I have to do this to be here.” And of course, I do reach out to the DS office months before I’m even supposed to. I took it defensively at the time and didn't really need to because he was obviously trying to connect me to resources. Yet I still needed to give voice to the moment in time through this reflection.

Critical-Postmodern Framework of Organizational Power Speaking up for accommodations isn't always easy. Social dynamics like group pressure, expectations, and structures of power are often not taken into account when organizations consider themselves accessible for employees with disabilities. The Critical-Postmodern Framework of Organizational Power can be applied to analyze these dynamics and open lines of communication between supervisors and junior employees who may have a disability. Tool to Analyze Organizational Power “Social dynamics like group pressure, expectations, and structures of power are often not taken into account when organizations consider themselves accessible for employees with disabilities.” There are multiple levels of challenges in speaking up or using accommodations. In addition to any social dynamics involving both inter and intra personal aspects, organizational power also plays a role. The Critical-Postmodern Framework of Organizational Power (CFOP) provides a theoretical lens to analyze organizational power. This theory analyzes how power gets translated at a relational (person to person) level, structural (policies and systems) level, and cultural (underlying beliefs and assumptions) level. I apply this theory to unearth important organizational structures for employees with disabilities.  CFOP theory states that “power manifests itself in being able to define things” (Coleman et. al., p. 242, 2003). In CFOP, those creating meaning are the leaders of the organization. Those deciding what a reasonable accommodation is maintain power. This meaning gets transmitted relationally, structurally, and culturally. These three modes all relate - changing one impacts the rest. In order to make lasting change in a protracted conflict, each mode must be addressed. Therefore, to create lasting change, the way people relate to one another, the policies, and the culture within an organization must be addressed. Avenues for Communicating Oppositional Views According to CFOP, dismantling organizational power structures begins with providing formal and informal avenues for communication. One of the main findings of CFOP is the need for suppressed voices to have an avenue for speaking up. The CFOP Table is used as a diagnostic and analytical tool for measuring the quality/type of avenues for speaking up. The table distinguishes oppositional discourse avenues for the marginalized vs privileged, conscious vs automatic ways, and applies this to each mode (relational, structural, cultural). CFOP states that out of the three modes, the cultural mode is one of the most unconscious and powerful. “Controlling another human being’s subjectivity is perhaps more abusive than direct coercion” (Coleman et. al., p. 242, 2003). Cultural modes are felt as undercurrents in the organization. How do the employees, middle managers, or executives experience the pressure to maintain the status quo?  Social Repercussions Impacting Motivation to Speak Up “ There are many subtle repercussions for speaking up that directly impact an employee with a disability’s need for community and belonging." There are many subtle repercussions for speaking up that directly impact an employee with a disability’s need for community and belonging. For example, one who speaks up may be outcasted. Other employees may work collaboratively with each other and competitively with the one who spoke up. In this case, supervisors may favor the one who spoke up less and do things to make it difficult for the employee. When other employees group up with the supervisor they may be hypercritical to the employee, attempting to point out mistakes more so than to other employees who make just as many or more. This can significantly affect the mental health of the employee who spoke up. As Deutsch's Crude Law then illustrates, the employee will likely become more competitive as they feel that they’re in a competitive working environment. This sets up the ideological environment of the space, most of it is very difficult to describe directly. The tension can build until someone decidedly changes it, the employee leaves, or something more harmful happens (Coleman et. al., 2022).  In Conclusion, In conclusion, to create an accessibility informed workplace, leadership must bring awareness to the way they are defining accessibility and accommodation. They must provide methods of speaking up with sensitivity to potential social repercussions. These avenues of communicating oppositional discourse would be built in at the relational, structural and cultural levels as well as applied to marginalized vs privilege and conscious vs automatic. References Coleman, P. T. & Voronov, M. (2003). Power in groups and organizations. In M. West, D. Tjosvold, & K. G. Smith (Eds.), The International Handbook of Organizational Teamwork and Cooperative Working  (pp. 229-254). John Wiley & Sons. Deutsch, M. (2014). Cooperation and competition. In P. T. Coleman, M. Deutsch, & E. C. Marcus (Eds.), The Handbook of Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practice  (3rd Edition). Jossey-Bass.

First published on WIN Summit: www.winsummit.com Today, less women with disabilities have jobs, but studies show that greater flexibility can aid in furthering equity in the workplace. This is important because women with disabilities’ experiences remain hidden if organizational shifts are not made. If organizations create more accessibility, they have the power to preserve an embodied feminine wisdom of disability.   According to the United States Department of Labor’s and the Office of Disability Employment Policy’s recent report, women with disabilities are the lowest employed in the United States. This report, which gathered data from 2019 to 2022, seeks to identify labor force participation by gender and disability/ability (Rosenblum et. al., 2023). This report adds to past concerns of inequity in the workplace.   When organizations ask themselves how they can be more accessible, the hope is that they open themselves up to the perspectives of employees with disabilities. Yet, many organizations struggle with this question even though the answer is simple. Be even more open to negotiations about accommodations.   Here, I outline some of the primary challenges women with disabilities face in today’s workplace, adding context to a complex issue. And offer tips for organizational leaders on how to open the doors to more women. Challenges: Context Matters “As women with disabilities are uplifted and included, they will close gaps and liberate all as they liberate the disabled body.” Many women with disabilities feel disadvantaged before they even reach the negotiation table.  The lack of work opportunity and situated context hinder accommodation negotiations. This context includes difficulty in getting a job and a greater need for support systems that come with it, like health care. Therefore, there is a high dependency and higher risk if she were to lose the job. Caught in a position of less means or options and higher dependency on the role, her communication may be restricted (Coleman et. al., 2012). This context coupled with societal backlash and repercussions women receive when speaking up for their selves ( Amanatullah et. al., 2010 ) negatively impacts negotiations for accommodations.   Unsupportive organizational structure further complicates the communication for accommodations. In her Towards a Feminist Theory of Disability , Susan Wendell states, “disabled women struggle with both the oppressions of being women in male-dominated societies and the oppressions of being disabled in societies dominated by the able-bodied” (Wendell, 1989, p. 105). This means that when negotiating their needs at work, women with disabilities are facing compounded suppressive structures.   Furthermore, the typical day of a person with a disability likely looks very different than an abled person. Some of this schedule provides hints at where they can fall through corporate cracks. For example, it’s expensive and time-consuming to have a disability: medications, various therapies, regular doctor visits, specialist visits, alternative modalities, surgeries, and more. Travel time to and from, time spent in these services, and fatigue from the upkeep of all of this in addition to navigating spaces that are inaccessible are the norm - and they are also an addition to the expected daily work demands.   If corporate spaces are not identifying ways to specifically mitigate these challenges, they will have limited opportunity for growth. The fact that less women with disabilities are employed means that there is less representation of them. A corporate space may think they are accessible yet without the vital input of these women, they won’t know just how many people they’re leaving out. As women with disabilities fall to the unemployed bucket, their concerns are not heard, and their experiences remain unknown. The system of ableism continues without friction to the status quo.  Negotiating a Path Forward Being More Inclusive As an Organization   While people with disabilities have been excluded or underrepresented in the workforce, due to preconceived notions or stigma about capabilities, we’ve seen an increase in conversation and activism around accessibility.  The learning curve for many business owners and managers is still steep. Fraught with misunderstanding, many employers feel uncertain about how to be more accessible to people with disabilities. Here are a few ways organizations can reframe their conversations around accessibility. 1.              Flexibility At Work Workplace flexibility can support employee’s ambitions, and offers employes the ability to deal with unexpected situations. It’s been shown in study after study that men and women with more flexible work options feel more productive and less burnt out across the board.  Another major benefit is that flexible work options have the power to create more inclusion. From 2020 to 2022, more women with disabilities became employed due to expanded work environments. The report highlights that remote work options have helped bring more these women into the labor force.   2.              The Ripple Effect Updating an organizational system to include more women with disabilities will have a ripple effect by impacting the gender and pay gap as well as ableist and male dominated systems. Equipped with this knowledge, make it a point to spread awareness about disability. Disability aware systems and workplaces are making a difference by impacting the existing disparities. As women with disabilities are uplifted and included, they will close gaps and liberate all as they liberate the disabled body.    3.              Open Lines of Communication Workplaces, remember to create a variety of informal and formal avenues for communication. The situated context and societal repercussions hinder communication even when there are avenues. It is important to bring awareness to this and account for it as you are asking for feedback. Also, it is important to make changes as concerns are raised which demonstrates it is safe to share feedback and the changes your organization makes can pave the way for more people with disabilities to be employed. Be flexible and, overall, embody a growth mind state and desire to learn. Empowering Yourself as A Woman With A Disability “ Self-advocacy is counterintuitive to some of our conditioning as women. One way to shift this is to use Conflict Intelligence.” Unfortunately, women with disabilities are also much more likely than women overall to have considered leaving the workforce or downshifting their careers. With organizations are slowly becoming more open-minded, self-advocacy remains important. Although advocating for yourself can seem daunting, you don’t have to do it alone and becoming confident in your self-advocacy skills can help you express yourself more authentically. 1.              Self-Advocate with Conflict Intelligence Self-advocacy is counterintuitive to some of our conditioning as women. One way to shift this is to use Conflict Intelligence. Conflict Intelligence provides various strategies of engaging with your supervisor depending on the context. This theory divides context by collaborative vs. competitive, high vs low dependency, and the degree to which you care about the relationship (Coleman et. al., 2014). While strategic appeasement or unhappy tolerance may exacerbate a disability, seek for negotiated support and ask for help from external resources if you are in a highly competitive and low power position.     In addition to mapping the context, one way to consider asking for and accepting accommodations is to know yourself. Reflect on your strengths and weaknesses regarding the accepting or requesting accommodation process. Then, identify your needs: what do you want to achieve and what do you need to be successful at it?  Then move toward the intervention that will help you reach your goals. For example, evidence-based instruction to improve skills, accommodations, or modifications. The most important step is to make the ask with both self and other reflection.   2.              Band Together Join affinity groups. When you join with others you may find that you are not alone in some of your experiences. This can lead to a sense of belonging and community thereby creating greater ease and joy in the workplace. If there is not an affinity group within your organization – perhaps you can be the one to start one! Or, look for groups outside of your organization that can help foster a sense of community and offer insights on what others are doing to promote greater accessibility measures within their organizations.   3.              Find External Resources Strong networks have methods of weaving in external resources to allow for a constant flow of new information. A healthy network is one that has bridges between multiple groups within the organization as well as links to external organizations. This allows you to stay in contact with the support systems you need. Conclusion In conclusion, context and systemic structure both matter when considering negotiating for accommodations. There are strategies to use to remain adaptive to the situation. The awareness of this may help you to keep your job or negotiate what you need during the hiring process. As difficult as it may seem, pressuring the organization to meet your needs ensures they aren’t deprived of the unique and amazing wisdom you have to share.    References Amanatullah, E.T. & Morris, M.W. (2010).  Negotiating Gender Roles:  Gender differences in assertive negotiation are mediated by women’s fear of backlash and attenuated when negotiating on behalf of others. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98 (2), 256-267.   Coleman, P. T., Kugler, K. G., Bui-Wrzosinska, L., Nowak, A., & Vallacher. R. (2012). Getting down to basics: A situated model of conflict in social relations. Negotiation Journal, 28(1), 7-43. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1571-9979.2011.00324.x   Coleman, P. T., & Ferguson, R. (2014). Making Conflict Work: Harnessing the Power of Disagreement. Houghton-Mifflin-Harcourt.   Rosenblum, D., Costa, J., and Ruth, A. (2023). Women with Disabilities and the Labor Market . https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ODEP/pdf/Women_with_Disabilities_and_the_Labor_Market.pdf     Wendell, S. (1989) Toward a Feminist Theory of Disability. Hypatia , Vol. 4, No. 2, Feminist Ethics & Medicine, pp. 104-124.