Search Results

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.

"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.

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.

Coordinated Management of Meaning as a theory with practical application. Template for Daisy Model and LUUUUTTT Model found here Human beings are not fixed, we are emerging and dynamic in the way we formulate, create and grow. Yet, sometimes the narratives we share remain the same. The stories we tell, both to ourselves and to each other, represent the social systems we exist within. These stories also form the basis of what we create together through our communication. As such, the dialogue within our interactions can become an entry point for examining internal and external social constructs. Our stories can change, and when they do, this change indicates that an internal transformation has occurred. This internal transformation then shifts what is created in communication with others. Therefore, communication represents both an internal set of social systems reflecting one’s conditioning and social identity, while also impacting the concrete world that we create together through coordination, or lack thereof, during our interactions. Background Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM) is a communications theory that analyzes dialogue to determine various factors. For those having a conversation, embedded in their dialogue is the seed of their internal social identity and external social systems. CMM can bring light to what is being created through interaction and the set of beliefs and values impacting coordination. This communications theory has practical application due to the set of techniques that support applied practice in creating better coordination through investigating internal and social constructs. CMM techniques give space for what is present yet latent to emerge. For people with disabilities, this means that we can exist in a way that both recognizes the current state of needs (accommodations, assistive devices etc) while also realizing a dynamically shifting state of becoming.   Since CMM engages the coordination of what is created through dialogue, it is also a tool to consider the tension between covert and overt aspects of the accessibility movement. For example, in the workplace, the accommodation process and campaigns targeting inclusion of people with disabilities act as formal structures propelling toward access. Yet social pressure, implicit biases and dominant ideology act as informal structures which may stall the movement. Through techniques like the Daisy Model, LUUUUTTT Model, and Hierarchy Model, individuals can bring awareness to internal views and organizational narratives around disability, noticing both what they carry with them and how that impacts what they create with others. Anchoring the Conversation CMM exercises can be useful during mediation and intergroup dialogue. The techniques become an interactive anchor gently shaping the focus of the conversation. As participants engage in completing the exercise, their focus shifts away from deconstructing the other’s worldview and calms the amygdala response. Instead, the participants’ focus moves toward self-expression and openness led by completing a task.  Visual Mapping The exercises also serve as a visual aid so that each participant can see the social systems, or sets of values and beliefs, that the other engages with as a logical force in the moment of conflict. The visual mapping can serve as a way to gently nudge each party toward broadening their perspective to take into account the other person’s while at the same time allowing the individual to bring awareness to their own systems operating within. Therefore, self-discovery and broadening of awareness are fostered through the application of CMM exercises during mediation. In Conclusion, The communications theory Coordinated Management of Meaning deconstructs dialogue to determine how to create better coordination during interactions thus providing a resource to create a better social world. Here I begin this series of Coordinated Management of Meaning. Next week I’ll share what I found by applying the Daisy Model during my research fellowship project!

An overview of conflict resolution theories as applied to workplace accommodation requests. Although we may want to believe it’s not present, power plays an active role in every interaction. Mary Parker Follet, an early conflict resolution academic, reminds us that power is always part of the equation and that there can be various uses of power; dominating, compromising, or integrating. She is one of the first to establish a win-win (integrative) method of negotiation as opposed to the win-lose methods of dominating or compromising uses of power (Follet, 1925). Image with dark black/pink at the top down, a strip of light pink in the middle, and a more reddish toned pink at the bottom Cooperation or Competition “ Scholars like Morton Deutsch furthered her work by determining challenges to mutual negotiation which include bargaining, coordination, and trust. He defined a spectrum of cooperation and competition which characterized these challenges (Deutsch, 1973)." Scholars like Morton Deutsch furthered her work by determining challenges to mutual negotiation which include bargaining, coordination, and trust. He defined a spectrum of cooperation and competition which characterized these challenges (Deutsch, 1973). Cooperation links to the #integrative method of #negotiating which utilizes open information sharing, higher #trust and coordination, and adaptive techniques to address underlying needs. Often both parties are able to get their needs met. On the other hand, competition links to #distributive negotiation which views resources as fixed and limited, less trust, less coordination and a win-lose outlook. These factors formed what he called a dynamic of cooperation or competition. Dynamical Theory of Conflict Dr. Peter Coleman then further developed this work by adding in two more dynamics all of which form the context of a conflict landscape. These include degree of power and degree of dependency. Combined with the dynamic of competition or cooperation these form the Dynamical Theory of Conflict (Mitchinson et al, 2009). This theory emphasizes the context created by the power, dependency, and dynamic. The conflict landscape, as characterized by degree of power, dependency and dynamic, is determined by organizational culture and climate. Power and Accommodation Requests “ Organizational power greatly impacts disabled employees. ” Organizational power greatly impacts disabled employees. Power can be identified by discerning how much one’s actions impact the other. If my actions impact you greatly but yours don’t have a great impact on me, I have a higher degree of power. In the instance of an accommodation, it is highly needed and greatly felt if not granted. Yet those doing the granting don’t hardly notice if they don’t grant one. In the context of power, a disabled employee requesting an accommodation is in a low power position. Dependency and Power When a disabled employee is asking their organization to make a change to their established systems to accommodate them, they are in the midst of a negotiation for something that is non negotiable. An accommodation is truly not negotiable; it is a physical need due to a condition and may be required just as you are required to breathe air. Yet, that person is there negotiating for air, and may very well be denied. This situates them in a higher dependency and lower power position. Dynamic as Organizational Climate If the organization is in a highly competitive state due to the type of industry or due to an organizational change such as a merger, the disabled employee will find themself in a precarious position amongst the conflict landscape. The context is characterized by high dependency, low power, in a competitive dynamic. Strategy Their tactics of negotiation are limited and to simply appease or use conflict avoidance may prove detrimental to their health. Given what they have to lose - healthcare, salary, connection with society - and their physical need, many disabled employees feel intense emotions including vulnerability, anxiety or fear around requesting accommodations. Leadership It is important for organizational leaders to understand the Dynamical Theory of Conflict which can be used to paint the conflict landscape. Once the conflict landscape is understood, methods of adaptivity can be applied. Next, I’ll outline adaptive techniques that disabled employees may consider during an accommodation negotiation.

In prior blogs, I’ve discussed the importance of understanding power, dependency and group dynamics when negotiating with another party, and especially how this context impacts disabled employees. Now I want to share another perspective - that of a disabled person - which highlights the interplay between identity, loss and the predetermined conflict landscape. The painter and the painted, just as we as individuals enter the conflict landscape and claim a sense of agency. There are specific experiences that relate uniquely to disability, such as loss, courage, and reframing of identity and values, that create a shift in the conflict landscape. The conflict landscape is formed by the degree of power, dependency, and dynamic (collaborative vs. competitive) between parties. Although the conflict landscape from the Dynamical Theory of Conflict provides important implications for the context disabled employees confront in the workplace and the impact it has on their negotiation of accommodations, there’s more to consider. This is the fact that due to strategies in responding to these specific experiences, they might not be defined by the power, dependency and group dynamic characterized in the conflict landscape, as well as the repercussions they will experience for breaking this societal bond. They’ve already experienced great loss and courage. While the conflict landscape still exists, the disabled person may not define themselves by it, thereby both experiencing and being free from it simultaneously.  Identity The profoundness of experience that disabled people go through shifts the conflict landscape while maintaining it at the same time. Humans are complex beings with a multitude of contradicting energies happening in one moment. Here I’ll share an example of this contradiction. The experience of going through surgeries at a young age and through my adult life has left a lasting impression on me. Face to face with the unknown, letting go of all control, laying my life in the hands of another as I step into the darkness of anesthesia where no one could come with me for six hours, ten, fourteen; snip, cut, drill. I try to live my life with the boldness it takes to face these experiences head on. Deep loss can create a shift of hierarchical value associated with maintaining a specific status quo that may not be serving you and this, in turn, changes the meaning of the conflict landscape. Living with boldness means I’m not afraid to speak up for what I believe is true and important no matter someone's role or status; no matter the dependency I have on the job. I have nothing to lose because I already lost my physical movement and through this experience began identifying with my soul. The wholeness of my soul can’t be taken or lost. It also means I’m not as assimilated as others because I can’t be. My body physically won’t allow me to. I can’t move at the rhythm needed to build my career as others do, instead I have to move at my own pace. This means I don’t have as much to lose because I don’t place my identity on earthly things as much as within self and soul. When I lost everything, including movement, I still had my soul and nothing can take that away. Freedom or Dependency, which is it? I experience freedom and I experience dependency due to the recovery from surgeries. Such a foundational loss as movement has created a contradiction within me; two directly opposite emotions happening at the same time from the same phenomenon. These two opposing emotions are the sense and faith that nothing can be taken away from me. And at the same time, when every decision I make is linked to a pain response that could put me down for a week, I intimately feel the repercussions of my actions in creating comfort or pain for myself. In this sense, I do have a lot to lose and therein lies a contradiction. Although I don’t identify with my body, I am in my body. I identify myself with a freedom that can’t be marred by power, dependency or group dynamics. Even still, right alongside this freedom and soul identification, is fear of being left behind, the need to work with established structures, and the great dependency on work for my own quality of life. In conclusion, In conclusion, the individual themself has agency as they enter the dynamic that creates the conflict landscape. At the surface level, the unspoken power contract is present. Yet at a deeper level, there are many varying factors that determine what each person is willing to lose or gain and how they define losses and gains. The fact is that there are real implications to the conflict landscape. Yet, we also choose at every moment what we consider to be a loss and create a hierarchy of values to determine what we are willing to lose.

Part Four of How Much Are You Worth?: Toward an Economic Theory of Disability Eugenics “ Those who aren’t able to operate well within the construct of society do not have “top” genes. " Upon taking a deeper look at the motivations of society in response to those who are impaired, one can see that the second framework that is tied to unconscious ranking of valuation is the concept of eugenics. This concept states that there is a top human specimen. Supporters believe that some genes are stronger than others. This human operates profitably and richly within the bounds and norms of society. Since they operate well, they are considered to have top genes. Those who are handsome, healthy, fit, and fit into society should continue their genetic line. However, “t reating health and vigor as moral virtues for everyone harms people with disabilities and illnesses” (Wendell, 2020). This treatment harms people with disabilities because it classifies them as unfit and demoralized.  For example, by creating a best of the breed category, eugenics then creates another category; those who are not operating well within the bounds of society. They don’t have good genes.These are people who are not adding profit to society, they’re not fit and they’re not successful. Therefore, those who aren’t able to operate well within the construct of society do not have “top” genes. Threat to Society Eugenics then goes on to say that those with “bad” genes pose a threat to the rest of society. “Eugenics sought to improve the body politic and to relieve it of the economic and social burdens of disease and degeneracy" (Rose, 2007). It stated that those who were defective were an active weight on society. That they held society back, posed a burden, and even a threat to the rest of the population. Here we see that eugenics has placed value on human life. The greater the ability to be a productive member of society, the more one was worth.  Eugenics believed that the genetic line of the defective should be ended. Doctors practiced this through sterilization, abortion, euthanization, or the death penalty. As stated by Nikolas Rose, eugenics practiced “...the prevention of those who are members of defective or inferior sub-populations from reproducing through sterilization or extermination" (Rose, 2007). There is no space for flexibility or inclusion here. Those who are not effectively creating profit and working well within society must die, as stated within the Eugenics movement.  Exemplary Humans “T he greater the ability to be a productive member of society, the more one was worth. ” On the flip side, the genetic line of those with the top genes should be continued and exemplified through artificial insemination and reward systems. This desire is not always overt. It can happen in such delicate ways as “parental desires for a perfect child in an age of manipulated consumerism and reproductive choice” (Rose, 2007). The desire for population purification can happen on the most inherent and unconscious level, as we see with parents. One of the main defining points of rank is one’s health and one’s job. An impaired person faces a bodily barrier which then leads to social, educational, and workplace barriers. If a person is successful, they’re considered a prosperous value creator. Once again, a human’s worth is tied to their work, more specifically tied to how much profit they’re creating.  We Don't Want to Be Reminded, In addition to this, much of society doesn’t want to see ill health. It reminds the population of death and pain. Things many don’t want to think about. “Suffering caused by the body, and the inability to control the body, are despised, pitied, and above all, feared. This fear, experienced individually, is also deeply embedded in our culture" (Wendell, 2020). We are taught to fear not having control, and to fear pain. Our culture does not recognize that at some point in everyone’s life, they will be impaired and reliant on others' assistance. So, instead of valuing reciprocity and various body abilities, we turn our cheek, create a divide, and exclude the impaired.  The danger here is that the population is following a ranking system of and valuation of a human soul. This ranking system tells the population, some people are worth more than others. Those who are worth less, don’t need our attention, effort, money or care. They don’t need to be included. “The public world is the word of strength, the positive (valued) body, performance, and production, the able-bodied youth. Weakness, illness, rest and recovery, pain, death, and the negative (de-valued) body are private, generally hidden, and often neglected. Coming into the public world with illness, pain, or a de-valued body, we encounter resistance to mixing the two worlds; the split is vividly revealed" (Wendell, 2020). Therefore, the public doesn’t want to see illness because it reminds them of their own mortality.    In Conclusion, If frameworks like this are not changed, those with limited mobility remain unable to participate in life and create profit thereby raising themselves up within this valuation system. Therefore, the structure of the system itself ensures that those with impairments will remain in the category of value takers, burdens on society, and excluded.  Much of the conversation within the disabled rights community is in regard to changing structures: playgrounds, classrooms, work places, conference rooms, etc. in order to make them more accessible. The first thing that needs to be addressed is the ranking, rating, and valuation system that all are unconsciously participating in. When this is realized, underlying motivations can be changed. When underlying motivations change from work hard profit first to comfort first human life equality, then we will see greater flexibility in public and private spaces since architecture is an extension of the human mindstate.