10 tips for making your workplace more supportive of employees with disabilities

Brooklyn-based start-up PunkinFutz designs and produces sensory play products and accessories for children with a broad range of emotional, physical, educational and developmental needs. All jobs at PunkinFutz are adaptive, employing adults with disabilities in every position at the company, from design through production to fulfillment. Providing adaptive, meaningful employment is part of our mission. In honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) we wanted to share some thoughts that being an inclusive employer has taught us as a company. Learn more about our mission and #buydifferently

We hope this article will help other CEOs, employees, and members of the community who are curious about the not-so-easy parts of truly walking the walk that others don’t talk about. We’ll share lessons from PunkinFutz Founder & CEO Lisa Radcliffe and PunkinFutz Communications Coordinator, Shenik Ruiz.

Lisa’s Tips

• Reserve judgement - frequently our employees can do far more than they and/or the groups "supporting" them believe

• Ask lots of questions and listen to the answers

• Foster a safe space for honest dialog

• Focus on the big picture

• Be willing to fail and learn from those failures

shenik’s Tips

• Be open to asking for help. Needing help does not equal weakness 

• Be patient. If something isn’t working, be proactive in finding a solution

• Slow to ACT, fast to ASK. Respect everyone’s independence. Ask before offering help, don’t just give it.

• Everyone has the right to refuse discussing anything that makes them uncomfortable. 

• How one person feels/thinks/perceives disability will not be the way everyone feels/thinks/perceives it. 

At PunkinFutz, we truly believe everyone has a superpower and with the right resources and support everyone can succeed. Inclusive employment is part of our mission and we know that hiring the way we do makes us better. Interested in learning more? Watch this video that gives an exclusive look at the way we hire and why.

Have a tip for making the workplace supportive of adults with disabilities? We’d love to hear it in the comments!