Sometimes I Forget I’m a Professional with a Disability—and That’s the Point

Here’s something that may be hard to believe: sometimes I forget that I’m a professional with a disability.

My disability is visible. I’m a wheelchair user, a little person, and someone who has lived with osteogenesis imperfecta my entire life. It shapes how I move through the world, but it is not the only thing I bring into a room—or into the workplace.

When I began working remotely, there were long stretches of the day when disability simply did not come into play. I could move from meeting to meeting, contribute ideas, solve problems, collaborate with colleagues, and focus on the work in front of me without having to think about whether a building was accessible, whether a conference room had enough space for my wheelchair, or whether getting from one place to another would require extra planning.

I wasn’t spending the day thinking, I’m a professional with a disability.

I was simply being a professional.

That is what an accessible and inclusive environment can make possible. It does not erase disability. It removes unnecessary barriers so disability does not have to dominate every interaction or determine whether someone can contribute.

A Conversation That Made Me Look Inward

I once spoke with a colleague who also had a disability and was experiencing health challenges. I encouraged them to make their well-being a priority and take the time they needed.

They told me they were nervous about stepping away. Even while dealing with their health, they planned to keep checking in, making sure the work was completed, and confirming that every priority was covered.

My first instinct was to remind them that their health mattered more than any task or deadline. But as I reflected on the conversation—and on everything happening in my own personal and professional life—I recognized something familiar in their response.

I understood the pressure to prove that you are dependable. I understood the instinct to work harder, prepare more, and make sure no one could question your value. I understood because I had placed many of those same expectations on myself.

For some disabled professionals, that pressure can come from knowing how quickly disability is still associated with limitation, absence, cost, or lowered expectations. When you have spent years navigating assumptions about what you can do, it can become easy to believe you must constantly demonstrate that you are capable, committed, and worthy of the opportunity you have been given.

But disabled employees should not have to earn belonging through exhaustion.

Disability Can Shape Valuable Skills—but We Are Not a Monolith

There is no single “disabled employee experience,” and professionals with disabilities should never be reduced to a list of inspirational qualities. We are as varied as any other group. We have different personalities, strengths, ambitions, support needs, and ways of working.

At the same time, navigating a world that was not designed with us in mind can help many of us develop perspectives and skills that are valuable in the workplace.

Adaptability and Problem-Solving

Living with a disability can require constant adjustment. We may need to rethink how we complete a task, enter a space, travel, communicate, conserve energy, or access information. That daily practice can strengthen our ability to identify barriers, explore alternatives, and create solutions others may not immediately see.

Creativity and Innovation

When the standard way of doing something does not work, you learn to imagine another way. That mindset can translate into more inclusive products, better processes, stronger customer experiences, and ideas that benefit far more people than the individual who first identified the barrier.

Persistence and Ownership

Many disabled professionals have spent years advocating for access and challenging assumptions about their capabilities. Those experiences can nurture determination and a strong sense of ownership.

But organizations must be careful not to romanticize resilience or expect disabled employees to overcome barriers the workplace has the power to remove.

Empathy and Awareness

Experiencing exclusion can deepen someone’s awareness of who else may be overlooked. It can foster empathy, thoughtful leadership, and a desire to create space for others.

Still, disabled employees should not automatically be expected to serve as educators, advocates, or representatives for an entire community.

A Commitment to Growth

Like many professionals, people with disabilities want opportunities to learn, lead, advance, and build meaningful careers.

Some may feel pressure to work twice as hard to receive the same recognition. That extra burden is not a strength organizations should rely on; it is an inequity they should work to eliminate.

Inclusion Is Not About Giving Someone a Chance

Hiring a qualified professional with a disability is not an act of charity. It is not a favor. It is a talent decision.

Disabled professionals bring experience, expertise, creativity, leadership, and perspective to the workplace. The opportunity to work should not come with an unspoken expectation of gratitude or endless loyalty.

Employees with disabilities deserve the same ability as anyone else to set boundaries, pursue advancement, change employers, protect their health, and expect an organization to earn their trust.

True inclusion begins when employers stop asking, “Why should we hire people with disabilities?” and start asking better questions:

• What barriers in our workplace may be preventing talented people from contributing?

• Do employees feel safe asking for accommodations without fearing judgment or career consequences?

• Are disabled employees receiving meaningful feedback, mentorship, sponsorship, and opportunities to advance?

• Have we designed flexibility and accessibility into the way work happens?

• Are we listening to disabled employees without placing the entire responsibility for change on them?

When Disability Can Fade into the Background

Sometimes forgetting that I am a professional with a disability does not mean my disability disappears. It means I am in an environment where I can focus on my work instead of constantly navigating barriers.

That should not be remarkable.

The goal of disability inclusion is not to overlook disability or pretend it does not matter. The goal is to recognize it, plan for access, provide support, and create the conditions in which people can bring the full range of their talents to work.

Because professionals with disabilities should not have to spend every day proving that we belong.

We should be able to do our jobs, grow our careers, care for our health, and be recognized for everything we bring to the table.

That is what it looks like to move beyond hiring and begin closing The Inclusion Gap™.