What We’re Learning
Disability looks different for everyone, and so do our workplaces. One important but often overlooked part of accessibility and inclusion is how different generations experience and understand disability.
Each generation comes of age in a different social and cultural landscape. The language we use, the beliefs we carry, and the rights we’re afforded shape how we understand and live with disability. These differences influence how we show up at work, whether we feel safe to disclose, and what kinds of accommodations we know how, or feel able, to ask for (assuming we might even know).
Through my work in accessibility and ongoing learning from others, I’ve seen how generational gaps can shape everything from policy to psychological safety. I’m not an expert, but I care deeply about listening, reflecting, and sharing what we’re learning along the way. This journey is both personal and deeply systemic. Ableism, like racism, ageism, and sexism, is embedded in many of the structures, norms, and expectations that still define our workplaces today. This work also lives at the intersection of multiple identities and experiences, making it complex and requiring us to approach it with humility and care.
What We’re Exploring
In our work at Sea Change CoLab and through the Accessibility Confident Employers (ACE) Project, we’ve been exploring questions like:
- How do different generations come to understand and relate to disability?
- Why do some people feel empowered to speak openly about their disability, while others feel afraid to share?
- What hidden barriers still influence who feels included in the workplace, and who feels like they don’t belong?
These hidden barriers, or invisible forces, can include things like outdated ideas about professionalism, assumptions about what productivity looks like, or a lack of knowledge about how to request accommodations. Often, they aren’t written into policy, but they’re felt in culture and attitudes.
To answer these questions, we’ve been looking at how models of disability have evolved. The old medical model saw disability as a problem within the individual – something to be fixed. The social model, now more widely embraced, shifts the focus to removing barriers in the environment.
Still, in real workplaces, these models often collide. One employee may have spent decades hiding a non-apparent disability, while a younger colleague may feel confident requesting noise-canceling headphones on their first day. Both stories matter. Both hold wisdom. But they don’t always understand each other.
What We’re Hearing
Real-life stories have a powerful way of bringing these issues to life. They remind us that behind every policy or framework is a human experience. One story I can’t stop thinking about is Andrea’s. It also highlights that the more layers of identity a person holds, such as race, gender, class, or disability, the more complex and compounded the barriers can become.
“Diagnosis was a privilege I hadn’t been afforded.”
In her early 40s, Andrea watched her younger coworkers talk openly about ADHD and learning differences. They had language, support, and formal accommodations. She, on the other hand, had silence – not because she chose it, but because for most of her life, the diagnosis didn’t seem accessible, the language didn’t exist in her circles, and the systems weren’t built to recognize or support her needs. When she finally received a diagnosis, it brought a sense of clarity, but also a wave of grief. She grieved the years of self-doubt, burnout, and missed opportunities. She realized she had been navigating invisible barriers her entire career without knowing why things always felt harder than they should.
Andrea’s story is a reminder: disclosure isn’t just about willingness, it’s about access. Access to a diagnosis, to culturally relevant language, to healthcare, and to workplaces that understand and accommodate differences. These access pathways haven’t been available or equitable across generations, geographies, or identities, AND we can’t assume everyone arrives at disclosure from the same starting line.
That’s where intergenerational empathy becomes essential. It means recognizing that our colleagues’ experiences are shaped by the time, systems, and the cultural and social contexts in which they came of age. In the workplace, this might look like withholding judgment when someone is hesitant to share, being curious instead of dismissive, and acknowledging that the road to self-understanding and support may have taken very different turns for each of us.
Across our research and conversations, we’ve noticed recurring points of tension between generations when it comes to understanding and navigating disability in the workplace. Older workers often carry a history of stigma, internalized ableism, or a “don’t ask, don’t tell” mentality rooted in fear of being seen as less capable. In contrast, younger generations, who may have grown up in more disability-positive or inclusive environments, are often more fluent in advocating for their needs and pushing for structural change. This can sometimes lead to misinterpretations across generations, where openness may be seen as entitlement, or silence mistaken for disengagement. These differences are not about fault; they are reflections of the systems and social norms we’ve inherited. Understanding this helps us move from judgment to curiosity, and from disconnection to deeper empathy.
What We’re Taking Forward
If we want truly accessible workplaces, we have to go beyond compliance and build cultures of care. That means:
- Designing for difference, not conformity
- Challenging hidden assumptions about professionalism, productivity, and disclosure
- Centering flexibility over rigidity
- And creating psychological safety—where everyone feels seen, heard, and safe to be themselves
This isn’t about fixing any one generation’s mindset. It’s about learning from each other and creating systems where everyone can thrive.
A Question to Leave You With
We all have a role to play in making space for difference, for dignity, and for one another.
What’s one thing you can do to make your workplace more accessible and inclusive, for all ages, all identities, and all kinds of disability experience?
It might be as small as pausing before making a judgment. Or as bold as reimagining your onboarding process. Whatever the step, do it with intention. Small actions create big shifts.
Where We’re Sharing This Work
We’re honoured to be presenting this work at the International Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism Conference at Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland. I look forward to connecting with others navigating these questions from both lived experience and leadership roles.