Embracing Inclusion, One Session at a Time

I recently had the privilege of conducting a disability awareness session for the UNICEF Sri Lanka team. It reminded me of the first disability awareness session I facilitated as a Master’s student in Disability Studies at Flinders University. That session, designed for Australia Awards scholars in their Introductory Academic Program, was a turning point for me. With the support of my lecturers, I learned how to translate my personal experiences into practical guidance on inclusive practices. Their mentorship shaped the advocate I am today—committed to making workplaces more inclusive, one session at a time.  

When preparing for the UNICEF session, I focused on making disability inclusion practical and actionable while grounding it in real experiences. Most importantly, I wanted to emphasize a fundamental truth—people with disabilities are human first. We have ambitions, skills, and responsibilities like anyone else, and achieving real inclusion in the workplace requires equity, not just accessibility.  

As a person with a disability, I know that expecting a fully inclusive work environment at all times is unrealistic. Inclusion is an ongoing process that requires continuous effort, feedback, and adjustment. How can employers address the challenges we face if we don’t voice them? However, even with the right policies, attitudinal barriers remain one of the biggest obstacles.  

Beyond the usual workplace struggles—competition for recognition, office politics, and the challenge of finding meaningful work—employees with disabilities face additional layers of difficulty. Accessibility barriers and unconscious bias add to the burden. We are often assigned low-priority tasks, overlooked for growth opportunities, or made to feel like a burden rather than an asset. On top of all this, we are more vulnerable to workplace politics because we have already started from a disadvantaged position. Disability awareness among staff is crucial—it helps create an environment where we are seen, valued, and given equal opportunities to thrive.  

My goal is to promote disability awareness across as many organizations as possible. I want to encourage companies to recruit and support more people with disabilities, not out of charity but because employment is a human right.