The National Day of Struggle for People with Disabilities – September 21 – was established by social movements in 1982 and officially recognized by Law No. 11,133 of July 14, 2005. The date was chosen for its proximity to the beginning of spring (September 23), as well as its coincidence with Arbor Day, both dates representing rebirth and symbolizing the renewal of demands for citizenship, inclusion, and full participation in society.
Certainly, it is essential that the discussion of this issue remains present. Recognizing individual and collective differences and needs and promoting inclusion in any activity are key steps to expanding access to all types of social, educational, and professional activities.
Inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace
According to the 2010 Census, about 24% of the Brazilian population reported having at least one type of disability, whether visual, hearing, motor, or mental/intellectual. Despite the legal requirement to include people with disabilities in companies with more than 100 employees, only 1% are employed.
Here are some data:
19.9% of people with disabilities feel that companies focus more on their disabilities than on their skills during hiring.
19.1% believe that companies do not offer career development plans for people with disabilities.
10.8% notice a lack of accessibility in the company.
Six types of accessibility
There are numerous actions to facilitate access and coexistence for people with disabilities. Below are some types of accessibility and suggestions for their application:
Architectural accessibility: Promotes the adaptation of spaces and the elimination of physical and environmental barriers.
Actions: Provide ramps, elevators, adapted restrooms, sidewalks with tactile paving, adequate acoustics, braille signage, among others.
Communicational accessibility: Aims to eliminate communication barriers, whether face-to-face, digital, or written.
Actions: Offer sign language classes, interpreters at internal events, image audiodescription, accessible internal channels and announcements, among others.
Methodological accessibility: Refers to pedagogical accessibility, the absence of barriers in teaching or study methodologies and techniques.
Actions: In companies, this is present in training sessions with interpreters. It’s also possible to provide institutional materials like the company’s code of ethics, mission, vision, and values in various accessible formats, such as audio, braille, among others.
Instrumental accessibility: Refers to eliminating barriers in tools and instruments.
Actions: Provide computers with screen reader software, adapted pens, appropriately sized desks, among others.
Programmatic accessibility: Relates to the organization’s rules and policies.
Actions: Review policies and make necessary adaptations to meet everyone’s needs.
Attitudinal accessibility: Involves behavior free of prejudice, stereotypes, stigma, and discrimination.
Actions: Literacy programs, awareness campaigns, lectures, among others.
Steps to make a company an inclusive environment
Tuper understands the challenges that employees with disabilities may encounter in an industrial environment. Aware of the barriers, the company has sought to identify critical points and implement actions to reduce them and offer opportunities. Currently, about 5.4% of its workforce consists of people with disabilities.
It’s important for the organization to involve leadership and teams to create a truly inclusive environment where people feel welcome and respected. Ideally, everyone should be recognized for their professional skills and not judged by their differences.
Currently, Tuper provides sign language interpreters to facilitate communication between employees who need this service.
What you can do daily
First, use the correct term: Person with Disability (Pessoa com Deficiência, or PcD). This designation was defined by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, approved on December 13, 2006, by the UN General Assembly. It was ratified in Brazil, with the equivalence of a constitutional amendment, by Legislative Decree No. 186/2008 and promulgated by Decree No. 6,949/2009.
Additionally, avoid using terms and expressions considered ableist, such as the ones below:
“The excuse of the cripple is the crutch” – commonly used to refer to lazy people avoiding work, this phrase makes a reference to disability and the need for a “crutch” to do or not do things.
“Are you deaf?” – often used jokingly when someone doesn’t hear or understand what’s been said, but it carries an undertone of contempt and devalues people who are deaf.
“You are an inspiration to the team” – frequently heard in corporate environments, this phrase uses a person with a disability as inspiration for performing the same tasks as a person without disabilities, reinforcing devaluation and promoting a false equivalency.
“You don’t even seem to have a disability” – disguised as a compliment, this phrase defines the person by their disability, ignoring their entire set of capabilities.
Therefore, aim to eliminate these expressions from your vocabulary and maintain an educated and cordial relationship with colleagues to promote a more inclusive environment.
For more information:
Here are some websites that offer information on inclusion:
PCD Legal – a virtual library with accessible content for everyone, offering knowledge on important topics for the development of citizenship.
[Click to visit]
Pessoas com Deficiência – a website that provides information on laws, inclusion, exemptions, and job vacancies.
[Click to visit]
Deficiente online – a site with information and job vacancies that serves Brazil’s largest companies in hiring people with disabilities.
[Click to visit]
Diário PcD – information on everything related to people with disabilities in Brazil and around the world.
[Click to visit]
To learn about the laws – a site with information on laws and rights for people with disabilities.
[Click to visit]
Brazilian Law for the Inclusion of People with Disabilities
[Click to visit]
About Tuper
With 53 years of experience, Tuper is one of the largest steel processors in Latin America. The company keeps up with market evolution, offering a wide range of products in compliance with the most stringent national and international standards.
Its product portfolio includes solutions for industrial, automotive, civil construction, agribusiness, oil and gas, and solar energy sectors, among others.
Tuper’s steel solutions include structural and industrial tubes, conduit tubes, galvanized conduits, scaffolding tubes, tubes for boilers, condensers, and heat exchangers, drawn tubes, Line Pipe API 5L and Casing API 5CT. Additionally, the company produces quick-connection tubular piles, steel roofing, structural profiles, ribbed composite slabs, scaffolding, metal props, slat walls, slitters, and solutions for the photovoltaic sector. Rounding out the product catalog are automotive parts and components, welded assemblies, and aftermarket exhaust systems and catalytic converters.
Tuper’s journey has been marked by determination, boldness to create innovative solutions, and a commitment to offering excellent products across all segments it serves.
Learn more about Tuper.
