Stigma guidance
Language Selector

Note: this is a third-party automated tool and may occasionally make mistakes.

← Stigma reduction approaches Download this page as a PDF

Changing organisational culture

Organisations can limit opportunities for people with a disability, either intentionally or unintentionally, and compound stigma.

This cuts across working with health, education, political, business, and employment structures. It might also include work with national partners, including organisations of people with disabilities.

This approach can be about changing organisational systems: the procedures, policies and processes within an organisation. For example, implementing workplace policies that provide for reasonable accommodation, and prioritising a budget for this.

It can also be about changing organisational culture: influencing the norms and shared values and beliefs that shape how people work within their organisation. These are often unwritten rules which guide expectations and behaviour. For example, people who need flexible working arrangements may be seen as less committed than those who are always office-based.

Good practice can include:

  • Ensuring organisations and the person with a disability have the necessary training and support
  • Developing and enforcing disability workplace policies
  • Being clear of roles and responsibilities
  • Providing reasonable accommodation, including access to assistive technology

This approach can help to reduce:

Social stigma.   Internalised stigma.

Structural stigma.

About the four types of stigma

Methods to help change organisational culture

Provide training on disability and gender inclusion

Ensure that addressing stigma is explicitly covered in the training, such as understanding the use of non-stigmatising language when talking about disability.

The delivery or co-delivery of training by people with disabilities is a powerful way to challenge negative views. Consider the capacity strengthening and support that people with disabilities might need to fulfil this role.

Place people with disabilities within organisations

The approach can vary, depending on the organisation and context, and the roles may be paid or voluntary.

It is about providing a platform for people with disabilities to be in direct contact with key people, and offering lived experience. For example, placing an inclusion champion within a partner organisation, or placing people with disabilities in internship roles.

Case study 1
People with disabilities on health committees in Nigeria

As part of Sightsavers’ inclusive family planning programme in Kaduna state, Nigeria, each primary health care facility is supported by a ward development committee responsible for overseeing its operations.

As a result of advocacy, members of disability groups have been placed in these committees, to represent and advocate for the needs of people with disabilities within their communities.

Additionally, organisations of people with disabilities have been integrated into all eight technical working groups of the State Ministry of Health.

This inclusion has been made possible through strong collaboration with government partners, ensuring that people with disabilities are actively involved in health-related decision-making processes: for example, on the domestication of the national sexual reproductive health and rights policy for people with disabilities.

As well as building the capacity of organisations of people with disabilities, a key component of the project has been training committee and working group members, as well as other project partners.

To address discrimination, address yourself first. Training your workplace is a prerequisite. You need to address your own unconscious bias.
Partner staff, Nigeria
Inclusive Futures learning review

Case study 2
Working with businesses in Kenya

Sightsavers’ IT Bridge Academy programme in Nairobi provides IT training to young people with disabilities, aiming to equip them with the skills and confidence to secure jobs in the technology sector. The academy offers a nine-month training course based on a Cisco Networking Academy curriculum, with adjustments made to accommodate students with disabilities.

This partnership aims to address barriers that young people with disabilities face in accessing training and work, including social and structural stigma. In this example, Sightsavers is working to change organisations and their systems to make training more accessible and support transition into work.

Improving labour rights in Kenya: A labour market assessment in Kenya (2019 and 2021), commissioned by Sightsavers, revealed that unemployment and poverty are major challenges facing people with disabilities in the country.

It was estimated that people with disabilities make up less than 2% of the workforce, and UN statistics also show that in developing countries, 80-90% of people with disabilities of working age are unemployed. Social and structural stigma were identified as some of the key barriers to employment.

Sightsavers partnered with East Africa Breweries to improve disability inclusion within the company as part of its strategic vision on inclusion. This included investing in its supplier base to improve representation of underrepresented groups, including those with disabilities.

Training on gender inclusion was delivered by Kenya Female Advisory Organisation, with support from Sightsavers. Training on disability inclusion was delivered by Sightsavers in partnership with United Disabled Persons of Kenya. Under each activity budgeted, reasonable accommodation costs were built into the budget.

When we remove the barriers for people with disabilities, they are able to transit seamlessly into an inclusive workplace environment.
Esther Mkamori, programmes manager
United Disabled Persons of Kenya
← All stigma reduction approaches