In a recent newsletter, I wrote about the politics of disability identity in the workplace. The response was strong. Many of you told me it struck a chord because it reflected what you see every day: some staff feel safe to identify, others stay silent. Stigma, fear of career impact, and exhaustion all shape that decision.
The choice to identify – or not – has real consequences. It affects who gets heard, whose experiences are counted, and how inclusion work lands.
Now September is here, and in many organisations that means one thing: planning for the International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) in December.
The same questions appear each year:
- What event should we hold?
- Who should we invite to speak?
- What should we post on social media?
None of these questions are wrong. Visibility matters. Events can spark awareness. But here’s the catch: if people with disability don’t feel safe to identify in your workplace, those events risk becoming a performance.
Why identity matters for IDPwD
IDPwD plays out differently depending on workplace culture.
- For some staff, it’s a chance to stand up, claim pride, and share experiences.
- For others, it’s pressure to disclose. A spotlight they never asked for.
That’s why identity politics matters here. It’s not just about whether you hold an event, it’s about whether your culture gives people a real choice to participate — or whether they feel pushed into visibility.
If staff don’t feel safe, no event in December will fix that. In fact, it can deepen mistrust.
Why a day isn’t enough
Barriers don’t appear on 3 December and vanish on the 4th. Staff with disability don’t live in “day-long” cycles of accessibility.
When inclusion work is tied mainly to IDPwD, three things happen:
- Disabled people feel spotlighted but not supported. They see their stories used for awareness without change following.
- Organisations get a PR boost without shifting culture. There’s a post, a photo, maybe a panel — and then silence.
- The same barriers remain in January. The system resets to business as usual.
IDPwD can be a spark, but it cannot be the whole fire.
The politics of performance
There’s an uncomfortable truth many organisations avoid. When staff don’t feel safe to identify, IDPwD events can feel like they’re staged for the benefit of everyone else.
- Disabled staff may watch colleagues applaud a speaker while quietly managing the same barriers described on stage.
- Non-disabled staff may leave thinking “we’ve done our bit,” while the work environment stays unchanged.
- Leaders may feel satisfied by the optics, without looking at whether power, budget, or culture have shifted.
That is the politics of performance. It looks like inclusion, but it doesn’t change inclusion.
A better way to plan
If you’re beginning to plan for December, ground your efforts in the reality of identity politics.
- Connect the day to strategy. Use December to launch, test, or report on actions in your Disability Inclusion Action Plan. Don’t isolate it as a one-off.
- Share progress, not slogans. Instead of saying “we value inclusion,” show what’s changed: adjustments delivered faster, recruitment practices improved, accessibility built in from the start.
- Respect choice. Don’t pressure staff with disability to speak or disclose. Make space, but never make it compulsory.
- Pay for expertise. If you invite speakers, pay them. Visibility without value is exploitation.
- Build continuity. Plan what will carry through into January and beyond. The day should be part of a cycle, not the full cycle.
Why September matters
September is the point where you decide.
Will IDPwD in your workplace be a photo opportunity, or will it be a milestone in a bigger shift?
If you only plan for a day, you’ll repeat the cycle in 2025. If you prepare for change, IDPwD can become a visible marker of progress that’s happening year-round.
Looking further ahead
Here’s the question I want you to sit with:
By the time IDPwD comes around in 2026, what will be different in your workplace?
- Will the same barriers be there, explained away with the same excuses?
- Or will you be able to show evidence that identity is respected, pride is possible, and systems have shifted?
If you keep repeating the same activities, the answers won’t change. If you refine your actions now, the story in 2026 can look different.
Over to you
As your organisation plans this October and November, ask:
👉 If staff with disability don’t feel safe to identify, what exactly are you celebrating in December?
👉 By the time December arrives, what progress will you be proud to share that shows change, not performance?
Because the best way to mark International Day of People with Disability is not with a slogan, but with proof.
