The scenario plays out every day in the workplace: a seemingly bright and motivated employee continues making mistakes. Typically, the worker has average or above average intelligence – but like 10 per cent of the Canadian population, he or she has a learning disability.

“To look at that person, you would have no idea they had a disability,” says Arlana Guiler, information and resources co-ordinator for the Learning Disabilities Association of Alberta (Calgary chapter.)

“It’s what is called an invisible disability.”

Problems centre around comprehending written or verbal instructions, communicating, retaining information, organization and the ability to focus or concentrate on work.



Across the country as demands in the workplace grow, workers are calling for help.

“A lot of these people are desperate,” says Guiler. “They are not performing. They know it. And the boss knows it. And they don’t know what to do.”

Should they tell the boss they have a learning disability?

If so, what will happen to them?

Should they admit they have a difficult time spelling or making mathematical computations? That the word “contact” and “contract” sound terribly similar? Or that they mix up or forget names in less than a minute?

“The thing is, these people are quite smart, and maybe in high school and university they found ways to cope, to get around their disabilities,” says Guiler. “But now in the workplace, it has caught up with them.”

Earlier this year, as a step to help increase awareness, the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada (LDAC) redefined its definition of a learning disability.

Genetic research and studies of the brain show that the problems have a neurological basis, are genetic, and won’t go away, said the association.

“Learning disabilities result from impairments in one or more processes related to perceiving, thinking, remembering or learning.”

As information slowly filters out to organizations, the hope is that more employers will examine ways to help accommodate workers who have been perceived as lazy, sloppy, disorganized, stubborn or uncaring.

“Subtle social cues that most of us pick up from voice inflections, facial expressions and body language can be missed by many of these individuals, as can dry humour and innuendo,” Carol McMullen, an Ontario-based learning disabilities specialist, wrote in an LDAC newsletter last year.

McMullen added: “As workplace awareness increases, some managers may be wondering what magic tests their personnel departments could acquire to ensure that their companies inadvertently hire none of these unfortunate souls.

“But that’s not the point at all. There may be only one small area of weakness, and most of these difficulties can be corrected much more easily than can alcohol, health or family problems, lack of motivation, incompetence or personality conflicts on the job.”

For example, a worker who has a problem concentrating may only require a quieter area of office space, says Guiler. A person who is troubled with numbers might just need someone to double-check their work. Reading comprehension issues may be overcome by highlighting key instructions or through oral reaffirmation.

“Often the solution is quite simple and costs very little,” says Guiler.

“And learning disabilities are not necessarily a bad thing in the workplace. Part of the definition of ‘learning disabled’ is that these people have an IQ that is average, or above average. They may have problems, but they are also very good at thinking outside the box, very good at creative solutions.”

This fall, the Calgary chapter will create an adult information/support group to help learning-disabled individuals. A resource guidebook is being developed and employees and employers are urged to call the local chapters in Calgary, Edmonton or Red Deer if they need help.

Perhaps the stickiest questions revolve around self-disclosure. Should workers tell their bosses, human resources departments or unions that they have a learning disability and need help?

That can be complicated.

If the job is going well, there’s likely no need. But as the workplace continues to evolve into a knowledge-based environment, more demands are placed on fewer numbers of workers whose weaknesses can become a problem.

Self-disclosure encompasses a lot of areas, explains Guiler. Most employers aren’t knowledgeable about learning disabilities and neither is society at large.

The affected person needs to understand their disability, be able to explain it and understand the accommodations (workplace modifications) they’d require. They also need a proper professional assessment to prove they have the disability, since it is “invisible.”

“An employer has to accommodate that disability up to the point of creating undue hardship for the employer,” says Guiler. “Undue hardship can be an objective thing. If it’s a small company and it’s going to cost too much to accommodate a person, then that’s undue hardship. If it’s going to create a lot of problems with employee morale, those sorts of areas are a little grey and subject to interpretation.”

Guiler notes that the school system is beginning to help affected students by providing a program plan to address different learning needs. It includes teaching self-advocacy skills – “This is what I have. This is what it means. This is how it can be accommodated.”

In a job interview, Guiler says it might be best to advise the interviewer about the learning disability.

If you have a problem that makes you perform poorly in an interview, disclosure may work in your favour.

It may also help if you are hired, adds Guiler. If you haven’t revealed the disability, then get the job and then ask for accommodations, the employer may feel that you were “hiding something,” not being truthful.

On all fronts, creating awareness is a key element in understanding the different problems people incur.

The need was amplified for Guiler who received a disturbing call earlier this year.

A woman asked for information that she could give to her boss, to help him understand the problem better and realize that about 80,000 Calgarians have some type of learning disability.

The woman said she had disclosed her disability at work. But the boss began using it against her, teasing the woman. Then other employees picked up on it and picked on her as well.

Sad and revealing, the anecdote suggests the workplace still has many disabilities to deal with.