Kieran Duignan

Puri and Palmer (2005) propose research into coaching which may be a potential solution for improving the level of retention of employees with disabilities. They ground their case on their reading of The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 (the ‘DDA’).

The approach to coaching about employees with disabilities outlined below is rooted in the psychology of Pragmatism*. Unavoidably, this approach is shaped by the business I’m in, which is to help leaders and others to make their particular workplaces safe, attractive and effective; coaching offered to comply with the DDA is an integral part of this business. While I am interested in, and reasonably familiar with, laws regularising employment, my approach to coaching about employees with disabilities addresses a wider range of values rather than the ambiguous one of legal compliance - for, in the ‘real world’, it is for a court to determine this in any particular situation.

While several values may appropriately guide coaching in this domain, I will select two for the present discussion: fairness and safety.

Full article: Volume 2, Issue 1 pages 29 - 32