Navigating the workforce through a multi-marginalized person’s lens
by Director of Employment Programs, Marly Saade
August, 2024
“I don’t like Arabs”, “Are you stupid,“ and “She can’t do that because she’s wheelchair-bound,” are some of the least offensive examples of discrimination I’ve experienced in the workplace. I am not the only person to experience a blatant or non-blatant form of discrimination because having multi-marginalized identities that intersect is the lived experience of many other South Carolina residents.
My name is Marly, and I am a Lebanese American Disabled woman living in the US since 2000, having obtained citizenship in 2010. In 2007 I was in a car accident where I sustained a T10-T12 Spinal Cord Injury. As a minority woman who acquired her disability, it took years to replace the hurt, fear, and anger with something more productive. That is why I’ve chosen my career path and what has landed me in the Director of Employment Programs role at Able SC, a disability-led organization seeking transformational change.
Today, I’m going to share my journey as a minority woman with a disability, attempting to navigate the workforce with a focus on navigating racially and disability-related bigoted interactions, while providing perspective and resources.
Relationships with employers and staff are protected for a reason. I once worked for a telecommunication company where a man watched me for months before building the courage to speak. The first thing he said to me was, “Why are you in a wheelchair if you can move your legs?”. My disability is constantly questioned, to the point where I sometimes try not to use the movements I have. My disability isn’t the only thing in question though, because my looks and name are ambiguous enough that my ethnicity has always been questioned. One day, at the same telecommunication company, my cubicle neighbor and I talked about our family history with immigration. Next thing I know, she states, “I don’t like those people,” referring to Arabs. I reminded her that I was Arab, and her answer was, “Yes, but Marly, you are an American citizen now, right?”. I said, “Yes, but that doesn’t mean I am not Lebanese”. In their mind obtaining citizenship somehow erased my origin story. I imagine it is due to discomfort with associating with an Arab person. Unfortunately, being Arab is automatically associated with Islam and terrorism. To clarify, being Arab does not mean you are part of the Islamic religion and neither of those identities mean that you are a terrorist.
I have other examples of both micro and macro aggressions in the workplace. I’ve been told, “You look Arab when you have eye makeup on,” and I once had an employer who bragged about the demographic of their preferred team; think of a preferred age, gender, and racial group. My personal favorite is when a white male coworker stated they were doing their part because they were marrying a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color) woman and working to help people with disabilities.
Experience yields knowledge, I’ve learned a few things to help me through uncomfortable situations. In personal life, responses can be uncensored, but at work, an uncensored response could get you fired.
So, how do you advocate for yourself while maintaining composure?
Some of the essential lessons I’ve learned include:
1. The difference between reacting and responding: To react is to proceed in a panic, whereas responding is more about pausing, processing, planning, and proceeding. Reacting comes from our emotions, whereas responding comes from knowing those feelings are there and still being able to manage them. Learning to use your voice effectively can take time, but once you find your footing, armed with knowledge, it can “lessen the likelihood that the emotion will control you”. Source: A Simple Formula for Responding Not Reacting – The Growth Equation)
2. Arm yourself with disability pride and knowledge: Disability pride doesn’t come easy or naturally when ableism is so prevalent. However, there is power in having a disability and all of us must explore how our disability can be yielded when we own it. Learning your rights and responsibilities is essential in the workplace. Learn about the history of disability rights and civil rights movements and the laws created to protect you against discrimination in the workplace The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 & The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as Amended) are great places to start. Don’t be afraid to protect yourself and document every interaction!
3. Local, regional, and national resources: People with disabilities created Centers for Independent Living (CIL) for people with disabilities and offer a wide range of Independent Living, Information & Referral, Peer Support, Transition, and Advocacy services through a consumer-driven approach. South Carolina, has Able SC, Walton Options for Independent Living, and AccessAbility. Services from Cil to Cil vary depending on resources but all can help with researching, applying for, and preparing for an interview. They can guide you in learning about the ADA and responsibilities related to disclosure, interactive discussion, reasonable accommodations, and more!
4. Other South Carolina employment resources include Hire Me SC.
5. More paralysis-specific resources include the South Carolina Spinal Cord Injury Association (SCSCIA), and The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.
Advocating for ourselves is exhausting, and having a multi-marginalized identity makes it more exhausting. Whether you were born as a minority person with a disability or acquired your disability over time, you are NOT the problem; not when society has yet to learn true inclusion. Our race, ethnicity, and disability are not the problem, and learning to educate, equip, and advocate is the only way forward.
This blog post was created through Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Funding.