Inclusion at Work Week: What Does Real Inclusion Feel Like?

Inclusion at Work Week is a good time to pause and think about what feeling safe, valued, and supported at work actually looks like.

If you’re someone who lives with disability, neurodivergence, chronic health concerns, or you’re part of a community that often faces misunderstanding, you might already know how hard it can feel to bring up your needs at work. You might worry you’ll be judged, ignored, or seen as 'too much trouble.' Those feelings are real, and you’re not alone in them.

What does 'inclusion' mean?

A truly inclusive workplace starts with understanding that everyone works differently. Flexibility, honesty, and support should be normal parts of the workplace. You shouldn’t have to apologise for needing adjustments, different communication styles, or a setup that helps you do your best.

Questions to ask during an interview:

Inclusion also means you get to ask questions and expect clear answers. If you’re heading into a job interview or trying to get a sense of your current workplace, it’s completely okay to ask things like:

• “How do you support employees with different needs?”

• “What flexibility is available if I need it?”

• “Who can I talk to if I feel uncomfortable or unsafe?”

You deserve to feel heard when you ask these questions.

You deserve a workplace where you feel safe being honest about what you need.

My parents/network think I'm 'just being sensitive'.

If you’ve ever tried to share your experiences at work with someone close to you and gotten the response, “You’re just being too sensitive,” it can feel like a punch in the stomach.

When people dismiss what you’re going through, it can make you question whether your feelings are valid or whether you’re making things bigger than they are. But here’s the truth: your perspective matters, and you know your own body, mind, and boundaries better than anyone else.

Sometimes the people in your life don’t fully understand the impact of a comment, a tone, a lack of support, or a barrier that stops you from doing your best work. They might mean well, but their experiences are not your experiences. Just because they haven’t lived with disability, neurodivergence, anxiety, chronic pain, or any other challenge doesn’t mean the challenges you face are imaginary.

Feeling unsafe or unsupported at work isn’t about sensitivity. It’s about dignity, respect, and your right to work without fear of being judged or disadvantaged.

Things are changing:

Awareness, legislation, and lived-experience voices have grown stronger. More employers now understand that inclusion isn’t just a policy; it’s a culture. There’s a noticeable shift toward normalising flexible work, offering assistive technologies, and encouraging people to speak openly about barriers. Many workplaces now have Diversity and Inclusion groups, lived-experience advisors, and mental health supports that didn’t exist a decade ago.

Even in regional Western Australia, these changes are becoming more visible. Smaller communities often know each other well, and that can make conversations about support feel easier or harder depending on the environment. But you can see more employers making a real effort to listen, to adapt roles, to create safe spaces, and to value skills over assumptions.

There are more pathways into local work for people with disability, more acceptance of different working styles, and more recognition that everyone deserves not just employment, but dignity.

If you yourself are currently looking for a job, or are about to graduate school and enter the workforce, we might be able to assist! A few of our regions offer SLES and finding and Keeping a Job supports. Get in touch to find out more.