What Does It Mean to Embrace a Difference?

I was once asked if I embrace having cerebral palsy.

My answer?

It’s complicated.

I don’t embrace the fact that my hands tremor every single day without reprieve.

I don’t embrace the constant pain, the exhaustion, or the reality that my body sometimes feels like it is aging faster than I am.

And I definitely don’t embrace the assumptions that can come with being labeled “disabled.”

But I do embrace who I am.

I embrace the creativity that came from spending a lifetime figuring out another way.

I embrace the problem-solving skills I developed from navigating a world that wasn't always designed with me in mind.

And I embrace the opportunity I now have to teach, inspire, and remind others that a diagnosis may explain part of us, but it does not define our dreams or determine our capabilities.

That same idea belongs in the workplace.

Because embracing differences at work shouldn't mean pretending differences don't exist. It means creating an environment where those differences don't automatically become barriers.

Ask instead of assume.

When someone does something differently, don't immediately wonder what they can't do.

Ask, “What would help you do your best work?”

Sometimes one conversation can eliminate a barrier that an employee has been quietly navigating for years.

Be flexible about the route.

Not everyone is going to work, communicate, move, learn, or process information the same way.

That's okay.

If an employee reaches the same destination differently, don't mistake a different route for lesser ability.

Keep the expectations. Be flexible about how someone gets there.

Make accommodations normal.

An accommodation doesn't automatically mean expensive equipment or major workplace changes.

Sometimes it's speech-to-text.

Sometimes it's written instructions, flexibility, a different workspace, or permission to complete a task differently.

Small adjustments can save someone an enormous amount of energy—and allow that energy to go toward doing their job well.

Look beyond the label.

Cerebral palsy tells you something about how my body works.

It doesn't tell you about my ambition.

It doesn't tell you about my creativity, work ethic, sense of humor, leadership, or potential.

A diagnosis is information. It is not a résumé.

That's what my ABLE Framework is really about: changing Attitudes, removing Barriers, challenging Limits, and Envisioning what becomes possible when we stop deciding someone's capabilities before giving them the opportunity to show us.

So, do I embrace every part of cerebral palsy?

No.

But I embrace the person I have become while navigating it.

And maybe that's how we should think about embracing differences at work, too.

We don't have to pretend differences don't come with challenges.

We just have to make sure those challenges don't determine someone's opportunities.

Different isn't less capable.

Sometimes, it's simply another way forward.