9th December 2024

Written by Disabilities Representative, Justyna  Borkowska-Rozanska

“REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS ARE JUST A WAY OF GETTING OUT OF WORKING AS HARD AS OTHERS?!”

My 21-year-old son has a habit of saying out loud to me the most discriminatory statements as a joke and the title is his most recent one. However, it made me pause and reflect on how many healthy people are likely to think this way seriously.

Living with a disability—whether a chronic illness, physical condition, mental health challenge, or neurodiversity—demands far more energy than living as a healthy person. For those who don’t face these challenges, it can be hard to fully comprehend how draining it is to manage everyday life while rationing energy to cope with chronic pain, fatigue, anxiety, or the mental strain of being neurodivergent and masking in a neurotypical world. Healthy individuals often take their seemingly endless energy and ability to recover quickly for granted – luxuries that people with disabilities simply don’t have. A short-term illness might offer a short insight into this reality, but it barely scratches the surface of what living with a disability entails.

Many disabled individuals identify as “spoonies,” a term inspired by The Spoon Theory, a concept introduced by Christine Miserandino in 2003. In her essay, Miserandino used spoons as a metaphor for units of energy to explain how her lupus impacts her daily life. The theory helps to convey how even the simplest tasks—like brushing teeth or taking a shower—can consume a significant amount of energy for someone with a disability, whereas healthy people might accomplish these activities without a second thought.

In this metaphor, everyone starts the day with a certain number of spoons, representing their energy levels. A healthy person might use just a fraction of a spoon on their morning routine, but someone with a disability may need to spend several spoons just to get out of bed, prepare for the day, and eat breakfast. As the day goes on, energy is used up quickly, and unexpected challenges can deplete their remaining spoons, leaving no reserves for essential evening activities like cooking or personal care.

Sometimes, people with disabilities “borrow” spoons from the next day to get through particularly demanding situations. However, this comes with an extortionate cost—energy debt. The next day, they may find themselves utterly depleted, risking exhaustion, burnout, or emotional breakdowns and meltdowns.

Although sleep is the main way to restore energy, many disabilities interfere with restful sleep. Conditions like chronic pain (from migraines, arthritis, or endometriosis), racing thoughts (linked to ADHD, anxiety, or depression), restless feet syndrome, sleep apnea, or insomnia can prevent full recovery, leading to a cycle of chronic low energy and increasing fatigue.

For instance, imagine someone starting their day with 12 spoons—a relatively good day. It might take 2 spoons to get out of bed and prepare for the day, 3 spoons to shower and eat breakfast, 3 more for housework, and another 3-4 for errands. By midday, all 12 spoons are gone. If they work that day working time would replace part of housework and errands — barely enough to make it through. If the shift is particularly challenging, requiring them to deal with emergencies or unexpected stressors, they may end up borrowing 2 – 4 spoons from the next day. This leaves them facing the following morning with even fewer resources to get through the day.

The number of spoons a person starts with, the energy required for different tasks, and their ability to recover vary from person to person. Some may replenish energy through other means, such as rest or self-care, but living with a disability demands constant planning and pacing to manage limited resources.

The Spoon Theory provides a powerful way to explain why individuals with invisible or non-disclosed disabilities are often unfairly perceived as lazy, unreliable, or disorganized. It also underscores the necessity of workplace accommodations, ensuring that employees with disabilities—both visible and invisible—have the support they need to work effectively and equitably alongside their healthy colleagues. Reasonable adjustments at work allow to even out the ‚playing field’ and optimise the working conditions for people with disabilities to be able to perform their jobs with the same efficiency and similar (not less!) effort to healthy workers.

Remember, your employer has a duty under the Equality Act to put reasonable adjustments in place. If you face difficulties seeking reasonable adjustments, or want advice on how to navigate this, please contact your Union. If you are not already a union member – join us! Whatever your job role in the veterinary sector, the BVU is here for you, we are stronger together.

In solidarity,

Justyna Borkowska – Rozanska

BVU Disabilities Representative