Disability Inclusion in the Workplace: The Forgotten Frontier of DEI?
This National Disability Employment Awareness Month, it’s essential for all of us—especially those of us running businesses—to reflect on the importance of inclusivity and the value that diversity brings to our workplaces. The month serves as a reminder that disabilities come in many different forms, some less visible than others, and that we need to ensure our workplaces are open to all, no matter what someone’s specific needs may be. This is not only the right thing to do, but thanks to the unique perspectives they bring, those with disabilities offer incredible contributions to our communities, our businesses and, as a result, our economies.
Observed each October, during National Disability Employment Awareness Month, or “NDEAM,” we celebrate the value and talent workers with disabilities add to the USA’s workplaces and economy. With this year’s official theme: “Access to Good Jobs for All,” NDEAM’s purpose is to ensure disabled workers have access to good jobs–not just this month, but every month of every year!
Recent studies reveal that hiring people with disabilities is not only a moral imperative but also a powerful business strategy. As our network member Nancy Geenen, CEO of Flexability, pointed out:
“Since the first study by Disability and Accenture, the business case for hiring persons with disabilities has become even stronger. Companies that lead on key disability inclusion criteria have realized 1.6x more revenue, 2.6x more net income, and 2x more economic profit than others who participate in Disability’s annual survey.”
These statistics highlight that fostering a diverse workforce isn’t just good for society; it’s also incredibly beneficial for business performance. So no, it’s not about charity–inclusion is always a win-win.
Flexability is a WBE in our network that offers specialized DEI consulting services to uncover the nuanced realities of your workplace and craft strategies to address disparities and build inclusivity, all while building high-performing teams. They started out with a focus on inclusion of those with disabilities and now cover all kinds of inclusion: from race to sexual orientation. The reality is that all of these overlapping and intersecting identities that we can possess as individuals not only bring unique needs and sometimes barriers, but also an enriched and deepened perspective to the workplace that cannot be replaced. As Nancy told us previously in the interview we conducted with Nancy during Pride month:
“When I’m building a team, I’m trying to create a working environment where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. So, it starts with the individual. As a manager, I want managers and leaders to be curious, ask questions, and focus on removing barriers and obstacles in the way of success. Great leaders understand the WHY and provide opportunities and tools for each individual to thrive uniquely.”
As WBEs, we have the opportunity to set a precedent for making our workplaces welcoming to those with disabilities so that they can benefit from the opportunity of working for you, while you benefit from what they can contribute to your company. By creating an environment that values contributions from everyone, we can drive innovation, enhance problem-solving, and ultimately achieve greater success. However, while conversations around race, gender, and sexual orientation are finally becoming more mainstream, disability is unfortunately often forgotten–even in discussions about diversity and inclusion.
And so, since we could all do with a refresh, here are a few ways we can make the workplaces we exist in become not only more inclusive but more desirable for those of our colleagues who live with some sort of disability (which is a lot more of us than many may think!):
- Raise Awareness: Share resources and information about disability rights and inclusion, as well as about the needs and accommodations about specific disabilities, within your workplace to ensure all are more mindful about what they can do or avoid doing.
- Educate Your Teams: Organize workshops and training sessions to educate employees about disabilities and inclusivity. Understanding different abilities can create a more empathetic workplace environment.
- Implement Inclusive Hiring Practices: Review your hiring practices to ensure they are inclusive. This includes using accessible language in job descriptions, providing reasonable accommodations, and actively recruiting from diverse talent pools.
- Listen and Learn: The most important thing of all is actually stopping to listen to employees or colleagues to find out what would make their working lives that little bit easier. Wheelchair access is perhaps the first thing that comes to mind which is critical for wheelchair users, but accommodating for those with disabilities doesn’t stop there. From dyslexia to autism to hearing or visual impairments, ensure you know which disabilities your team members have, or at least consider the potential disabilities people around you may have that you don’t know about, and go from there.
Looking Ahead
As WBEs, we can and should lead the charge in creating workplaces where all individuals can not only be accommodated and welcomed, but where they can thrive.
The journey toward inclusion is never-ending. We will never “finish.” We can never consider it a job done. And each step we take contributes to a more equitable society. Together, we can build a future that recognizes the strengths and talents of all individuals, regardless of their abilities.
We must commit to building a more inclusive future for everyone. Let’s harness the power of our collective voices and actions to champion disability awareness, not just this month but every day of the year. Together, we can make a difference that resonates throughout our communities and beyond.
To finish with a final quote from Nancy Geenen which resumes all of the above perfectly in a way that we can all relate to, whether or not we identify as disabled:
“I know what it feels like to be othered. I may not understand your personal experience, but I understand the experience of being picked last or being excluded. On a human level, regardless of our personal experiences, the biases or the microaggressions we encounter daily feel the same.”