The Future of Work is Now for Talent with Disabilities

October marks Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM), which is a meaningful time of the year for Disability:IN because it honors the contributions of talent with disabilities.

When most people think about diversity and inclusion, they likely first think of racial or gender representation, and rightly so. However, there are 1.3 billion people with disabilities worldwide -- 70% of whom have non-apparent disabilities, yet people with disabilities are so often missing from the diversity and inclusion conversation.

We’re all familiar with the challenges of the past several years, but think about people with disabilities who have been adapting to challenging situations their entire lives. Every single day. In a world that’s not always inclusive.

The Great Resignation, a byproduct of the pandemic, has led to millions of workers leaving their jobs. As a result, companies are looking more broadly for talent and this presents an opportunity to hire, retain and advance workers with disabilities. 

Young job seekers with disabilities in particular want to work where their contributions are valued, their diversity of thought is celebrated and they can be part of an inclusive culture characterized by a sense of belonging. 

So if you’re “IN” for building an equitable and inclusive environment then the next step is to engage your disability employee resource group and register to participate in the Disability Equality Index. The DEI helps companies build a roadmap of measurable, tangible actions that they can take to achieve disability inclusion and equality. Each company receives a score, on a scale of zero (0) to 100, with those earning 80 and above recognized as “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion.” Registration for the 2023 DEI is open now.

What we’ve learned from the DEI over time is that:

• Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Some companies use the DEI to drive almost-overnight disruptive change that spans policies, benefits, leadership, hiring goals, communications, and outreach. 
• For some, disability inclusion is a slow evolution that involves incremental changes to corporate structure. 
• However, some low-scoring, high-profile companies use the DEI to reflect and regroup. They take their low score on the DEI to improve internal culture and then come back as top-scoring companies a few years later. 
• But regardless of how a company gets to the top, it takes work to stay there. Without intentional persistence to stay abreast of emerging trends, companies can fall behind in their inclusion efforts. 
• And yes, these corporate efforts will pay off. An Accenture study showed that companies that champion disability inclusion report higher profitability and shareholder returns.

I’m hopeful that as we build the future of work there will be wider recognition that disability is a strength and a competitive advantage to business. The time is now and DEAM is an opportunity for businesses to put their stamp on the future of work by building an equitable and inclusive world for all.

We invite you to Join “IN” and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Celebrate Disability Employment Awareness Month (#DEAM 2022) on social media by participating our October INclusion challenge and other initiatives. Learn more here.