Why I’m committed to driving accessibility in the working world

On 21 May, we celebrated Global Accessibility Awareness Day. Many of you know that this is a topic very near to my heart because it is central to belonging and inclusiveness. And if we get it right, it’s the key to a much better, diverse and enriched world.

Whether in our work or personal environments, we all seek out surroundings that make us feel like we belong; where we are more motivated and can build social connections and team without inhibitions. Research shows that diverse perspectives drive better business outcomes, and when people feel a sense of belonging at work, they are healthier and more engaged. But what does this have to do with accessibility?

The importance of accessibility

For me, accessibility means that everyone, across physical and mental differences, has the same access to opportunities and advancement, both at work and in society. In many cases the compliance aspect of visible accessibility needs – for example, ramps and parking places – are taken care of. However, we need to move beyond compliance and into a behavioural mindset shift.

The Global Accessibility Awareness day hopefully facilitated many powerful conversations about accessibility in the digital world and the creation of a more inclusive society. Leaders have a big role to play in deepening our focus on accessibility.

According to the 2011 WHO World Report on Disability, about 15% of the world's population lives with some form of disability. But most disabilities are not visible or do not have a physical manifestation. So how do you make your workplace accessible for everyone when you may not know what disability someone has? Sometimes it just requires broader thinking and not making assumptions that everyone can see as well as everyone else, or learns the same way or hears equally well, or any number of other things that many people take for granted. Accessibility can come in many different forms and sometimes can manifest, for example, as flexibility in the workplace. 

I have two examples that have impacted my outlook on accessibility. My eight-year-old niece was diagnosed two years ago with a neuro difference. She, however, attends a mainstream school and has been given a flexible school schedule and allocated one-on-one help to support her needs. The school district accommodated her individual needs so she can get as much out of her experience as possible.  

My second example is - me. In the first grade, I was diagnosed with a learning disability – now referred to as a learning difference. I am keenly aware that my learning style is not as straight forward as compared to many others. My family and schools have supported my learning journey and in my professional career. EY has supported and empowered me to excel, leveraging my innate strengths and allowing me flexibility to work in a way that enriched my development and experiences thus, an opportunity to thrive.  

Moving the needle on accessibility at the workplace

We need to extend the environment of belonging and truly enable accessibility in our workplaces. We need to move beyond the traditional interpretation of accessibility that is limited to compliance and the visible aspects of needs, shifting mindsets and behaviour. We also need better awareness and greater flexibility. When we empower people to work when, where and how they want to, disabilities are more easily accommodated yet output and impact remains high. Only when we have optimized our mindset can we truly create a culture of belonging. 

Mary Elizabeth Porray is the EY Global Delivery Services Client Service Leader, leading a team of more than 30,000 Advisory, Assurance, Transaction, Tax, Technology and Knowledge professionals who work with EY teams to deliver services for our clients’ most complex business issues and help enable these clients to thrive in the transformative age. She is a member of EY’s Global Diversity and Inclusiveness Steering Committee.