The Culture Shift: A Not-So-Secret Mission for Senior Leadership (and a Nudge for Disability Pride Month)

Senior Leadership Executives meet in an office setting.

We’re approaching Disability Pride Month, and I’ve got a mission for all the bigwigs out there. You know who you are - the ones with the corner offices and fancy titles. Now, don’t get all jittery; this mission doesn’t involve capes or secret handshakes (though that would be cool). It’s about leading the charge for disability inclusion. And no, I don’t mean sending out a company-wide email with confetti emojis. 🎉

Let’s get real. A survey by the Business Disability Forum showed that disabled employees are climbing mountains just to get workplace accommodations. Diane Lightfoot, the CEO, said something that made my ears perk up: “Accessibility and inclusion need to be embedded in all aspects of the organization and its culture.” Embedded, like chocolate chips in a cookie, but way more important.

So, senior leaders, here’s your not-so-secret mission:

1. Set Clear Inclusion Goals: I’m talking laser-focused. Not just for Disability Pride Month, but all year round. Because, guess what? Disabilities don’t take vacations.

2. Allocate Resources: Throw in the budget, the manpower, the coffee machines - whatever it takes! Make sure disability inclusion isn’t just a poster on the wall.

3. Lead by Example: No, you don’t need to wear a superhero cape (but again, cool). Just promote an inclusive culture. Attend disability awareness programs, maybe learn a secret handshake or two. When your employees ask for accommodations find a way to say 'Yes' instead of 'Prove it!'

4. Encourage Employee Engagement: Create platforms for employees to share experiences. And listen! You might learn something.

5. Monitor Progress: Keep an eye on how things are going. If it’s not working, change it. If it is, don’t fix what ain’t broke. Listen to disabled employees. Our experiences are valuable. We know what we need. If we're coming to you with a problem, we've been thinking through solutions ahead of time. Trust us.

6. Communicate the Value of Inclusion: Tell everyone how awesome it is to have a diverse workforce. And mean it. Did I mention listening to disabled employees? Our voices should be front and center, but true allyship involves non-disabled employees amplifying our message.

7. Partner with External Organizations: Phone a friend, call an expert, send a carrier pigeon. Get insights from disability advocacy groups.

8. Celebrate and Educate: Use Disability Pride Month as a launchpad. Celebrate achievements, educate the masses, and keep the momentum going.

Remember, Disability Pride Month is more than a calendar event; it’s a call to action. So, senior leaders, grab your metaphorical capes and let’s make every month Disability Pride Month through actions that speak louder than words (or emojis).

Share your thoughts, ideas, and secret handshakes for disability inclusion in the comments below.

Our Stories, Our Images: The Quest for Authentic Disability Representation

The CPSC commissioned new stock photos showing Americans with disabilities using a variety of home safety devices, including portable generators.

As a disabled person, I’m often searching for my reflection in brand messaging. Companies like SKIMS, Gap, Mattel, Inc. and Apple have set benchmarks. Now, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission joins this move toward inclusivity—a cue for all brands to follow.

As The American Association of People with Disabilities President and CEO Maria Town told NPR, the move “brings us closer to embracing that disabled people are everywhere."

"There was a real sense of helping right a wrong and delivering something important for a community that's too often left out of many important conversations." added CPSC Social Media Specialist Joseph Galbo.

And we are.

In our visual-centric world, images mold our perceptions and beliefs. With AI-generated photography, we can portray even more diversity. However, we must avoid compromising authenticity, especially when representing diverse groups, including disabled people. Authentic representation also leads to brand connection and creates job opportunities for disabled models.

Tokenism isn’t the answer. It's not about sporadically featuring a disabled person but about consistently recognizing our existence and contributions. Our lives are a tapestry of unique experiences deserving visibility.

Brands, when you incorporate authentic representation, you're not merely acknowledging us—you're validating us. You're sending a strong message—we matter, we’re a part of society, and our experiences and perspectives are valuable.

This inclusivity encourages other businesses to follow suit. It might inspire a young disabled individual to dream bigger and see limitless possibilities. It could spark conversations about accessibility and inclusivity, nudging society toward equal representation.

So, let's challenge the status quo. Brands, mirror CPSC’s initiative. Show us in your advertisements, not as charity, but as an acknowledgement of our existence and value. Use AI responsibly to assist and amplify authentic representation, not to replace it.

Ultimately, we don’t want special treatment; we want equal treatment. We crave representation that mirrors our diverse experiences authentically. We are more than a checkbox on the diversity and inclusion agenda—we are threads in the intricate fabric of humanity, and it's time our representation reflected that.

It's not just about seeing disabled people in advertising. It's about seeing us as we are. This is our call to action for brands everywhere. Are you listening?

People with disabilities aren't often seen in stock photos. The CPSC is changing that

Return to Office Policies Will Hurt The Disabled Workforce

The quote "No employee should be forced to choose between career advancement and their health where an accommodation exists to mitigate roadblocks." in all caps white lettering behind a faded background of a workstation with a chair and laptop.

“Remote work and remote-work options are something that our community has been advocating for for decades, and it’s a little frustrating that for decades corporate America was saying it’s too complicated, we’ll lose productivity, and now suddenly it’s like, sure, let’s do it,” said Charles-Edouard CATHERINE, director of corporate and government relations for the National Organization on Disability.
—Ben Casselman, The New York Times

A global pandemic made telework necessary. Nobody thought twice about it once the non-disabled workforce was threatened. At USPTO, an agency renowned for its telework program, I was initially asked to provide additional medical documentation in support of my request to modify my telework schedule as the pandemic emerged. Only after the pandemic was declared a national emergency was that request deemed superfluous.

Remote work remains a major victory for the disabled community and we are grateful for the attitudinal shift. As the New York Times points out, the increase in telework is a boon for disabled workers. A newly released study led by Adam Ozimek, Chief Economist at the Economic Innovation Group, found more than 35 percent of disabled Americans ages 18 to 64 had jobs in September. That was up from 31 percent just before the pandemic and is a record in the 15 years the government has kept track.

As long COVID continues to impact the workforce, telework represents a vital support system of opportunity. There were 1.05 million more disabled working-age Americans in August 2022 compared to January 2020, according to data compiled by Richard Deitz, an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Axios reports.

However, despite the enormous win of telework, societally, we have short memories. The return to office efforts many companies are pushing highlights the all-too-pervasive ableist attitudes of many employers. The recent The Wall Street Journal article “The New Rules For Getting Face Time at the Office” notes that while adjustments are being made to accommodate the hybrid nature of pandemic work, there remains an unfair advantage for in-office workers.

“It’s all about being more salient in the boss’s mind,” Jeffrey Pfeffer professor of organizational behavior at Stanford University Graduate School of Business, told WSJ. “Whether it’s fair, you’re increasing your chances of landing high-profile assignments, raises and promotions, simply because your name pops into the heads of those making decisions.”

This divide ultimately leads to disabled employees feeling like second-class citizens in our own jobs. No employee should be forced to choose between career advancement and their health where an accommodation exists to mitigate roadblocks. Leadership needs to make concerted efforts to engage employees and provide equal opportunity regardless of where the work is being done.

Event Recap: Diversability Unplugged: Disability and Ableism in the Workplace

Event Recap: Diversability Unplugged: Disability and Ableism in the Workplace

Thank you to Tiffany A. Yu, MSc, Whitney Bailey, katherine lewis, Arielle Dance, PhD and the team at Diversability® for inviting me to speak on Disability and Ableism in the workplace for #ndeam. An evening of thought-provoking discussion and insights with powerhouse panelists Jacob Levy, Lusik Gasparyan, JD, RBT and Angela Fowler.

If you missed it, the recap and recording are now live!

Event Recap: Diversability Unplugged: Disability and Ableism in the Workplace

#workplace #hiring #disabilityAwareness #Disability #Ableism #disabilityInclusion #DEIA #DEI #ReasonableAccommodations

How To Spot The Best Disability Friendly Workplaces

Last summer I applied for a job with a federal agency. After a panel interview and a reference check, I received a tentative offer letter with pertinent details related to the role; salary, duty station, start date etc. I was told prior to my official onboarding I needed to undergo an additional background check after accepting the position as outlined in my offer letter.

Reading over it, I noticed no mention of telework or remote work options despite being told during my interview that the agency remained in a maximum telework posture.

I followed up with the agency and spoke with my future boss relaying my enthusiasm for joining the team, and disclosed my need for telework as a reasonable accommodation.

“I’d follow up with H.R. about that,” she said.

After several e-mails back and forth, the H.R. Specialist continually refused to acknowledge my request that telework be included in my offer letter prior to signing. As I was not an employee yet, I was told a potential telework schedule could be discussed with my supervisor only after onboarding.

My request for telework became a game of finger pointing and an impossible Catch-22.

This lack of imagination led to my decision to ultimately decline a role that I was otherwise excited to begin.

From this encounter I learned my most valuable lesson as a disabled job candidate. It’s something that I lean into deeply during interviews.

When you make a personal disclosure about a disability to an employer, you’re telling them one thing about you.

How they respond tells you everything you need to know about them.

It’s an amazing sorting hat. Use it.

#jobhunting #ndeam #disabilityawareness #disability #deia #DEI

Action over Optics During NDEAM

Dawn Gibson, Christina Miller, and April Thompson

We’re less than a week into National Disability Employment Awareness Month. The stories of companies talking about the value of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access are everywhere. The truth that far too many of us in the disability community know however, is that for many of them, the goal is optics over action. Looking past the check-the-box mentality employed by so many and digging deeper we recognize awareness of disability employment (or the lack of it) is not really the issue. Apathy and indifference, however, are rampant.

-A woman went viral on TikTok after exposing her employer for not accommodating her for her dyslexia and ADHD, The Daily Dot reports.

-A worker with a back condition was fired from Virginia-based Resource Metrix after she requested an ergonomic chair, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, in a story published by The News & Observer Publishing Company.

-Walt Disney World, is under fire after a Cast Member took them to task in a public Facebook/Meta post for refusing to accommodate her Cerebral Palsy.

These are not isolated instances. Rather, they represent a small fraction of the injustices faced by disabled people in the workplace every day. Further, they underscore what can often feel like a Sisyphean task for the disabled community. Not only do we struggle to find employment, but due to a lack of employer empathy and understanding around reasonable accommodations, we struggle to keep it.

To combat the stigma, many of us don’t disclose, opting instead to work without accommodations and subsequently struggle to perform. Paradoxically, this often leads to being fired, perpetuating the myth that disabled people aren’t cut out for gainful employment. All of this while we watch leadership in our organization tout disability awareness and inclusion from the rooftops.

Meanwhile, the effects of long COVID continue impacting the workforce.

Up to 4 million people are estimated to be out of work because of long COVID symptoms, according to The Brookings Institution's August report.

Between Sept. 14 and Sept. 26, more than one in four adults with long COVID reported significant limitations on day-to-day activities, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

The number jumps closer to 40% for respondents who are Black, Latino or disabled — three groups disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

Employers must do better providing accommodations for employees. 1). It’s the law. 2) As the disability population increases, the demand for them will skyrocket. There’s no turning back and employers need to brace for that eventuality.

Our unique perspectives solve organizational challenges, they don’t create them.

H/t Fiona Lowenstein of Business Insider for this resource.

How to ask for ADA health accommodations at your job, according to 5 workers who have

#leadership #work #disabilityawareness #ndeam #resonableaccommodations #deia #disability

Crist’s Running Mate Says Past Special Ed Experience Qualifies Her to Deal with GOP Legislature

Charlie Crist (D., Fla.) announces his running mate, Karla Hernández-Mats in Hialeah, Fla., August 27, 2022.

"Karla Hernandez-Mats, teachers’ union heavyweight and running mate of Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee Charlie Crist, was caught at a campaign event Tuesday claiming that her experience working with special needs children prepared her to contend with the state’s Republican-dominated 'dysfunctional legislature.'"
-Caroline Downey, National Review

Regardless of politics, nobody should equate Special Education students with "dysfunction" to score cheap points. The irony is, Casey DeSantis coming to the defense of disabled students is laughable when, as Governor, her husband actively refused to enforce mask mandates that would have allowed many of those same students equal access to education.

Zooming out for a moment, I want to talk about language around disability. There is nothing "special" about a disabled student getting the tools, resources, and accommodations they need to succeed academically and I personally cringe when I see the words "special needs" connected to equity and access for disabled people. To borrow a phrase from my friend Emily Ladau, "My only 'special' needs are that I occasionally enjoy being fanned with grapes."

In academia I would love to see a shift toward reframing Special Education as Accessible Education because that's really what it is. Similarly, in the workplace, Reasonable Accommodations can be seen as Productivity Enhancers.

The needs of disabled people are not "extra" or "special", or anything else that would suggest an undue burden on society. We get enough of that feeling on a daily basis simply existing. We don't need it negatively reenforced with language that perpetuates that myth.

Some may see this as splitting hairs. Language is powerful and can and should be a part of how we emphasize, teach, and talk about Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access.

#DEIA, #DEI #diversityequityinclusion #accessibility #education #specialneeds #specialeducation #disability #inclusion #accommodations