From USA Today:
“Disability not a barrier: At a
time of low unemployment, employers tap a new talent pool”
After not working for eight years
because of a visual disability, Samantha Reeves, speaks with palpable pride of
the day in April when she officially became an Oklahoma state employee. “It’s
changed my life,'' says Reeves, 30, who secured a position with the Department
of Rehabilitation's Career Planning Center through Galt, a foundation that
helps people with disabilities find jobs. "The only time I ever got out of
my house was to go to the doctor, and you can’t imagine what that does to
someone’s mood,'' she says. Working "provided the opportunity to let my
strengths actually shine so people get to know the real me, and not just see my
disability.’’ A low unemployment rate, heightened advocacy by activists, and a
study that highlights how more inclusion can boost the bottom line have made
hiring of people with disabilities the next front in the effort to diversify
workplaces in the United States. Institutional
investors, including 15 state treasurers,
have called on businesses whose shares they own to make hiring workers
with disabilities a priority. Together, they represent over $2.1 trillion in
assets. And whether they're posting
break room signs in braille, or tweaking their interview processes to
accommodate those on the Autism spectrum, companies like Voya, Microsoft and
Walgreens are among the businesses taking steps to make sure they're recruiting
and supporting employees with physical, emotional and neurological challenges. "There
is momentum,'' says Crosby Cromwell, former chief marketing officer for Galt,
which has helped more than 25,000 people with disabilities find employment.
"Disability historically has been an overlooked talent pool and so ...
because of the unemployment rate, because of the strengthening of the voice in
the disability community, it's the right time to introduce disability
(inclusion) to Corporate America.'' A
study, released in October 2018 and compiled by Accenture in partnership with
the organization Disability:IN and the American Association of People with
Disabilities (AAPD), determined that the U.S.'s GDP could increase up to $25
billion if the number of employed Americans with physical, neurological or
emotional challenges increased by 1%. A five-year-old Disability Equality Index
(DEI), which gives businesses benchmarks to measure their progress, now
includes 180 companies. Some businesses have already seen benefits to their
bottom lines. The report found that 45 businesses seen as leaders in employing
workers with disabilities had average revenue over four years that was 28%
higher than corporate peers, from 2015 to 2018. Meanwhile, their average profit
margins during that time period were 30% higher. "The conversation is
absolutely evolving from philanthropic and charitable to one that is
foundational to the business,'' says Laurie Henneborn, research managing
director for Accenture, which has made inclusion a focal point. In 2017, 4.5%
of Accenture's U.S. workforce self-identified as having a disability. Yet at a
time when the jobless rate is just above a 50-year low of 3.7%, the
unemployment rate for those with disabilities is nearly twice that, at 6.3%.
Only 19.3% of people with disabilities 16 and over were employed as of May
2019, compared with 66.3% in that age range who were not disabled, according to
the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
which passed in 1990, banned discrimination against that population and was
successful in making accommodations like sidewalk curb cuts and ramps
commonplace. But "it has not achieved its goal of job opportunities and
equal opportunity in the workforce for people with disabilities who are able
and willing to work,'' says Ted Kennedy Jr., a disability rights attorney and
chairman of the AAPD's board. "That's what we're trying to address.''
Disabilities not always in plain
sight
Many may think of a disability as
a challenge that is visible and physical -- a woman who uses a wheelchair, a
man who has cerebral palsy, but disabilities are far more wide-ranging. The
ADA defines disability "as a physical or mental impairment'' that
previously or currently limits at least one primary life activity
significantly. Advocates emphasize that such challenges can include
"invisible'' health issues like anxiety, diabetes, depression or lupus. One
in four U.S. adults -- 61 million people -- have a disability according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And among those who are employed,
62% say their disabilities are "invisible,'' meaning colleagues don't
realize they have a challenge unless they're told, according to a 2017 report
from the Center for Talent Innovation. Latoya Berry, 33, says she has dealt
with "crippling anxiety'' during her work life, and she says that in the
past she believes her needing to take a health-related leave or go to the
doctor, hindered her ability to progress. Galt helped her find her current
temporary position as a human resource administrative assistant. And Berry says
having a supportive employer has made a big difference. "I feel like the
employer I'm with now is very understanding,'' says Berry, who lives in
Oklahoma City. "I’ve only had one episode since I've worked here and I
think it has a lot to do with them ... having the compassion.'' Reeves has an
eye condition known as retinitis pigmentosa which dramatically limits her field
of vision. "It has to be right in front of my eyes for me to see it,'' she
says, adding that she can't see at night, and her lack of depth perception
means she needs to use a cane when she walks up and down stairs. Diagnosed with the condition when she was 21,
Reeves was working at a call center when her vision deteriorated to the point
she needed to go on disability. "I spent eight years on disability
thinking I could not go to work, that no one would hire someone who had a
visual disability,'' she says, Reeves
says some employers might believe an employee with a physical or health
challenge just won't be up to the job. But "just because I can’t do it the
same way others do doesn't mean I can’t do it,'' she says. "We can still
accomplish things. We just may not accomplish it the same way.'' Reeve's
computer has a larger than typical screen, and instead of having the more
common white background with black letters, the background is black with white
letters, making it easier for her to see. Reeve's manager also found her a lamp
that magnifies documents and even ordered more brightly-colored post-its to
help Reeves with tasks. Such accommodations may make some companies fear that
it will be too costly to support employees who have special needs. But, Kennedy
says, "we know most accommodations cost little or nothing.'' If there are
costs, Kennedy says, tax credits can cover them. And organizations like the
Galt Foundation will pay for any aids that employees it places may need.
Tech to meet diverse needs is the trend:
At a time when Amazon's
"Alexa'' can switch on a home's lights and Netflix provides tracks to
narrate what's happening on the screen, employees with disabilities who both
viscerally understand the need for such innovations and help to create them can
fuel a company's success, business leaders say. The U.S. Office of Disability
Employment Policy has said people with disabilities are the third-largest
market segment in the country, according to an April 2018 report from the
American Institutes for Research. The report added that the discretionary
income of people with disabilities who are working age is $21 billion. The
insights of employees with disabilities have also helped create technology that
is more useful for the population as a whole. Microsoft has a broker who actively pursues
potential employees who have disabilities, like being on the Autism spectrum,
with the help of various individuals and organizations. And because traditional
interviewing processes may not be the best gauge of what people on the Autism
spectrum have to offer, the tech giant has an academy for those with that
condition which invites potential employees to visit the company campus.
Roughly half of those who've participated have been hired so far, and the
company says it wants to hire as many candidates as possible. "We’re very
very adamant we're not just hiring you because of your skills,'' says Jenny
Lay-Flurrie, Microsoft’s chief accessibility officer, who is deaf and has a
sign language interpreter. "We’re hiring you because you bring unique
experience and talents to the company that could help us be better.’’ Microsoft's
efforts at inclusion are evident in other ways as well. It makes sure labels
are in braille so visually impaired workers can tell what beverage they're
grabbing. And the company's "hackathons'' on disability have led to
innovations for the broader public that range from a smartphone app that uses
artificial intelligence to read a menu -- or a person's hair color -- to
adaptive controllers for the popular XBox that assist gamers with mobility
issues. Walgreens has run a Transitional Work Group program for over a decade,
in which people with disabilities are trained and coached over 13 weeks for
potential positions in the retailer's warehouses and distribution centers. Meanwhile,
It's "REDI" (Retail Employees With Disabilities Initiative) program
offers training for a potential position in a store, from working the cash
register to stocking shelves. Roughly 1,600 trainees have taken part in the
initiative. And while Walgreens aims to hire at least 60% of those who complete
the program, some trainees have gone on to jobs at others retailers including
Macy's and Publix, says Carlos Cubia, vice president diversity and inclusion,
and global chief diversity officer for Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. "We
make no concession in terms of the job expectations, in terms of the pay,''
says Cubia. The expectation is hires will "perform at the same level, be
there every day, have the same responsibilities as people without a
disability." Anecdotally, he says,
the company sees less absenteeism and longer tenures from employees with
disabilities. Voya, a financial company, began focusing on workers with
disabilities in earnest in 2016. It developed a plan to bolster its hiring,
benefits and policies for those with disabilities. It is also helping clients
provide additional financial planning tools and resources to those with
disabilities and special needs along with their caregivers. Roughly 3% of Voya employees say they have a
disability or have had one in the past, and the company has adjusted its
interview process for those on the spectrum. "A literal question might not
be a great way to get at whether the candidate has certain talents,'' says
Heather Lavallee, president of tax-exempt markets for Voya’s Retirement
business. "That same person might be exceptional at IT work that really
requires head down focus and discipline." The extra effort can yield a
great return, says Reeves. “When you
give someone with a disability a chance, you will get someone who is loyal and
hard working and they will work twice as hard,'' she says, "because they
know what it’s like to not be given a chance.’’
^ This is great to hear and I
hope it continues and spreads to many companies and organizations. ^
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