In her June 28, 2021 piece for the Harvard Business Review entitled Make It Safe for Employees to Disclose Their Disabilities, Laurie Henneborn took the results of a recent Accenture survey and offered 5 things a business can put in place to create a culture in which employees with disabilities feel safe to disclose. Here they are:
- Bold role models at the leadership level who have disclosed their own disabilities;
- Enterprise-wide training to advance awareness of inclusion and diversity topics;
- The space to bring your whole self to work (and not adopt a “work persona”);
- Formal mental wellness policies and programs; and
- Supported disability employee resource groups (ERGs) for open dialogue and networking.
What do you think? Do any of these strike a chord with you?
This is great Tara. One thing I would add specifically for people with mobility disabilities is to ensure your physical office is already designed to accommodate wheelchairs in washrooms, lowered whiteboards, and wider pathways, especially at startups. Having this done before being interviewed goes a long way in saying “We belong”. Waiting until the need arises before doing this does not promote an inclusive welcoming experience. In male-dominant industries, how welcome would female candidates feel if they were told, “We will get a ladies bathroom after we hire a female”.
Thanks, Dave! You are so right: Visible signs that efforts have already been made to enhance accessibility and incorporate universal design are positive indicators to someone new to an organization. (And your analogy of a restroom accessible to people beyond men is so apt!) As I’ve heard it said, accommodation is reactive and individual, while accessibility is proactive and for all.