When our clients reach out to us to source candidates from the disability community, we support them in reflecting deeply on their motivations. If the interest stems solely from a sense of "Corporate Social Responsibility," we urge them to share more, and perhaps reconsider. While there are clear benefits to hiring individuals with disabilities, such as fostering a more inclusive and innovative workforce that can create accessible products and services, we invite our collaborators to explore a deeper purpose.
At times, the term 'inclusion' can unintentionally imply the presence of a dominant 'main group' within an organization. This group, while adaptable and inclusive, often sets the norms and expectations for everyone. While recognizing the comfort some may find in having a core group such as this, we advocate for a balanced and proactive shift towards a diverse and distributed ownership in defining work related expectations. Doing so allows for more natural and realistic conversations regarding accommodations needed for neurodiversity and disabilities, recognizing them as inherent aspects of the human experience.
Through education, proactive planning, and implementing supportive systems that consider the natural aging and progression of all team members, inherently considering those with disabilities and neurodiversity, organizations can enhance efficiency and foster long-term innovation.
As a disability support partner company, we are eager to collaborate with employers who share this vision, but can also challenge us for continuous improvement. While we acknowledge that we do not know it all, we are listening, learning, improving, and brimming with ideas.
Let's create teams in which every expression, whether spoken or signed, helps us move forward.
