Honoring Disability Inclusion at Work: The Arc San Francisco WorkLife Awards

The 2020 WorkLife Awards will highlight the struggles and challenges of disability inclusion at work and the achievements of the participants of the Arc program.

The business world continues to grapple with diversity challenges, and owing to the massive gap in gender parity in most organizations globally, these challenges have become the primary area of focus. Equally significant and glaring is the lack of inclusion of individuals with disabilities in the workplace. 

Data from 2019 shows that out of more than Opens a new window 0 million working-age people with disabilitiesOpens a new window , only 7.5 million have jobs in the U.S. When data from all countries across the world is collated, the gap will become even wider.

The pandemic has further impacted the employment rate for employees with disabilities. To explain the impact, during the peak of pandemic-driven job losses, 18.9% of workers with disabilities were unemployedOpens a new window , as compared to 14.3% of the rest of the population. In June, the jobless rate for individuals with disabilities fell to 16.5%, while the rate for everyone else dropped to 11%.

In the midst of this, the announcement of the 2020 WorkLife AwardsOpens a new window is a welcome change. These awards celebrate the work and life achievements of individuals with developmental disabilities and those employers who champion their success and benefit from their diverse skills and experience.

While the recipients have been announced, an event will be held virtually, showcasing the achievements of awardees on August 20, 2020. The theme is “Rise Up and Celebrate,” which highlights two aspects. One, the struggles and challenges of disability inclusion in the workplace. Two, the achievements of the Arc program participants, who benefit from a range of opportunities that were created for them through the agency’s partnerships with area businesses, from internships and training programs to full-time career opportunities. 130 different corporations and partners will support the awards event.

The list of employer honorees includes Gusto Online Payroll and HR company, for enabling the success of neurodiverse employees, and Twitter, for its commitment to hiring employees with disabilities. Professionals Ann Lindstrom of Amazon and Jesus Hernandez of Facebook are recognized for creating a culture of allyship and inclusion of people with developmental disabilities.

“The opportunity to work is the single most important factor in achieving personal independence for people with developmental disabilities,” said Kristen Pedersen, interim executive director, The Arc San Francisco. “I congratulate the businesses who are receiving The Arc’s WorkLife awards for their successful record of diversity and inclusion. These outstanding companies are helping the individuals we serve reach their full potential as they become working taxpayers and fully contributing adults who are vital members of our community.”  

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How Organizations Can Improve Disability Inclusion in the Workplace

A study by Accenture in 2018Opens a new window shared how businesses that actively seek and hire people with disabilities outperform companies that do not. Their revenues were higher, their net income was nearly double, and employee retention was as high as 90%. Disability inclusion is a business need and not a social cause. And building inclusion into the workplace will require a certain amount of investment that can offer long-term returns.

Focus on assistive technology

Evaluating and finding tools that can assist employees with disabilities will allow them to reach their full potential and productivity levels. For example, a solution such as Window-EyesOpens a new window reads content on computer screens to the users and provide speech as well as Braille output for commonly used computer applications.

Apart from technology or software, providing employees with helpful devices is also a step forward – for instance, eSightOpens a new window , an advanced all-in-one device for individuals with visual impairments.

AI-based tools are also available for employees to choose from, such as Seeing AIOpens a new window by Microsoft, and Prologuo2Go, an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) app that allows people without speech to easily communicate using symbols.

For people with physical disabilities that restrict their mobility, tools such as IntelliGaze Opens a new window help them use eye control to operate computers.

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Inclusion training for managers

The word “disability” covers a range of disabilities. Providing sensitizing inclusion trainingOpens a new window to managers to become accepting of differently-abled employees is important. Many of these trainings use role-play and immersive techniques to create greater empathy in non-disabled employees for their colleagues. This helps them overcome their unconscious biases to a great extent throughout the employee hiring lifecycle, from recruitment to internal mobility and growth.  

While implementing these measures can help increase disability inclusion at work significantly, it is essential to create a sustained culture of inclusion that allows all employees an environment that feels safe and most productive.

“While many of us have had to adjust due to the ongoing pandemic, we feel for working moms who are managing competing priorities—including picking up their mobile phones more often—to balance a seemingly endless list of responsibilities. We are proud to continue working with The Mom Project as we support women during these unprecedented times.” – Yolanda Hawkes – Recruitment Marketing and Outreach Leader @ Koch Industries