How to Be Disability Allies During and After National Disability Employment Awareness Month
During National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), we celebrate the value workers with disabilities add to our workplaces. More than that, we use the month of October as an opportunity to raise awareness around equitable workplace practices — and, hopefully, encourage workplaces to strengthen their commitment to being disability allies.
Are you wondering how to become an ally for workers with disabilities? Discover tips on equity and accessibility in the workplace from Paraquad’s employment services team.
1. Focus on the Advantages
The perspective around employees with disabilities needs to change. Hiring people with disabilities is not only a social responsibility — it is also a competitive advantage.
By broadening your workplace to include people with disabilities, you gain access to:
A wider talent pool. A reported 61 million adults in the U.S. have a disability. Opening up positions to this demographic provides millions of new employees to choose from, helping organizations fill vacant positions quickly.
Higher retention rates. People with disabilities often remain loyal to a stable workplace. For example, a Walgreens distribution center found that employee turnover among people with disabilities was half that of other employees.
Diverse perspectives. The lived experience of people with disabilities provides unique perspectives on common challenges. Workplaces that act as disability allies benefit from their empathetic ideas and highly creative problem-solving.
Economic benefits: A study by Accenture revealed businesses that actively employ people with disabilities outperform those that don’t. Companies with accessibility in the workplace had revenues 28 percent higher, twice the net income and 30 percent higher profit margins.
2. Review Your Hiring Practices
Your organization’s hiring practices may contribute to a lack of diversity in the workforce. Job descriptions are often vague — they may not fully describe role requirements and reasonable accommodations.
We recommend using National Disability Employment Awareness Month as a chance to review your hiring practices. Be sure to share the accessibility practices within your organization and emphasize the value of diversity in your workplace. Even small changes may encourage someone with a disability to send an application.
3. Change Your Language
Employees with disabilities don’t need fixing — organizations need to change to increase accessibility in the workplace. Disability allies understand that the way people speak shapes implicit biases. To promote inclusion, focus on promoting dignity through language and always use person-first language. For example, the “person with a disability” is preferred over outdated terms such as “handicap.”
4. Do Your Research
If you’re unsure how to approach having a coworker or employee with a disability, no worries — plenty of educational materials are available online. Videos, research papers and blogs are available to inform your perspective during National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Take the time to research accommodations, preferred language and other workplace considerations.
When in doubt, don’t be afraid to ask a person with a disability for clarification. Everyone is different, so you will likely hear different perspectives from different people. Doing your research and gathering first-hand information may benefit organizations in the journey to becoming disability allies.
5. Give Yourself Grace
Remember: Everyone makes mistakes. The important part is how you react and learn from them. If you make a mistake regarding equity and accessibility in the workplace, stay accountable and apologize. An employee or coworker with a disability will appreciate you taking the time to make them feel comfortable and may even give you tips on what to do in the future.
Disability Allies Hire Through Paraquad
Though National Disability Employment Awareness Month is a great time to promote equity in the workplace, Paraquad provides training and support year-round. Our employment services give people with disabilities access to skill development, education and a network of inclusive employers.
We’re always searching for disability allies to add to our contact list. If you represent a company looking to hire employees with disabilities, we welcome you to contact Employment Director Candice Zottarelle at czottarelle@paraquad.org or (314) 289-4269.
