Why Businesses Must Be Fearless With Disability Inclusion

[Music]

what are you most

afraid of alligators

the dark public speaking

my communication device

what if i told you it could also read

the minds of others

would that scare you

well technology is good but not that

good

yet so you’re safe

for now but truly i am speaking to you

today because i

too am afraid i am afraid that unless

universities collectively champion for

their students with disabilities

many will graduate under or unemployed

even with a degree in hand i am afraid

that many recruiters and companies don’t

yet fully grasp the economic and

workplace potential of hiring a diverse

array of qualified individuals

i like many others i’m afraid that

without a fair opportunity to be seated

at the corporate table

or even invited through the door of

employment that an

entire talent pool will be lost leaving

crucial innovation

to assumption rather than truth the time

is now for us to hear the voice that

says

diversity inclusion is also disability

inclusion

and for the next few minutes that voices

me

disability inclusion and equity is a red

hot topic today

in the realm of talent recruitment in

companies of all sizes

in nearly every industry it should be

disability represents the largest

minority in the world

with nearly one in four persons

identifying in america

and one in five globally

while the americans with disabilities

act of 1990 offers numerous protections

and directives for how

individuals with disabilities must be

treated once they’re in the workplace

the 25 billion dollar question remains

how do we get our foot or our wheel

in the door attracting

developing and retaining diversified

talent has become even more essential as

the dynamics of our global workforce

shifts and as populations live

longer it’s time for business to

understand that the benefits of

disability inclusion

and equality bring an exciting new

dimension to industry

to begin it encircles nearly every

corporate tenant

social responsibility impact investing

and creative problem solving many of the

drivers affecting business can be solved

with the skills already associated with

disability

enhanced proficiency with technology

team collaboration and dear god

experience with local

state and national government

there is profitability too into hiring

those with disabilities

to the tune of 25 billion dollars more

profitable

that is the boost the american gdp would

receive by hiring an additional 1

of people with disabilities into the

workforce

one percent yet employment figures

presented by the u.s

bureau of labor statistics in 2019

reveal that only 28

of disabled civilians with a college

degree or higher are employed nationally

compare that to 76 employment for

non-disabled civilians with a bachelor’s

degree or higher

that 28 to 76 percent disparity

means your degree and mind do not have

equitable weight in the workforce

and that really scares me too

could it be that bias and stigma even

unintentionally

still exists in corporate america how

much longer will ignorance and

indifference be tolerated

the answers we hope are changing

with this message here today i hope you

are beginning to understand that change

will demand a three-way collaborative

effort

with colleges employers and students all

communicating the same message

diversity inclusion is also disability

inclusion

now since we are here at the very large

top 6 university i thought you could

join me in visualizing a typical career

fair

too bad i didn’t live stream the event

with an on-board camera

full battle gear in place i’ve rolled

over more than a few dozen toes

to break through the throngs of

thousands with this eye gaze technology

communications device teetering on my

tray

resume and backpack i can’t reach and my

personal assistant running to catch up

i am at last in front of a potential

employer with good benefits

then i see the think bubble over them

how would our marketing team react to

this

can we even on board someone with an

assistant they wonder

is our corporate culture truly ready

they ponder oh my

god she uses that to communicate

is she related to what’s his name

stephen hawking

and all this before they know what

competencies i can bring to their

company

yes i have cerebral palsy

yes i will bring value to your company

because i am intelligent and qualified

yes i am healthy and will work long

hours

yes i drink and will go to happy hour

with the team

as long as you have accessible ubers

for many students it’s literally and

figuratively

the chance to be heard which is why i’m

speaking with you today

for you to hear that diversity inclusion

is also disability inclusion

can we a generation of innovators

recreate hiring events to include more

possibilities for connection

one game changer bursting on the global

employment stage is artificial

intelligence

will its interpretation of abnormal

speech patterns

or unique facial expressions for example

suggest poor performance will biased

illogical or even illegal

interpretations remove those who are

outliers from the job pool it will be

crucial

then that at the onset of artificial

intelligence

disability advocates help construct the

role of artificial intelligence in

regards to recruitment and retention of

those with disabilities in

employment recruiters should be equipped

to explain their onboarding processes

and organizational structure

mentoring physical layout of workspace

affinity groups as well as an expressed

commitment to develop

talent at all levels especially for the

c-suite

where only seven percent of leaders

currently identify as having a

disability

and most do not feel comfortable in

doing so

if universities actively and publicly

take the initiative to recruit students

with disabilities

either for mandated funding or for

cultural status

then why not strive for excellence with

employment inclusion

educational institutions themselves must

take the lead in redirecting the

narrative of possibility for all their

students

their staffing must be increased to

serve the documented 11 percent of their

student body who have some form of a

disability

that’s an average of 11 at any given

university in america

when is 28 versus 76

acceptable why not leverage the public

and private partnerships

that already exist at universities

to seek advancements with their

knowledgeable mentors

employment strategists and thought

leaders who can educate the educators

and lastly students themselves must not

only demand

change we must seek roles that elevate

disability in the employment narrative

we must find our collective voice

i may have trouble speaking but i hope

you found my voice to be loud and clear

diversity inclusion is also disability

inclusion

from this moment on i urge you to

fortify your conversation

wherever you work with the necessity of

inclusion

let us not just tell a different version

of the same story

let us write a new story that brings

disability into the full circle

of potential employers give us the

platform to innovate

to offer you a new perspective colleges

give us space rather than boundaries so

we can test the

impact of our education in every aspect

of independence

and for my fellow students let us give

each other confidence in

finding employment rather than fear so

that we

too can pay off our college loans

let us remove fear and bias and

unintended ignorance

let us embrace our differences and

invite others to join us

the table is big enough for everyone

inclusion elevates

it rejuvenates the soul it makes for

better conversation

disability inclusion dives deeper it

ignites curiosity

it opens doors it offers hope for all

those kids behind me who wonder if they

can

to them i say do not be afraid

yes yes you can

you