October is the spotlight month of the SWE DisAbility Inclusion Affinity Group (AG) and coincides with National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) in the United States. NDEAM is an opportunity to “celebrate the value and talent workers with disabilities add to America’s workplaces and economy.” It is also a recognition of the contribution and impact that the disability community makes and to ensure that “disabled workers have access to good jobs, every month of every year.” This was the motivation behind the 2024 theme of “Access to Good Jobs for All.”
As a member of the disability community, this theme resonates with me personally as I have been blessed to work in the aerospace industry for the last 23 years. However, not all members of my community have had the same opportunity or job access. Job seekers with disabilities often find that getting in the door can be the most difficult challenge, starting with the decision of whether to disclose a disability, especially in the case of a non-apparent one. Prospective employers may have hidden biases against disabled job seekers — for example, thinking they will cost the company more money due to accommodations or they may not be able to perform work as well as nondisabled job seekers. In some cases, they may not feel that the job seeker would be a good fit or that they do not click with the hiring manager. This can be particularly pervasive if the person has apparent physical disabilities or is neurodivergent and presents and interfaces differently than a neurotypical person. Some job seekers in the community discover so many barriers that they accept positions that do not utilize their skills, degrees, or talents in order to be employed. Employed workers with disabilities continue to face challenges in the workplace. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires companies to provide reasonable accommodations; however, there is a gray area in what constitutes reasonable1.
Asking for accommodations requires disclosure to the employer of a need (though not usually the exact nature of the disability). This can be a difficult request if the employee is concerned about disclosing their disability due to potential job discrimination or if they do not have a formal diagnosis. Accommodation requests may be denied or (in a worst-case scenario) employment terminated if the employer determines that the request is not reasonable. This leaves the employee without the support they need and may lower morale and employee engagement. The employee with accommodations may also face biases and microaggressions from coworkers, who view these support needs as negative or special treatment instead of being “productivity enhancers.”
Part of my motivation in establishing the DisAbility Inclusion AG was a recognition after my late diagnosis with autism of the impact that my disability had on my career. This impact was very often focused on challenges related to communication and interpersonal skills. Having the support and peer mentoring of a disability-focused group (especially one outside my workplace where I could feel safe) would have been beneficial for me especially early in my career as I learned to navigate the workplace. The SWE DisAbility Inclusion AG looks to be that safe space where engineers with disabilities, caregivers, and allies can support each other and grow in our careers together.
Ways That Community Members and Allies Can Support
From the official NDEAM website at the U.S. Department of Labor, here are Ten Ways to Foster the NDEAM Spirit Year-Round.
“Gather Ideas From Your Corporate Disability Employee Resource Group
Does your organization have a disability-related employee resource group (ERG)? Start your planning efforts there. The members of disability ERGs (sometimes called business resource groups or affinity groups) are well-positioned to help you brainstorm activities, speakers, and topics to include in your awareness-building efforts. ERGs can also serve as a talent pipeline by referring qualified job seekers with disabilities to your organization.
Use NDEAM to Kickoff an Ongoing Disability Awareness Initiative
NDEAM is a fitting time to formally launch disability employment awareness activities — and set the pace for 11 more months of activities designed to promote disability inclusion. Kickoff events can range from large-scale, multiday celebrations to small brown bag lunches about disability issues. Whatever approach you choose, there are tools and planning resources to assist you in your efforts. Each year, you can use the new NDEAM theme to frame your kickoff event and influence year-round activities.
Host a Disability Mentoring Day
Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) promotes career development for youth with disabilities through hands-on programs, job shadowing, and ongoing mentoring. The nationwide observance is the third Wednesday of each October, but employers may choose to host events any day of the year. The American Association of People with Disabilities offers information to assist you in implementing a Disability Mentoring Day. Take advantage of this easy way to connect with great talent while providing young people with disabilities valuable career experience.
Sponsor a “Lunch and Learn” Series About Disability Issues
One easy way to maintain NDEAM momentum is to host a series of monthly “lunch and learn” events for employees. Just schedule the date and place, enlist internal or external presenters, and invite employees to come to learn about a range of disability-related subjects. Topics can often be suggested by your disability-related ERG (if you have one) and can include everything from “Communicating with Job Seekers with Disabilities” to “Creating Accessible PDF Documents” to “Managing Diabetes at Work.” These events are a great way to educate staff about disability issues in an informal setting. And don’t forget to survey attendees after each session to gather feedback and solicit new topic ideas.
Provide Volunteer Opportunities to Your Employees
Smart employers know the benefits of employee volunteerism, which include strong team engagement, leadership development, and more. In the spirit of NDEAM, why not sponsor opportunities for your staff to volunteer at local organizations that prepare people with disabilities for work? In communities across the nation, there are often opportunities to volunteer your time reviewing resumes, staging mock-interviews, and providing guidance on how to dress for success. Connecting your employees to these opportunities is a great way to both give back and raise awareness. And these activities just might help you source talented job candidates with disabilities for your organization, as well.
Display Posters Promoting Disability Inclusion
NDEAM is a great time to freshen up walls and bulletin boards in your lobby, break rooms, and common areas with disability employment posters — but there’s no reason to take them down when October ends! Start by putting up the current year’s NDEAM poster, available soon in English and Spanish. Additional display materials include the Campaign for Disability Employment’s poster series. You might also consider highlighting specific disability recognition months, such as Heart Health Month, Epilepsy Awareness Month, and Brain Injury Awareness Month to keep the pace going throughout the year. And with numerous, free posters to choose from, you can keep your displays fresh and dynamic throughout the year. The benefit of this practice? Employees who are consistently reminded that their organization is disability-friendly may be more likely to refer job-seeking friends with disabilities to your HR department. In addition, those with disabilities themselves may be more likely to self-identify as such.
Offer American Sign Language Training Classes to Your Employees
If your company offers employee development and training opportunities, consider adding American Sign Language (ASL) classes to your catalog of offerings. Such classes aren’t just fun; they teach employees new skills while reinforcing relationships between hearing employees and those who are deaf. On-site classes can be taught by representatives from local or national sign language organizations, while external classes are often available at local colleges and universities. This professional development practice can serve to strengthen internal communications for your employees who are deaf while bolstering your ability to recruit talented job candidates who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Interview Students With Disabilities During Campus Recruiting Trips
If your company holds recruiting visits to college campuses, be sure to have your recruiters contact each institution’s Career Services Office and Disability Services Office to give them a heads up. Let them know that you’re interested in interviewing job candidates with disabilities and brief them on the types of positions available. Regularly meeting with juniors and seniors with disabilities during on-campus recruiting trips is a great way to build a pipeline of talented job candidates for your organization.
Host a Disability 101 Event for Employees
One of the best educational events you can provide your employees, during NDEAM or any time of the year, is a “Disability Employment 101” primer. And thanks to the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), such events are easy to coordinate. JAN offers a series of free, ready-to-deliver training modules on a variety of disability-related topics. Titled “Just In Time,” the series can be used to educate your staff members with hiring and managerial responsibilities about issues related to applicants and employees with disabilities.
Incorporate Disability Into Your Onboarding Processes
A formal onboarding process helps new employees acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and behaviors they need to become effective members of your organization. As such, it’s also a perfect opportunity to educate new employees on your company’s policies and practices related to disability inclusion — from reasonable accommodation procedures to your commitment to equal employment opportunity. Such practices will help new employees feel good about the organization they now serve and may encourage self-identification among people with hidden disabilities. What’s more, it may also make them more likely to refer their job-seeking friends with disabilities to your organization.”
Get involved with the DisAbility AG community by subscribing to our AG’s updates by logging into your member portal and editing your Communication Preferences.
Sources:
1: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/odep/program-areas/employers/accommodations
Author
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Angelie Vincent is an integration engineer in Boeing Commercial Airplanes Data, AI, and Emerging Technology in Everett, Washington. In addition to her primary role, she has a special interest in Accessibility and is working to create a more accessible passenger experience for the neurodivergent community. Angelie has a passion for helping and supporting the Disability community and is the Co-founder and Co-Chair of the SWE DisAbility Inclusion Affinity Group. She also sits on the board of directors of Sherwood Community Services, a Snohomish County non-profit that provides early intervention and vocational rehabilitation services for members of the Disability community. Angelie identifies as being disabled, having been diagnosed late in life with autism in addition to having two non-apparent disabilities. She lives in Camano Island, Washington with her husband Brian and dogs Delta, Minnie, and Chester. She also has two amazing grown sons Victor and Caleb that she loves very much.
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