Making Disability Matter and Creating Inclusive Workplaces

The following post was authored by Kathleen Lee and is being shared with permission from our partner, Cornell University’s Industrial Labor Relations (ILR) School.

Every October, we are reminded of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and the importance of this month-long campaign highlighting the contributions of employees with disabilities to the workforce. It also serves as an opportunity for employers, communities, and individuals to increase their understanding of disability and employment. Employers of all sizes and in all industries are encouraged to participate in NDEAM. Activities during this month will celebrate the 70th anniversary of NDEAM which will reinforce the talent and value of people with disabilities and affirm a commitment to workplace inclusion.

This year’s theme, “My Disability is One Part of Who I Am” has an important message, “That people with disabilities are just that – people,” said Jennifer Sheehy, acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for disability employment policy, “Like all people, we are the sum of many parts, including our work experiences. Disability is an important perspective we bring to the table, but, of course, it’s not the only one.” At work, it’s what people can do that matters. This fact is compelling as we address climate and culture in our workplaces and how disability intersects with many facets of employment. Individuals with disabilities, who comprise the largest diversity population, are also the largest untapped source of talent in our country today. They are also your neighbors, your family members, and your co-workers. Companies need to be aware and understand factors in the workplace that impact disability inclusiveness and minimize disability employment discrimination.

Recently, Cornell University conducted research to assess the inclusiveness of public and private sector employers and the obstacles that may impede effective implementation of disability practices.¹ The assessment included the role of work units, the quality of supervisor relationships with subordinates with disabilities, job characteristics and fit, access to mentoring, and coworkers’ attitudes as potential factors impacting the experiences of people with disabilities. Results showed that across both sectors there were particularly low levels of awareness about internal organizational disability practices in the following areas: targeted recruiting of people with disabilities, centralizing funds for accommodation, formal (i.e., written, documented) decision-making process for the case-by-case provision of accommodations, whether a regular review of the accessibility of the organizational job application systems was implemented, or whether training of HR staff and hiring managers on effective interviewing of people with disabilities was regularly conducted. Employer understanding of disability practice, managerial, and job factors impacted whether or not employees were more or less likely to report experiencing subtle forms of disability-related bias.

Cornell’s prior work on disability climate, as well as the broader literature on diversity/inclusion climate, have suggested that employees’ general work experiences as well as their experiences with bias are heavily influenced by the climate of their workplace. Organizations are increasingly concerned with accurately recording the proportion of their employees who have a disability and their ability to do this is dependent in large part on the willingness of employees to disclose that they have a disability. Surprisingly, little is known about the factors that influence disclosure.² Who do employees disclose to and what might be their experiences when they do disclose (and what predicts those experiences)? What fears may they have about disclosing?

Our research has shown that employees are 60% more likely to self-disclose to their Supervisors rather than HR or the EEO department.³ These findings revealed that when employees with disabilities work within departments in which employees overall feel supported, fairly treated, and embedded, they are more likely to feel safe about disclosing their disability. Employees who have been with the organization longer tend to have more positive experiences when disclosing to formal organizational entities, HR/EEO. Disability type and whether the disability is non-visible or visible did not predict whether or not employees would disclose.

Perceptions of disability climate are important because they influence the experiences that individuals with disabilities report having, including how embedded they felt within the organization, perceived organizational support, perceptions of the quality of the relationship with their immediate supervisor, fit between their abilities and the demands of the job, commitment to the organization, experiences with disability-related bias, and willingness to disclose their disability to others. When Managers perceive that disability practices are adopted merely to comply with legal pressures or keep up with industry trends, team members with disabilities who report to them have less positive experiences. For example, the employee is less likely to perceive disability practices as effective and more likely to report experiencing problems as a result of requesting an accommodation, and less likely to perceive the workplace as inclusive.⁴ Top leadership commitment continues to be seen as a key factor in promoting effective practices, but managers are also a critical element in the experiences of people with disabilities in the workplace. Education and training for all employees about how to address disability disclosure in the workforce is imperative to fostering an inclusive workplace and promoting the sense of security needed for self-disclosure to occur.

Research on effective employer practices, establishing a welcoming culture, and creating inclusive workplaces led Cornell to develop an online self-assessment tool for employers called BenchmarkABILITY. It was designed to increase employer understanding of leading practices for creating disability inclusive workplaces while highlighting research-based strategies for creating a climate that promotes:

• Effective recruitment of qualified candidates with disabilities
• Representation of people with disabilities at all levels of your organization–including leadership
• Self-disclosure of disability for the purposes of affirmative action compliance
• Strategic use of employee data to evaluate the success of disability-inclusive strategies and improve outcomes

Workplace leaders can use this tool to track progress toward the implementation of effective HR policies and practices around disability in six specific categories:

• Recruitment & Hiring
• Career Development & Retention
• Accessibility & Accommodation
• Compensation & Benefits
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Metrics & Analytics

BenchmarkABILITY surveys can be completed by a single individual, or by a team of individuals. In larger organizations, the surveys may be divided between Human Resources, Diversity and Inclusion, Recruitment, and Compensation personnel. In smaller organizations a lead Human Resources representative could complete all of the surveys. Moreover, the tool can also be utilized to test the knowledge of frontline managers and supervisors about internal policies and practices related to disability. By requesting that managers take the surveys and by reviewing the results, it may be possible to discover where training and information efforts should be concentrated across the enterprise. Each survey report can be printed or shared electronically to assist in strategic planning and targeted initiatives related to disability workplace inclusion and compliance. The reports include your survey responses, as well as explanations of why certain practices are believed to be effective in improving your organization’s approach to disability inclusion. For more information and access to this tool, see http://benchmarkability.org in the coming weeks.

The K. Lisa Yang and Hock E. Tan Institute on Employment and Disability (EDI) at Cornell University’s Industrial Labor Relations (ILR) School encourages everyone to celebrate NDEAM and make disability matter to promote inclusive workplaces.

Kathleen Lee is a Business Outreach Specialist at Cornell University’s ILR School and the K. Lisa Yang and Hock E. Tan Employment and Disability Institute. Kathleen provides technical assistance training and consultation for the business community on issues related to the employment of individuals and veterans with disabilities by sharing best employment practices and technical assistance resources. Kathleen’s experience includes more than twenty years in job placement, human resources and disability inclusion to assist companies in diversifying their workforces. Kathleen has also administered federal employment and mentoring programs in multiple locations throughout the country serving individuals with disabilities, dislocated workers, students, and veterans.

Kathleen holds an Advanced Certificate of Strategic HR Management from Cornell University and is a graduate of the Rehabilitation Institute, Southern Illinois University where she received a Master of Science degree in Rehabilitation Administration and Job Development and Placement.