With National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) recently coming to a close, we reflect on this year’s theme, ‘Celebrating Value and Talent’. After all, individuals with disabilities are more than a compliance requirement. Each talented individuals brings unique strengths, perspectives, and lived experiences that greatly benefit a business in more ways than one. In a recent episode of the DE Talk Podcast, our Disability & Community Outreach Specialist Michelle Krefft sat down with disability strategist Bob Ludke to cut right to the heart of what true disability inclusion means for business. This episode highlights a critical shift: moving from a focus on legal obligation to recognizing the immense, untapped value in fostering a culture where everyone can be their best, most authentic self. Let’s peek at their conversation!
Michelle Krefft:
Many of our Members are federal contractors navigating the OFCCP’s requirements under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. From your perspective, why should employers look at disability inclusion as more than just the compliance checkbox and instead as a pathway to innovation and value creation?
Bob Ludke:
So, let me answer that question on a couple different levels. Maybe on the most basic, fundamental level, the fact of the matter is every one of your Members has approximately, we’ll just say 20% of its employees identifying as disabled. Now, they may not publicly identify, they may not feel comfortable disclosing their disability, but the fact of the matter is they are coming to work every day, either in person or virtually, however they engage in work with the disability somewhere. I always ask CEOs this question, I said, what would you rather have an employee coming to work feeling empowered to bring their best, most authentic self to work every day, or someone that is, instead of bringing their best, most authentic self to work every day, spending time and energy hiding and working around their disability, and therefore not being as productive as they could be? If you’re a CEO, you better not. You–
Michelle Krefft:
Want the productivity, right?
Bob Ludke:
You better not agree with this second option because if you do, it’s probably time to look for a different career.
Michelle Krefft:
Or you’re going to lose all your staff.
Bob Ludke:
And so, look, it is a fact, right? It is a fact that virtually everyone, because disability is intersectional, is going to encounter disability in their lifetime. And you can be born into it. It could be temporary, like you fall off a bike, you break your arm, guess what? You have a disability. It’s maybe a temporary disability, but it’s a disability. Or unless we all find the fountain of youth, we’re all aging into disability, right? Lack of mobility and lack of cognitive skills. So, acknowledge that, accept that, and embrace that and use it to your advantage. And the best way for a leader to create the space for people to bring their best, most authentic selves to the office every day is by just start by talking about disability. Maybe you don’t even have to acknowledge if you have a disability. I am in no way saying that everyone needs to stand up on a table and proclaim a disability.
It’s an entirely personal choice. Do it as you see fit. But just start talking about how you as a leader recognize the value proposition of disability, how you understand that all of us have a connection to disability and how your organization appreciates that, welcomes that, and wants to work with its team on utilizing all of the different values that persons with disabilities bring to the table. And instead of getting caught up in regulations and what’s the administration going to do now and this and that, just control what you can control and what you can best control is how your organization sets up its cultural mindset around disability. And the best starting place is just to start talking about it. Because the more you talk about it in an authentic way, the more that people start to feel comfortable talking about their disability, their connection to disability, and it just moves the ball forward. And suddenly you find that the innovation goes up, the culture becomes stronger, teams become more resilient, and it just happens organically, but it requires ongoing authentic leadership, not just one day saying something. It’s day after day of giving people the space to be their best selves.
What a great perspective! Hear more from Bob and Michelle’s insightful conversation by catching the full episode online or wherever you subscribe to your favorite podcasts. Want to hear more from Bob? Learn more about his services at Value Inclusion, pick up his book on Amazon, or connect with him on LinkedIn. And stay tuned–more great episodes of the DE Talk Podcast are on the way!
- DE Talk Unplugged: Strategies for Disability-Driven Innovation & Growth - November 4, 2025
- DE Talk Unplugged: Your Role in a Disability Inclusive Culture, No Matter Your Title - October 21, 2025
- How Are Some of the Nation’s Top Employers Using AI in Recruitment? - October 7, 2025