Support Your Colleagues With Disabilities In A Post-Pandemic Era

Building effective DEIB initiatives to support the future of disability employment

Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) initiatives are crucial to creating a culture in which all members feel visible, respected and have a sense of belonging. As the post-pandemic world continues to set in, and various pandemic-era workplace policies shift, it is critical that these shifts do not negatively impact the progress made advancing DEIB over the past several years — including efforts to create and foster a disability-inclusive environment.
 

As many organizations transitioned to remote and hybrid work during the pandemic, new employment opportunities opened up for people with disabilities. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment rate for those with disabilities was 21.3% in 2022, up 2.2% from 2021. Greater schedule flexibility and increased opportunities for remote work played a large role in this by eliminating some of the previous barriers to employment. As DEIB leaders, it is imperative that we look for ways to continue fostering and prioritizing this exciting employment growth.

This starts with creating an environment that helps employees with disabilities to feel at ease disclosing their conditions with employers. Enabling employees to be transparent about their disabilities is a key stepping stone in setting them up for success. In fact, a 2020 Accenture survey found that engagement rates among employees with disabilities would be up to 1.5x higher if their employer created an environment where disability disclosure is met with support and inclusivity. However, a majority of individuals with disabilities – 76% of employees and 80% of leaders – are not transparent about their disabilities at work, leaving much room for improvement in employer support.

One key to creating an open and inclusive environment for people with disabilities is to have an intentional focus on integration into the workforce. In order to develop a robust DEIB structure and a disability-inclusive workplace, it’s critical to have a full understanding of how these employees can be best supported.

At Voya, DEIB leaders met with employees with disabilities at the onset of DEIB planning to determine the needs of the community and identify ways to integrate a holistic employer support system into the workplace. This support can now be seen from the very beginning of the onboarding process. When an employee with a disability is hired, we offer accommodations like assistive technology and software, modified work schedules, accessible workstations and equipment, customized job coaching and the option to enroll in a mentorship program.

Our people are also encouraged to join Employee-Led Councils, which offer key educational programming to encourage more diverse perspectives across the organization. Councils work together to create guides on how to stand up for and champion employees from a multitude of diverse backgrounds. While every organization’s approach to integration will be different, what’s most important is fostering an accommodating and judgment-free environment for employees.

The other key to a successful DEIB strategy that effectively supports people with disabilities is accountability. For employees across all levels of the organization to truly be engaged and for inclusivity to flourish, it is imperative that accountability be modeled from the top. Senior leaders must act as catalysts and embrace DEIB across all business functions.

To encourage accountability for senior leaders, we place an emphasis on providing training on what inclusion for employees with disabilities looks like. All people managers go through mandatory training on disability inclusion in the workplace, including lessons on etiquette, vernacular, conversation, accessibility, accommodation and employee relations. Leaders are given tools to infuse these practices into everyday operations and team relations. True workplace allyship blossoms when DEIB efforts are seen as a shared responsibility among all employees.

As we all continue to transition into a post-pandemic era, it is crucial to consider the impact any changes may have on DEIB initiatives and progress, particularly on disability inclusion. There has been considerable progress in creating an inclusive environment for these employees and we cannot let the desire to ‘return to normal’ allow us to go back to overlooking the unique talent, experience and values that people with disabilities bring to the table. We all benefit when diverse perspectives are uplifted, celebrated and respected in the workplace.

Author Bio

Kevin Silva is the Chief Human Resources Officer at Voya Financial