Disability Inclusion Champions
  • Disabilities 101
    • Why Disability Inclusion?
    • 7 Steps to Create a Disability Inclusive Organization
  • Stay Informed
  • Disability Awareness Annual Calendar
  • List of Books
    • 527 Bible Verses About Disabilities
    • What Movies Can Teach Us About Disabilities
    • The Kindergarten Adventures of Amazing Grace: What in the World is Autism?
15 million working age Americans have a disability.

Only 4 million have jobs.

See the 7 steps to transform your organization where people with disabilities thrive.

See Jade's disability inclusive champion journey.

The book Behind Gold Doors-Seven Steps to Create a Disability Inclusive Organization is an allegory about Jade, whose manager asks her to lead a disability inclusion initiative. On her way home that evening she was in a terrible accident. While unconscious, she meets seven people who teach her about what it takes to create a disability inclusive organization. She wakes up to find that her life has forever changed and brings a more personal motivation for her to create a disability inclusive organization.

See the seven steps as articulated in the book to help you in your disability inclusive organization journey.

See the YouTube Channel for DI success stories, disability etiquette, and workplace tips.

#1 - Know the facts about disabilities.

To be an effective advocate for DI change, the DI Champion needs to understand the facts about disabilities. Knowing what constitutes a disability and the statistics, stigmas, terminology, barriers, laws, and attitudes about disabilities is crucial to getting an organization on the road to being disability inclusive.  Disabilities 101 provides information on the following:
  • General disability definition
  • Statistics
  • Barriers
  • Disability etiquette
  • Definitions of 78 different disabilities
  • Laws protecting people with disabilities
  • Disability advocate organizations

A good output of this step is a PowerPoint or equivalent presentation containing results of the DI Champion's research. Creating a presentation is particularly helpful for use in later steps to educate the organization.
Stay Informed on Updates

#2 - Explain the why of DI.

Knowing the facts of disabilities is a great first step on the disability inclusive organization journey, but for the initiative to take hold the DI Champion needs to be able to answer the following: Why should we conduct a disability inclusion initiative? Unless there is a compelling case as to why it should be done, then the DI initiative won't get done, plain and simple.

Why Disability Inclusion? focuses on the importance DI to an organization and includes the following:
  • Disability inclusion definitions
  • Research statistics on what organizations who have made DI a priority reaped in terms of benefits
  • Success stories from organizations such as Microsoft, AT&T, and the Israeli Defense Force

A good outcome from this step is a PowerPoint or equivalent presentation which articulates the potential benefits to the organization based on what others have done and a plan for moving forward with the initiative.
Find candidates with disabilities at Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion

#3 - Get the boss on board.

Steps 1-Know the facts about disabilities and 2-Articulate the why of DI are key inputs into getting the boss (or executive sponsor) on board with conducting a DI initiative.  This isn't just a question as to whether or not disability inclusion should be important to an organization; I would suspect most any executive would attest to DI being important. It's just as much a question as to when it should be done. Executives are constantly making choices about what to do, what not to do, when something gets done, and what can be pushed off until later. The DI Champion needs to be able to understand and express not only the importance of DI, but that it's something that doesn't end up on the "someday we'll do it" list. The DI Champion needs to be persuasive on the absolute need of DI to help the executive sponsor prioritize it appropriately. It may mean that DI rises to the top of the to-do list or it may mean it falls somewhere lower depending on competing initiatives. What it shouldn't do is end up on the "someday" list, which means for all intents and purposes that it will never get done.

To get the executive sponsor on board, the DI Champion needs to create a compelling case for change (some organizations may refer to this as a project charter or project proposal). A disability inclusion good case for change answers the following questions:
  1. How will disability inclusion benefit our organization? - The answer to this question is crucial to convincing the executive sponsor that there is a challenge to be addressed and that there is some tangible benefit (increased revenue, reduced expenses, higher employee satisfaction, positive marketplace perceptions, etc.) that will be realized. If the DI Champion isn't successful in persuading the executive sponsor there is a opportunity the likelihood of moving forward with a DI initiative is pretty much close to zero. 
  2. What disability inclusion goals are we striving to achieve? - The answer to this question articulates what the DI champion sees as success and sets a benchmark for alignment with the executive sponsor. Misalignment or disagreement on the goals, even if the DI initiative moves forward, will mean confusion and frustration for the DI Champion, executive sponsor, and other affected people inside the organization. Agreement here is paramount.
  3. How do we move forward with a disability inclusion initiative to achieve the goal(s)? - The answer to this question spells out the plan for how the DI Champion is going to move forward with the DI initiative. It may be as simple as a list of next steps or as formal as a project plan with resources and costs included, depending on the organization's project management culture.
  4. What does the DI Champion need from the executive sponsor to be successful? - The answer to this question outlines the specific needs, or "asks" that the DI Champion has of the executive sponsor. It could include approval to spend time on the initiative, budgeted funds, periodic access to the executive sponsor for updates, or communications that the executive sponsor sends to the organization showing his/her support for the initiative.

The output from this step is one of three outcomes: approval to proceed, follow-up with more information before granting approval, or denial to proceed. If there is a denial to proceed, be clear in understanding the "why" behind the denial and decide if the case for change could be improved upon and re-presented to the executive sponsor.
See how Jade learns about the seven steps in Behind Gold Doors-Seven Steps to Create a Disability Inclusive Organization

#4 - Assess the current DI state.

Assessing the disability inclusion current state involves looking at the organization as it exists today to understand what the organization does well and what can be improved upon. A comprehensive understanding of the current state, or some may refer to it at the "as-is", creates a baseline for the DI DNA change plan. The organization is reviewed on five dimensions: people, processes, technology, ecosystem, and infrastructure. What follows is an explanation of each and the types of information the DI Champion would gather. Strongly consider utilizing external expertise in the assessment to get an unbiased view of your current state.

1. People Dimension
  • As-is organization-wide employees with disabilities demographics
  • As-is management disability hiring goals and metrics
  • As-is means to survey employees on their perceptions on disability inclusion
  • As-is makeup of an existing inclusion council (if one exists) to assess disability inclusion
  • As-is disability inclusion executive sponsor
  • As-is disability inclusion as part of a rewards and recognition program
  • As-is policies and statements about disability inclusion as communicated to the organization

2. Process Dimension
  • As-is processes and requirements for following:
    • Disability inclusive job requirements 
    • Finding job candidates with disabilities
    • Interviewing candidates with disabilities
    • Mentoring employees with disabilities
  • As-is employee and manager training on disabilities, disability etiquette, attitudinal awareness
  • As-is key business processes audit for barriers to a person with a disability
To support the process dimension there are additional resources which may help the DI Champion's assessment, as follows:
  • The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion provides recruitment and hiring information to ensure processes are disability inclusive.
  • The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion provides retention and advancement information to promote retention of people with disabilities.
  • The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion provides neurodiversity in the workplace information to help people with neurocognitive disabilities succeed in the workplace.
  • The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion summarizes the laws & regulations that shape disability inclusion.

3. Technology Dimension
Document the as-is technology accessibility for following:
  • Web-based intranet and internet information and applications
  • Email and other electronic correspondence
  • Software applications and operating systems
  • Telecommunications products
  • Video and multimedia products
  • Desktop and portable computers
  • Self-contained, closed products such as calculators, copy machines and printers
  • Online job applications
To support the technology dimension there are additional resources which may help the DI Champion's assessment, as follows:
  • The Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology provides TechCheck, a tool to help the DI Champion assess their technology accessibility practices.
  • The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion provides technological accessibility guidance to help the DI Champion assess their technology accessibility practices.

4. Ecosystem Dimension
  • As-is expectations set with suppliers on disability inclusion
  • External research on key supplier disability inclusion programs
  • External research on peer organization's disability inclusion programs
  • External research on competitor organization's disability inclusion programs
  • As-is expectations that customers have regarding disability inclusion
To support the ecosystem dimension there are several resources which may help external research, as follows:
  • The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) maintains a library of employer success stories.
  • Disability:IN maintains a list of companies who have successfully demonstrated disability inclusion through completion of the Disability Equality Index.
  • The Valuable 500 maintains a list of companies that have committed to putting disability inclusion on their business leadership agenda.

5. Infrastructure Dimension
  • As-is policies regarding facilities accessibility
  • As-is documented facility/workspace accommodations for different disabilities
To support the infrastructure dimension there are several resource which may help the DI Champion's assessment, as follows:
  • The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has a host of resources to help assess infrastructure including the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, Title II: Resources for State & Local Governments and People with Disabilities and Title III: Resources for Businesses and People with Disabilities.
  • The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion defines physical accessibility requirements and guidelines for an organization's physical facilities.

There are also several assessment tools to help the DI Champion understand the current state, as follows:
  • Disability:IN's Disability Equality Index is a benchmarking tool which assesses an organization's disability inclusion readiness.
  • The National Organization on Disability's Disability Employment Tracker assesses an organization's performance in disability and veterans inclusion.
  • The U.S. Agency for International Development's Checklist for Inclusion assesses an organization on the gender-appropriate inclusion of people with disabilities by international development agencies.
  • The Global Business and Disability Network's Model Self Assessment Tool helps organizations identify areas for improvement to be more inclusive of persons with disabilities.

The output from this step is a current state assessment report with any material gaps for the people, process, technology, ecosystem, and infrastructure dimensions. Consider creating as a PowerPoint slide deck to be used in future education for executives, managers, and individual contributors. You may also consider conducting a review with the executive sponsor to brief on findings and demonstrate progress.
Stay Informed on Updates

#5 - Assemble your DI influencers.

This step can be done concurrently to Step 4 - Assess the current DI state. The DI champion will need the help of a cross-functional (i.e. people from human resources, facilities, information technology, etc.) team of managers and individual contributors across the organization to serve as ambassadors of the DI initiative. The influencers should possess several qualities, as follows:
  • They should be respected by others in the organization
  • They need to be passionate about disability inclusion and/or be part of the disability community
  • They need to commit to the initiative in terms of their time requirement
  • They need to ensure their manager is also committed to the initiative
To ensure the organization is receiving the right messaging from the DI Champion and influencers, the DI Champion needs to ensure the materials produced in steps 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 are put into a concise presentation format where a compelling disability inclusion story can be told to the organization. The DI Champion owns ensuring the materials are relevant, current, and compelling and that each influencer can convincingly speak to its content.

In addition to the influencers making the case for disability inclusion in the organization, they also serve as the listening system for questions, issues and concerns arising from people across the organization. Those questions, issues and concerns and associated responses should be logged and stored in a common repository accessible to the DI Champion and influencers. Information deemed acceptable for broad consumption should be made available to the broader organization.

The outputs from this step is a current list of DI influencers and a content repository where materials are available to the DI Champion and influencers.
Find candidates with disabilities at Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion

#6 - Drive the DI DNA change plan.

Step 3 articulates an agreed-upon statement of the DI goals the organization desires to achieve. Step 4 assesses the DI current state. Now that the goals and current state are defined, Step 6 lays out the plan to get from current state to a disability inclusive organization. For the people, process, technology, ecosystem, and infrastructure dimensions the DI champion must do the following:
  • Define the changes that need to be made
  • Prioritize the changes
  • Incorporate the prioritized changes into a plan to get from the current state to a disability inclusive organization
The necessary changes can fall across a wide range of areas depending on the scope of the current state assessment, including the following:
  • Job requirement and description changes
  • Education and training needs for managers and individual contributors
  • Disability Inclusion management metrics changes
  • Rewards and recognition program changes
  • Interviewing and onboarding changes
  • Assistive technology changes
  • Facility, workstation and environment changes
  • Business process changes
  • DI supplier policy changes
  • Employee surveying changes
A simple way to articulate the changes needing to be made is to start with the current state assessment and outline the following for each change:
  1. The assessed area, i.e. disability inclusion metrics
  2. What is done in the current state
  3. What should be done in a disability inclusive organization
  4. What needs to change to get from the current state to a disability inclusive organization
  5. The priority of the change. Use whatever priority conventions (high/medium/low, A/B/C, etc.) your organization's culture is used to.
The changes being made will determine who serves on the project team to implement the changes. As example, technology changes will include a person or people from the DI Champion's information technology organization to manage the changes. Another example may be a person from human resources to drive changes to job descriptions. There may or may not be overlap between the project team members and the DI influencers; the  important thing to remember is the people with the right skills and organizational representation need to drive the changes in their areas of expertise. A DI Champion who attempts to drive change with team members poorly equipped to do so is setting him or herself up for failure.

There are a number of resources the DI Champion can utilize in helping to define the disability inclusive organization, as follows:
  • The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion provides helpful tips to executive sponsors on how to express a commitment to disability inclusion.
  • The National Center on Leadership for the Employment and Economic Advancement of People with Disabilities (LEAD) has resources for workforce development, customized employment, and financial literacy and capability.
  • The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion has a training center with multimedia training on disability inclusion.
  • The Job Accommodation Network has a training microsite with YouTube webcasts and just-in-time training modules.
  • The Campaign for Disability Employment has a number of public service announcements designed to challenge misconceptions about employing people with disabilities.
  • The The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion defines and articulates neurodiversity in the workplace.
  • The Center for Disease Control lists some disability strategies to identify and remove disability barriers.
  • See accommodations, organizations, publications & articles for 78 different disabilities.
  • The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion lists some simple disability etiquette steps to take when meeting or working with someone with a disability.
  • The Job Accommodation Network includes disability etiquette for recruiting, interviewing, onboarding and retaining people with disabilities.
  • The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion addresses a number of topics on disability inclusive recruitment, hiring, retention, advancement,  and accessibility.

The DI DNA Change Plan is a discrete project with a defined start and end with resources applied to execute the project steps. It should be run like a professional project with good project management discipline. To do so consider the following:
  • Utilize a professional project manager accountable for schedule, budget, and scope management
  • Conduct regular status meeting to keep the project team and influencers apprised of progress and ensure all are clear on what needs to happen next.
  • Look for "quick wins"; high-impact changes that can be implemented quickly to demonstrate progress to the organization.
  • Create a communications grid for all stakeholders (executive sponsor, DI influencers, project team members, executive stakeholders, managers, individual contributors, suppliers, and customers) which articulates the following:
    • The stakeholder group, i.e. managers, individual contributors
    • What will be communicated, i.e. project status, new training
    • The purpose of the communication, i.e. to inform, action required
    • How it will be communicated, i.e. via email, virtual presentation
    • The frequency it will be communicated, i.e. weekly, monthly

The output of this step is a professionally executed project plan staffed by qualified team members to successfully migrate from the current state to a disability inclusive organization.
See how Jade learns about the seven steps in Behind Gold Doors-Seven Steps to Create a Disability Inclusive Organization

#7 - Keep the DI momentum going.

Changing an organization's DI DNA is not something that ever really ends. It's true there may be an initial push to change the current state people, process, technology, ecosystem and infrastructure tasks. But just as with any large program there is continued maintenance, understanding trends, and deploying new components that keep the DI DNA fresh and relevant. If the DI Champion and executive sponsor lose interest or get redeployed, then the likelihood of the program continuing to evolve and drive benefits is reduced. There are five major things that need to be done to keep the DI momentum going, as follows:
  • Continue to refine, measure and report on metrics against goals - Generally speaking, people will focus on those things in which they are measured and rewarded. Disability inclusion metrics need to continue to be tracked and reported so that those who are accountable stay focused on disability inclusion. Communication of those goals and the program throughout the organization on a periodic basis helps managers and individual contributors stay in touch with DI and its importance. 
  • Continue assessing what's happening in the ecosystem - As new trends, innovative ideas, and other emerging concepts are developed the DI Champion may advocate employing some new thinking into the DI DNA. Staying in touch with what peer organizations, customers, suppliers, and competitors are doing helps ensure the organization's DI DNA stays competitive and contributes to a healthy workforce.
  • Continue assessing employee perceptions - Employee opinions about disability inclusion should be embedded in any employee satisfaction surveys and reported upon to understand how the DI DNA is continuing to hold in the organization. Declining disability inclusion satisfaction should be treated as a management issue with corrective actions identified to increase sagging DI satisfaction.
  • Communicate progress and results - Using the communication plan completed in step 6, communicate what's happening regarding disability inclusion, what the organization is doing, where it's succeeding, where it still has work to do. It's important that the DI Champion and executive sponsor be candid and honest in their communications. If messaging appears to be spouting propaganda then the audience will tune it out. Preserving credibility in messaging is imperative to keeping the trust of the organization.
  • Continue holding the executive sponsor accountable - Executives are typically busy with a long list of priorities to balance. The executive sponsor may need reminders about the program, what's working, and what might need to change. This underscores the importance of both the DI Champion and executive sponsor roles continuing even after the project phase is complete. The people in those positions may change, but the roles need to live on.
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  • Disabilities 101
    • Why Disability Inclusion?
    • 7 Steps to Create a Disability Inclusive Organization
  • Stay Informed
  • Disability Awareness Annual Calendar
  • List of Books
    • 527 Bible Verses About Disabilities
    • What Movies Can Teach Us About Disabilities
    • The Kindergarten Adventures of Amazing Grace: What in the World is Autism?