AT&T Blog

September 27, 2022

5 key ways employers can make disability part of the “equity equation”

In recent years, diversity and inclusion has grown to include equity.

But Gloria Lewis, Vice President – Compliance and Accessibility at AT&T, thinks one vowel is still largely absent at times: “A” for accessibility. 

Gloria Lewis

"You can’t have true inclusion without accessibility. It shouldn’t be an afterthought – the A should always be part of the journey, just like other DE&I considerations."

Gloria Lewis

And now, it is becoming part of the equation. The theme for this year’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) is “Disability: Part of the Equity Equation.” Observed annually in October, NDEAM celebrates the contributions of America’s workers with disabilities and showcases supportive, inclusive employment policies and practices.

  1. Build accessible products and services. 
    Ensuring accessibility is part of an organization’s fabric, including the design and development of products, isn’t just the right thing to do, it makes good business sense, too. “Accessibility results in better, more usable products, benefitting everyone,” she said. That’s a theory borne out by many innovations from automatic doors to cellphone features like speech to text – all designed specifically to assist those with disabilities, yet things most of us take for granted.
     
  2. Look to employees with disabilities for alternative views.
    According to Gloria, employees with disabilities can provide invaluable perspectives to guide the way AT&T serves customers. “Our employees know what works and what doesn’t with our products based on their own experiences – and they’re encouraged to provide honest feedback to make us better,” Gloria said.
     
  3. Bring everyone on board.
    For any job candidate, the primary focus is on their abilities – their skillset, experience and what they have to offer a prospective employer. That shouldn’t be different for a person with a disability, but sometimes it is, Gloria said, referencing a study indicating that about 30% of professionals have a disability, and less than 40% of them reveal it to their employers. She believes there should be one more question asked in every interview: Do you need an accommodation?

    “It helps to be prepared for their needs – so make it comfortable for them to share,” she said. Self-identification of a disability is encouraged but not required at AT&T. “Data and education are key to telling the story of why accessibility and disability inclusion matters.”
     
  4. Be open to accommodations.
    Companies shouldn’t see accommodations as something special or as a hurdle. Typically, job accommodations involve  minimal to no cost. “It’s another avenue to help people to do their jobs and create value,” said Gloria.
    Employers can make all the difference in truly moving inclusion to include those with disabilities. “Employers have a responsibility to help ensure all employees are positioned for success. That includes finding out how they can assist employees with disabilities,” she said. “A lot of great talent can be overlooked by focusing on what individuals can’t do instead of their skills and expertise.”
     
  5. Explore remote options.
    Employers made many discoveries during the great work experiment of the past two years, brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Gloria said the pandemic demonstrated that people in many positions could do their jobs virtually, including those with disabilities – and that was a good thing.

    “It presented an opportunity for those with disabilities to show how much they can contribute to the success of the business,” she said. “We learned how to do virtual. It taught us not only can we do it, but we can do it really well.”

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