Support Employees with Disabilities
Learning Objectives
After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:
- Enable and support employee resource groups (ERGs) for people with disabilities and their caregivers.
- Ensure meetings are inclusive and accessible.
- Support accommodations as needed.
As you learned in the first two units, it’s vital to ensure that hiring and onboarding practices are inclusive—and that they allow everyone to bring their best selves to work. But what does that mean for employees after they’ve been hired? How can you continue to offer inclusive resources and accommodations that empower people with disabilities to do their jobs? In this unit, you learn how to support employees with disabilities on a long-term basis.
According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are “voluntary, employee-led groups made up of individuals who join together based on common interests, backgrounds or demographic factors such as gender, race, or ethnicity.” These groups can serve as powerful platforms to allow communities to amplify their voices and effect change.
Because ERGs are employee-led and employee-organized, they reflect the heart and soul of the communities they represent. For instance, an ERG made up of people who are neurodiverse sparks dialogue around common life experiences, background, and allies. At Salesforce, we call ERGs Equality Groups. Currently, we have 12 different groups.
- Abilityforce: Ability Inclusion community
- Asiapacforce: Asian Pacific community
- BOLDforce: Black community
- Earthforce: Community for sustainability
- Faithforce: Community for all faiths
- Genforce: Intergenerational community
- Latinoforce: Latinx community
- Outforce: LBGTQ community
- Parents and Families: Community for parents and families
- Southasiaforce: South Asian community
- Vetforce: Veteran community
- WINDforce: Worldwide indigenous network of diversity
- Women’s Network: Community for gender equality
Maybe your company has similar groups—or maybe none at all. The best part about ERGs is that they can pop up at any time! If your company doesn’t already have ERGs, share examples of ERGs and how they can benefit specific communities. If possible, offer resources and funding to help cover group events and initiatives. You may have specific disability communities just waiting for the chance to join together in your own company—just waiting for leadership support.
Once you share these opportunities, create a feedback channel and regular check-ins with leadership. Employees make up the heart and soul of ERGs, but they need leadership support to help evangelize and accomplish their goals. The more you support ERGs, the more you can also share available ERGs with new hires and others interested in meeting other employees who may share similar lived experiences.
According to SHRM, studies show that the first 60 to 90 days of employment are a critical time for any new hire, and this period can be especially challenging for members of traditionally underrepresented groups. ERGs can be a great way to help new hires feel comfortable and part of a community.
Disability Representation in Leadership
Speaking of the importance of community, prioritizing disability representation in leadership can be exceptionally rewarding for both leaders and members of disability communities. Disclosure is a personal decision, and leaders should not feel forced to disclose if they’re not comfortable. However, if you’re a leader in your company with a disability, you might consider how powerful and uniting it could be to disclose that to your employees.
There’s a massive employment gap between professionals with disabilities and their nondisabled peers. By prioritizing disability representation in leadership, organizations experience several beneficial transformations. These actions show commitment to inclusion and accessibility, ensure viewpoints of people with disabilities are included, and foster a culture of belonging.
If your company is authentically dedicated to overcoming the employment gap and improving working conditions for the disability community, it’s important to hire and retain professionals with disabilities in the upper echelons of leadership.
Employee Benefits
Benefits are important to everyone—and they should be robust enough to support people with disabilities. Anyone could become someone with a disability at any time.
While specific benefits vary from company to company, it’s important to encourage all employees, regardless of disability, to take advantage of mental health days, wellness days, PTO, and all other opportunities that allow for personal growth and self-care.
Digital and Physical Accessibility
Accessibility should be a top priority in both digital and physical spaces. Have discussions with your facilities and real estate teams to make sure they’re in the loop for accessibility guidelines. Go beyond ADA requirements; it’s nice to make sure you’re staying compliant, but if you’re trying to build an inclusive environment, you might need to do things not required of you.
For example:
- Create a fire evacuation plan that alerts people with specific disabilities of the danger.
- Add low counters in the break room, and stack items vertically in the fridge (ensuring wheelchair users can access all items at a lower height).
- Make accessible and timely announcements about any building construction.
Let’s Wrap It Up
Remember that making your workplace more accessible and supportive is an ongoing process. It’s important to regularly ask for feedback from employees. Remember, all feedback is a gift! Create surveys on at least an annual basis, if not more frequently, to give employees the chance to share feedback about whether they feel supported and how well their disabilities are being accommodated.
At Salesforce, we’re committed to building a more equal world. This includes striving to deliver equal access to our products, workplaces, customers, and employees—so that everyone is empowered to do the best work of their lives, without barriers. We’re committed to furthering this mission both in our organization and out in our communities and are here to support your efforts.