Why Accessibility Needs to Be a 2025 Goal for All Nonprofits
I have been a social activist from a young age. As you can see from the picture, my parents captured a moment when I was outraged that my beloved cat was being tormented by the dog. Even then — I fought for the underdog (or undercat, as it were).
One of the things I love about this decade is the growing movement toward deeper inclusion — ensuring that everyone feels seen, valued and that they belong. But even as a lifelong social activist, I knew I needed to deepen my understanding of accessibility. This year I attended the North Texas Disability Chamber’s DEIA Summit (in partnership with the Dallas Regional Chamber) — and it was one of the most impactful learning experiences of my year.
Here are my top 5 takeaways for your consideration:
Disability is about all of us.
At the summit, I heard stories from individuals with autism, vision and hearing impairment, physical disabilities (from birth or because of injury), learning disabilities and many more. Their stories were a powerful reminder that disability is not a distant concept — it’s part of the human experience. A disability is defined by the CDC as “any condition of the body or mind that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities and interact with the world around them.” (Check out this comprehensive list of disabilities from the CDC.) The statistics are staggering — 27% of the U.S. population has a disability. In fact, if you don’t currently have a disability, chances are that you will at some point in your life. This isn’t about “them,” it’s about all of us.
Greater support and advocacy for individuals with disabilities is critical.
While many of the stories I heard were inspiring, the speakers also shared stories of heartbreak. These individuals were marginalized, underestimated and often felt as though they did not belong. This experience, which is all too common, often leads people to hide their disability from others. On average, people with disabilities earn $15,000 less than individuals without disabilities annually. And only 54% of companies have a disability-focused Employee Resource Group. But for those companies that do make the effort, the research is promising. Companies that prioritize accessibility have:
- 1.6x higher revenue
- 2.6x higher net income
- 2x profit margins
Prioritizing accessibility is not only the right thing to do, but it also makes financial sense to invest in the potential of all employees and work toward accommodations for everyone to work at their very best.
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Many accessibility-focused nonprofits are doing amazing work, but they should not be working on this alone.
At Social Impact Architects, we celebrated our 15th anniversary this year and have been privileged to work with many groups that are pursuing larger community goals of inclusion: Deaf Action Center, Gallaudet University, Cure Glaucoma, 29 Acres and Callier Center for Communication Disorders. But they should not be doing this work alone. Every organization, regardless of its mission, can embed accessibility into its culture. For example, I loved it when Arts Mission Oak Cliff made it a strategic priority this year to install an elevator in their older building, so everyone could access their programs, including the artists themselves. Even better, Texas Instruments Foundation heard this call to action and helped fund it. In 2025, all nonprofits should make it a priority to do a disability inclusion workplace assessment. Check out this great free online assessment from a coalition of Canadian organizations.
We need to think broadly about accessibility.
Our websites are our new “front doors.” And just like physical buildings, they need to be accessible to everyone. There are many resources online you can use to see if your nonprofit’s website is accessible, e.g., the ability to pause animations, make text bigger or use a text-to-read functionality. We added this functionality to Social Impact Architects website a few years ago, and it is easier to do than you might think. You can also get plug-ins and add-ons to translate your website into different languages to further improve accessibility.
We need action in words and in deeds.
A lesson that has really stuck with me is the importance of people-first language. Individuals should not be defined by their disability (e.g., blind, deaf, handicapped) or condition (e.g., disease, homeless). People-first language is a way of speaking that emphasizes the person before their disability or condition (e.g. person who is blind/deaf/disabled). I keep a printout of this chart on my computer to retrain my brain. It is a small thing that makes a big difference and has a ripple effect on how you view other people. I don’t want to be defined by labels; I want people to look deeper and define me by who I am inside. I imagine others feels the same way.
But language is only the beginning. We also need to identify small steps we can take to improve our workplaces. At a minimum, this includes providing training on disability inclusion and ensuring our HR practices promote and support disability inclusion. A few more examples of accessibility in action that I have loved to see lately include: airports that provide special places for parents to take their children with autism, arts and sports organizations that hold “sensory-friendly screenings,” and cities that build accessible playgrounds. These efforts matter and send a message of inclusion and belonging.
My wish for 2025 is that our world becomes just a bit kinder and more compassionate. I hope we throw out the word “normal” from our vocabulary. Its meaning has evolved to mean a judgment about what is “right,” but that view is narrow and limiting. People are indeed snowflakes — unique in every possible way — and that is our strength. And as social sector leaders, it is our duty to recognize and optimize the unique talents of all the individuals on our teams.
We hope you will take on this challenge to make the world a better place by being more accessible, providing more accommodations for all to succeed, and making inclusivity a value in both word and deed. We would love to hear your stories and feedback of how you have accomplished this in your organizations to inspire others to take the journey.
MBA | Disabilities Advocate & Disruptor | Innovator | Dallas 40 under 40 | 2x TEDx Speaker | Strategist | Social Impact Pioneer
1wThanks for advocating for disability inclusion!