Without Limits: Lessons from National Disability Employment Awareness Month

National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) is an important time to recognize the skills and contributions of workers with disabilities. The month is also a time to spotlight the challenges people with disabilities face in the job market and workplace. 

Over the past several weeks, I've been chatting with disability rights and justice advocates on my Get Hired podcast to learn about NDEAM, the challenges people with disabilities face in the world of work, and how others can be effective allies. In today's edition of Get Hired, I want to summarize a bit of what we learned during these conversations.

Know Your Rights and Find Your People

Navigating the job search as a person with a disability can be overwhelming, especially when faced with biases or inaccessible processes. Knowing your rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is essential. 

“If you need a remote work accommodation, you can get that," said Luticha Andre Doucette , an award-winning disability justice expert and CEO of Catalyst Consulting. "They’re called reasonable accommodations."

While there is no ADA hotline for people to call, Luticha said the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has a lot of resources to help people understand their rights.

It’s also crucial to investigate whether an employer is genuinely disability-friendly. Luticha suggests asking about the company’s accommodations process during interviews. “If they say, ‘I don’t know’ or ‘We’ll get back to you,’ that is a red flag,” she said.

Informational interviews are another way to uncover the truth about potential employers.

Make Accessibility a Priority

Managers play a critical role in fostering an inclusive environment. Unfortunately, many workplaces still treat accommodations as an inconvenience. Disability rights activist Rebecca Cokley , who is also the Ford Foundation's disability rights program officer, pointed out how the pandemic showed that many accommodations — like remote work — are not as unreasonable as employers once thought. 

"It really could be a hell of a lot easier if employers actually understood that accommodations are productivity tools, and they help you do your job versus you asking for something special," she said.

So, what can managers do? Rebecca stressed the importance of starting with the people already in your workplace. “I think it starts with acknowledging the people with disabilities you have already in your workplace who are likely not being accommodated.” 

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN), which is partly funded by the Department of Labor, is an excellent resource for managers and employees alike to find solutions for workplace accommodations. 

Rebecca points out that data suggests 80% of accommodations cost less than $200. "I think there is this fear from employers at the minute they open the conversation that they start seeing the dollar signs." So, don’t let cost concerns deter you from making simple, impactful changes.

Communication and Action

For those who want to support their colleagues with disabilities, it starts with communication. Disability advocate and author Emily Ladau urges allies to ask questions and avoid making assumptions. “If you avoid making assumptions and instead say, ‘I don’t have all the answers, but I want to talk about it with you,’ that makes a huge difference."

Another simple but effective way to create a more inclusive culture is to do accessibility check-ins, said Emily. 

“At your next meeting, say, ‘Can we pause for a moment and do an access check-in?’” Offering accommodations like turning on automatic captions during Zoom meetings or scheduling stretch breaks signals to your colleagues that their needs matter.

Emily also emphasized the importance of viewing disability as part of diversity. “Disability overlaps with every other type of diversity.” Ensuring that disability is included in your organization’s diversity efforts helps create a truly inclusive environment.

• You can listen to my conversation with Emily below or by clicking here. A transcript is available by clicking here.

• You can listen to my conversation with Luticha below or by clicking here. A transcript is available by clicking here.

• You can listen to my conversation with Rebecca below or by clicking here. A transcript is available by clicking here.

Nicole Fernandez-Valle is a recruiter who has been on both sides of the hiring process. She joined me on the latest episode of my Get Hired podcast to share what job seekers should know about the process. Nicole also shared how people can benefit from job searching like a recruiter. For example it's beneficial to diversify your strategies and lean on your network for support.

A transcript of the conversation is available by clicking here. You can listen to the episode above or wherever you like to listen by clicking here.