Equality is giving everyone a shoe. Equity is giving everyone a shoe that fits.
~Dr. Naheed Dosani
InSIGHT Through Inclusion Virtual Speaker Series | Disability Is Diversity sponsored by
Bold Blind Beauty is changing the way we perceive people with disabilities (PWDs). DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) is a hot-button topic for nearly every organization and our speakers are excited to include Disability in the Diversity conversation.
Accepting people as they are is the heart of equity and inclusion. PWDs are whole people who desire to be seen, heard, and valued for the gifts and talents we posses.
Our speakers are professional, passionate, and accomplished women on the blindness spectrum which ranges from low vision to total blindness. Each shares their personal and empowering story about how they navigate the world and why disability inclusion in the workplace is essential and beneficial for employers.
Common Myths About Hiring People With Disabilities
- PWDs are not qualified
- Hiring PWDs will increase worker’s compensation insurance rates
- Adhering to accessibility requirements/accomodations are too costly
- All PWDs require job accommodations
- There are liabilities in hiring PWDs
- PWDs have a higher absentee rate than employees without disabilities
- Co-workers will be uncomfortable and their productivity will be negatively impacted
- PWDs are unable to meet performance standards
- Accidents on the job are more likely to happen to PWDs
- You can’t fire or discipline PWDs if they underperform
InSIGHT Through Inclusion Speakers
Debunk The Myths
- Through shared stories of real life experiences we tackle the misconceptions that disability equates to incapability
- Insurance rates are based solely on the relative hazards of the operation and the organization’s accident experience, not on whether workers have disabilities
- Accommodations are generally not expensive
- Studies have shown that less than one-quarter of employees with disabilities need accommodations
- With the right support, training, and resources PWDs will be set up to succeed
- Studies have shown that employees with disabilities do not miss work anymore than their coworkers without disabilities
- PWDs are extremely adaptable
- A study by DePaul University, commissioned by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, showed employees with disabilities averaged almost exactly the same job performance rating as those without a disability
- In the 1990 DuPont study, the safety records of people with and without disabilities were identical
- Employees with disabilities fall under the same legislation and provisions as employees without disabilities when it comes to lawful termination
Benefits For Hiring People With Disabilities
- Hiring individuals with disabilities is a smart move for your business
- One of the best ways for a company to tap into a customer segment is to ensure it is represented in its workforce
- An inclusive culture fosters innovation and creative business solutions
- Creating an inclusive culture can increase understanding of PWDs and diminish unconcious biases
- A greater pool of talent to recruit
- Longer retention rates that reduce overall recruitment and training expenses
- Competitive advantages from an untapped pool of talent
- Positive public perception because of employment of people of people of disabilities
- Ease in obtaining government contracts due to a workforce that resembles the general population
- Assistive programs and federal tax incentives for employing people with disabilities
Everyone on the planet needs air to survive. Bold Blind Beauty adopted the acronym A.I.R. (Access, Inclusion, and Representation) as it’s essential for people with disabilities to survive and to thrive.