Disability:IN 2019 event offers lessons about inclusion—and convening

By: Barbara Harvey and Laurie Henneborn , Accenture

We didn’t attend a conference. We were included in it. The difference matters.

It’s one thing to go to a traditional-style conference that’s focused on a problem you want to help solve. You might sit in on panels and lectures to learn about the latest thinking on the topic. You might even brainstorm solutions with newfound friends between sessions. But often, you’ll find that the people you’re listening to and engaging with are speaking on behalf of those who are affected by the problem you’re there to address. And you’ll leave feeling that more could have been accomplished—a feeling that grows as you realize that the solutions you’ve thought of do not come off the page as planned.  

It’s quite another thing to be part of an event at which you can hear directly from the individuals you’re trying to support. To participate in facilitated design-thinking exercises to develop solutions. To make meaningful and lasting connections with other participants. And to leave with actionable plans and a refreshed mindset.

That’s what both of us experienced first-hand at this year's Disability:IN conference in Chicago. The conference, now in its 22nd year, brought together executives and managers from more than 1500 companies, plus government decision-makers, local affiliates, and representatives of disability-owned businesses from 16 countries. It also included more than 200 “NextGen” leaders—college student and recent graduates with a disability who have demonstrated talent and leadership in the STEM, finance and business fields.

We couldn’t have emerged more motivated—and equipped—to dig in, effect change, and draw others into this important work. This is why:

 “Nothing about us without us”

In the first instance, we realized the value of learning about the experiences of people you’re trying to support, face-to-face.  As Jill Houghton, president and CEO of Disability:IN noted, stakeholders engaged in planning and presenting included disability employee resource group (ERG) leaders and members, executive sponsors with disabilities, disability-owned businesses (DOBEs®), NextGen talent with disabilities, and allies. “Our key ingredient is to engage diverse industry leaders with disabilities, along with allies, who work in a wide range of functions,” she told us.

In that spirit, “Nothing about us without us” was a mantra we heard often.

At one of the plenary meetings, for example, we heard directly from a woman named Meena, who has long been afflicted with a stutter. Meena spoke of a time when she wanted to take part in a presentation and was told she couldn’t because it would take too much time. People didn’t see the smart mind behind the stutter. Then she said that at the previous Disability:IN conference, she had an opportunity to participate in a “speed dating” hiring exercise—at which she sat down with a number of potential employers in turn, meeting with each for just a few minutes then moving on. An offer for a summer internship came out of that experience, where she was able to develop her skills as a software engineer at Qualcomm. Today, Meena is pursuing her masters degree; her research is focused on creating accessible tools to teach students with disabilities to code.

We also heard from a mother and son, Holly Robinson Peete and R.J. Peete, who shared their experiences with autism. When R.J. was diagnosed, his parents were told that he would never work or be financially independent. But there he was – on a stage in front of 2000 people – glowing with pride in his role as clubhouse assistant with the Los Angeles Dodgers. R.J. earns a living, supported by people who have become more family than colleagues, and valued by his employer who has expanded his job so that he now travels the country with the team. R.J. has gained immeasurably in self-esteem through holding down a respectable job and lessening his dependence on others by earning his own money.

Though their situations are unique, R.J and Meena have one thing in common: the fact that many people were unable to see through their disabilities to their potential and attempted to limit their potential. Their stories, and others’, reinforced the urgency of the problem as well as the value in pursuing solutions. Employers that look beyond the disability to the person, the mind, and the potential have a rich and innovative talent pool to mine.

As one attendee said, after that session: “If we could have had the CEOs of all of the largest companies in the world here, for this, we wouldn’t have a problem with disability inclusion anymore.” We agree.

Data focused on the opportunity

We also saw the power of bringing focused data to bear. In two specific sessions, each of us had an opportunity to share data that set the context.  Among the data points we shared:

● Our research suggests that if companies in the U.S. embrace disability inclusion, they will gain access to a new talent pool of more than 10.7 million people.

● The GDP could get a boost up to $25 billion if just one percent more of persons with disabilities joined the U.S. labor force.

● Large companies that improved their scores on the Disability Equality Index (DEI) an annual benchmarking tool offered by Disability:IN, in partnership with the American Association for People with Disabilities, were four times more likely than others to outperform their peers on shareholder returns.  

“Success leaves clues”

As Disability:IN Connecticut Executive Director, Sharon Denson, upon winning the 2019 Affiliate of the Year Award, told the audience, “Success leaves clues.” She was talking about the value of learning from people with disabilities and sharing experiences with an eye towards improving inclusion in the workplace. However, her words are equally relevant when it comes to the art of convening itself. Disability:IN left clues for all those who gather to solve pressing problems at the societal level and in individual companies. The clues we spotted: 

For Convenings:

● Engage the people who are at the center of the issue you’re trying to address creates all sorts of opportunities to develop actionable insights. As Microsoft chief marketing officer, Chris Capossela, put it: “Proximity is the path to empathy.”

Facilitate those individuals’ engagement with the company, government, and organizational decision-makers who can make a difference through their work. Here, it was persons with disabilities, their families (or caregivers or supporters), and senior leaders who believe that inclusion and diversity in the workforce is better for the company over the longer term. But this kind of engagement would be equally powerful for other groups in need of advocacy and support.

● Make the case with data and examples. This is where tools such as Disability:IN’s Disability Equality Index prove helpful. By using an objective self-assessment tool before a conference, company representatives can isolate areas that need attention as well as areas where they are doing well. They will be better positioned to seek and gain information that they can use at a conference. Moreover, event organizers, equipped with business cases developed from the data collected, will have ample relevant information on which to base compelling, action-oriented discussions.

● Host, support, and participate in a design-thinking session, in order to gather input directly from a diverse group of individuals. At one such session during this event, the energy, discussion and ideas that surfaced were like a breath of fresh air. A participant from a Fortune 500 company, unprompted, called it out as a 10 out of 10.

For Companies:

● Recognize that compliance isn’t enough. Public and private sector entities need to be far more accessible and inclusive than current regulations demand. But the same idea holds true for any effort to solve a persistent problem. Compliance is just a start.

● Extend the value of employee resource groups (ERGs). Individual ERGs help employees deal with certain types of issues; they offer critical support in any large organization. However, if a company sets up explicit opportunities for various ERG members to collaborate, the possibilities for creating value multiply as participants discover areas where their challenges overlap, and brainstorm new and more broadly inclusive solutions.  

● Listen to the company’s “pathfinders” – employees who are clearly on the fast-track to higher management positions, and the company’s most valuable customers. As employees, according to Accenture research, these individuals are two times more likely than others to be motivated to give their best to their employer. As customers, they are twice as likely to choose a more expensive brand because they prefer what it stands for.

Pathfinders overall are pushing C-suites to find more well-rounded “whole brain” ways to lead, grow and sustain their organizations. In today’s more socially-aware culture, they want to see the dominant “left brain” leadership skills, such as critical reasoning and an orientation towards results, increasingly balanced by “right brain” skills such as empathy and intuition. And our research indicates that their inclinations bode well for the bottom line, showing a correlation with stronger financials over a three-year period for companies that lead with a whole-brain approach.

● Consider hosting, sponsoring, or housing a convening. There are a multitude of opportunities for companies (or organizations) brave enough to open themselves up for scrutiny by engaging in this way. This year’s Disability:IN event was held at the Chicago Marriott Magnificent Mile. Marriott has a history of focusing on inclusion and disability. But they also knew that anything missed might be noticed; in fact, they wanted participants to offer unfiltered feedback so they could continue to learn. The company’s responsiveness—from changing the location of a button for flushing a toilet, to lowering the height of the reception desk to accommodate those in wheelchairs—demonstrated its commitment.

More determined and better equipped

When the chief accessibility officer at Microsoft, Jenny Lay-Flurrie, stands center stage hugging the accessibility evangelist, Sara Basson, at Google, you know that something extraordinary is happening. The level of engagement we experienced at Disability:IN prompted that hug, as well as other, similarly intense moments. We left determined to do more to advance people with disabilities in the workplace—and to help companies benefit from the strengths of this enormous source of untapped talent. We also left more confident than ever before that we have the tools, and the team (inside Accenture and well beyond our company borders) to get job done. We know others did as well, and we’re looking forward to next year’s event, when we can take stock of the progress we’ve realized and go for more.

As Jill Houghton put it: “We understand that corporations are at different points of the disability inclusion journey. And we believe that the best way to advance is by learning from each other’s lived experience.” The Disability:IN 2019 conference was built on that understanding. We know that others can be, as well.

Special thanks to our colleague and editor, Regina Maruca, for contributing to the shaping of this article.