DiverseAbility Committee Aims to Increase Workplace Inclusion

While companies continue to focus on diversity and inclusion, a new Illinois committee is fighting to make sure no one is excluded due to their physical or mental ability.

The DiverseAbility Committee of DuPage and Kane counties is a group that unites representatives from a variety of local organizations dedicated to empowering people with disabilities. Members include the Association for Individual Development (AID), Donka, Inc., Waubonsee Community College the Illinois workNet Center, the Department of Rehabilitation Services, and the Parents Alliance Employment Project.

"We all share in the fact that we're advocates, we all share the fact that we serve individuals with disabilities, but the beauty of it is that we all serve in different aspects,” said Courtney Littlejohn, director of employment services at AID and a founding member of the DiverseAbility Committee.

The committee began when Littlejohn met with Donka staff to begin building a career and resource fair for local employers and individuals with disabilities. When Covid-19 restrictions made that impossible, the committee decided to switch their focus to a virtual, educational event targeting employers.

Their first event, a free webinar titled “Creating Inclusion in Your Workplace,” was held at the end of October in celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month. The presentation served as a resource for hiring managers, HR, and employers, and focused on the benefits of hiring a person with a disability and dispelling the fear and stigma of hiring individuals with disabilities.

"We want to push information and awareness, not only for employers and businesses, but also for individuals who might not be getting our services right now because they didn't know we existed." Littlejohn said.

DiverseAbility for a better workforce

According to the CDC, disability affects approximately 61 million people in the U.S.—that’s nearly 25% of the population. Despite how common disabilities are in the United States, though, individuals with disabilities are disproportionately underemployed and unemployed. A February 2020 report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the unemployment rate for persons with disabilities was about 7.3%, more than double the rate of those without disabilities (unemployed individuals are those who did not have a job, are available for work, and are actively seeking employment).

“We want businesses to consider everyone, to think about the person behind the application,” Littlejohn said. “Maybe we can also create changes in how people apply for jobs, how employers look at resumes. From an employer standpoint, we want to open their eyes and make them look at hiring differently. They’re skipping a lot of people that just can't put out a traditional resume, or when they do it just doesn't really deliver who they really are or what they’re capable of.”

A recent report from Accenture, a global business consulting company, showcased several benefits to companies with diverse abilities,3 including:

• New perspectives: Employees with different levels of physical and cognitive ability often look at problems differently and increase the organization’s innovation.
• Connect with consumers: Consumers with disabilities are one of the largest market segments, and a 2017 report from Nielsen found that they tend to spend more per trip than the average consumer. Engaging with, employing, and empowering individuals with disabilities can leader to stronger brand loyalty and increased market share.4
• Stronger company culture: Diversity of ability has been shown to decrease worker turnover rate by up to 30% and improve the productivity of all workers within the organization—not just those with disabilities.
• The bottom line: Accenture’s report found that companies with high levels of ability diversity and empowerment were twice as likely to have higher total shareholder returns than their peers. Increasing workplace inclusion can drive increased profits!

2021 and beyond

As 2020 comes to a close, the group continues to meet as they build a plan for the future. Littlejohn said she wants to continue to build the DiverseAbility Committee into a known resource that connects employers and people with disabilities and matching skillsets.

“We really wanted to highlight that although we're different organizations, with different focuses, we’ve come together in collaboration. We really want to send a strong message and be advocates, be bridges, for individuals living with all type of disabilities into the areas of employment and education," she said. “If we share the same passion and missions and goals, why wouldn’t we do more things together, right?”

To learn more about the Association for Individual Development, including their employment services, crisis outreach team, and residential program, visit https://www.aidcares.org/