RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS
often the first place to start, and it’s the place where the journey begins,” says Stegen. Experts recommend meaningful education and ‘osmosis’ as the first steps. From a foundational approach, education addresses issues such as bias and stigma. At the same time, it teaches the importance of equalizing the playing field, including workplaces. It essentially teaches how to be welcoming of everyone. “Osmosis means exposing people to different cultures, types of humans, and accessibility and accommodation requirements, because that's how we're going to remove the stigma,” says Tova Sherman, CEO of reachAbility Association and author of Win, Win, Win! The 18 Inclusion-isms You Need to Become a Disability Confident Employer.
Osmosis means exposing people to different cultures, types of humans, and accessibility and accommodation requirements, because that's how we're going to remove the stigma.”
— Tova Sherman, CEO, reachAbility Association
Most employers realize the importance of inclusion and diversifying their culture, because financially it has clear benefits. That includes creative problem-solving skills, fewer sick days taken, more ideas brought to the table, and endless opportunities for marginalized people with pressing issues to be included in the conversation. “We need to get a conversation going; we need to start talking about the unique things people with disabilities bring to the table, start demystifying ‘disability’ and stop stereotyping people with disabilities,” says Sieliakus. Changing unfounded assumptions Many jobs, previously assumed impossible to accomplish from home, were carried out from home over this past year due to pandemic restrictions. This now-rectified assumption used to prevent
TOVA SHERMAN, AUTHOR OF WIN, WIN, WIN! THE 18 INCLUSION-ISMS YOU NEED TO BECOME A DISABILITY CONFIDENT EMPLOYER, EMPLOYER , ENSURES E BUSINESSES ARE ON THE PATH TO PROFIT AND GUIDES LEADERS, COWORKERS AND EVEN CUSTOMERS TOWARDS INCLUSION.
JUNE 2021
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