Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace: Disability Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace is imperative for a sustainable, competitive and innovative company and society at large. Diversity also goes beyond the outward perception of a company – it includes how the internal structures work and signal the value systems of an organization’s management or leadership team.

This series is designed by Diversify to centre Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace. We look forward to seeing you!

Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace: Disability Inclusion

Over the past few years, there has been a heightened awareness and interest on diversity and inclusion. Most diversity parameters have started to take center stage as we interrogate equality and equity on gender, race, sexual orientation and more. Nonetheless, there are some aspects within Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) that are often neglected – one of which is disability.

So this month, we are exploring the intricacies of disability inclusion. One of the many things that the Covid pandemic has taught us is that work can be redefined and it can be much more flexible and inclusive for all, than we ever imagined. Notwithstanding, a report by the Return on Disability group from the USA shows that 90% of companies claim to prioritise diversity, but only 4% consider disability in those initiatives. This is a huge loss, as the disability market is larger than the population of China, with 1.85 billion people, and $1.9 trillion in annual disposable income.

So what can companies and businesses do to incorporate and include persons with disabilities in their workspaces? How can employers understand the barriers that discourage people with disabilities from working for them? How might we play a part in dismantling ableism? How might employers make provisions for both people with visible disabilities (i.e. the blind, the deaf, people in wheel chairs) and those with less visible disabilities (i.e. anxiety, depression, bi-polar disorder)? How can companies ensure that its workplace is accessible and inclusive to retain ALL its diverse employees? These and many more questions will be addressed by our very insightful panelists.

This event is free to attend with registration.

Lucy Mason

Lucy Mason has been a social justice activist for over 20 years, growing up in the heart of the inclusion movement she learnt peer counselling techniques at an early age and has gone on to strengthen the capacities of other social justice campaigners in over 20 countries, with the intention to empower people to understand their rights, their ability and their potential.

Lucy is an educator, campaigner and seasoned movement builder, she’s been challenging and disrupting oppressive structures for a life-time. Lucy founded Helping Empower Youth Activism as a young person herself, working to improve outcomes at a community level, build solidarity and affect disability and inclusion policy, particularly in UK, Bangladesh, Russia and Papua New Guinea. Lucy has made television appearances and spoken at prominent events and political rallies, she’s a skilled facilitator, public speaker, writer, counsellor, human rights advocate and ally to many.

Gagan Chhabra

I am a 35-year-old blind professional who has worked in disparate fields such as management consulting, academia, research, and civil society. At present, I work as a project manager for inclusion at the Atlas-Alliance. Recently, I secured a PhD in Social Policy from the Oslo Metropolitan University. Prior to my PhD, I concluded three master’s degrees, the first was in Special needs education from the University of Oslo, the second was in International Social Welfare and Health Policy from Oslo and Akershus university college, and the third was in Business and Administration from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.

In my PhD research I compare disability policies and labor market experiences of youth with disabilities. My comparative research has been published across different international journals and Norwegian print media. Over the years I have delivered academic lectures and held capacity-building workshops across four continents, on themes such as disability rights, economic empowerment of vulnerable youths and social inclusion.