Why Your Business Should Care About Implementing Equitable Access

What does 1% mean to you? 

In terms of equitable access, the GDP could be boosted by up to $25 billion if 1% more equitable access initiatives are put into practice to hire Deaf, blind, DeafBlind and disabled candidates.

That’s because hiring employees with disabilities benefits the bottom line, leading to better ROI and tax benefits. 

According to the Commission on Disability Employment, organizations prioritizing disability inclusion see 28% higher revenue, double their net income and see 30% higher economic profit margins. This highlights the return on investment of prioritizing hiring people with disabilities. 

But often, hiring people with disabilities is done solely for the purpose of checking a box or increasing profit. 

Instead, it should help open the workforce to talented individuals who face both overt and subtle barriers to pursuing careers. 

It should foster more creative, inclusive work environments, where equitable access is prioritized. Yes, this can make for better business, but it should be driven by a desire to do better and ameliorate organizational culture. 

 Greater equitable access in the workplace will lead to greater equitable access throughout society. When we treat equitable access as a basic requirement, we create communities where all members thrive.

What are the barriers to equitable access in hiring?

Misconceptions, unconscious biases and a lack of awareness often deter businesses from hiring people with disabilities. Research has found many companies overlook applicants with disabilities due to:

• A lack of understanding regarding the abilities and scope of potential talent within different communities

• A variety of misconceptions regarding the cost compared to the ROI of equitable access and inclusion within the workforce

• The perceived amount of time needed to integrate employees with disabilities into the job and company culture

Challenge and awareness lead to opportunity. Companies can create new, more inclusive spaces within workplaces, but it can be difficult to know how to begin the work of creating these inclusive spaces. It starts with conversations driven by education, not judgment, and a desire to learn more about what equitable access looks like for everyone. 

I say this often because it bears repeating: equitable access is not a one-size-fits-all solution. What benefits someone who is hard-of-hearing will not be the same as what best supports someone who is Deaf. The same is true for someone who is low-vision, compared to someone who is Blind. 

Why Integrating equitable access Should matter to your business

Accenture found that as of July 2018, only 29% of people with disabilities of the legal working age were participating in the workforce. Approximately 61 million Americans — about 1 in 4 people — are disabled, including those who are Deaf, blind and DeafBlind. Companies that adopt more inclusive hiring practices will open themselves up to a new talent pool of about 10.7 million people. 

Hiring workers with disabilities has a positive effect within a workplace’s culture and can: 

• Boost morale and decrease turnover rates

• Increase productivity and innovation

• Foster loyalty towards the company and their business practices

A more diverse workforce also brings a financial boost, including: 

• Businesses with equitable access practices in their company culture have on average doubled the shareholder returns, compared to companies that have not

• Companies who continue to improve inclusive environments consistently have been four times more likely to see a total shareholder return on investment

Integrating equitable access into your workforce increases representation and equitable access for your customers — many of whom are also disabled. Having team members with shared experiences or understandings ensures you are best serving your audience. 

how To implement equitable access in Hiring

Promoting equitable access within the workplace begins with integrating it into your hiring process. You can implement different tools and services to make the interview process run smoothly and equitably, including: 

• Offering interpreters for Deaf candidates. Here are some more tips from the iYellow Group team on how to interview Deaf candidates:

  • If you’re interviewing over Zoom, let the interpreter and candidate have their own breakout room prior to starting the interview

  • If there are multiple interviewers, interviewers should be careful about taking turns so the Deaf candidate and interpreters can follow the dialogue

  • Take your time asking questions and be patient as the questions are interpreted. There may be misunderstandings that come from the interpreter

• Providing access to screen readers for visually impaired or blind candidates, or other technology that people who are hard of hearing might need

• Ensuring the hiring process is accessible: all written documents and interview platforms should be accessible by screen readers

• Enlisting equitable access experts who can help tailor further actions to your individual company’s needs

• Providing employee training and education services, so all employees understand the importance of accessibility and the measures you — and they — should take
  

My company, iYellow Group, helps organizations support their employees, as well as prospective employees, who are Deaf, blind and DeafBlind. We know equitable access is different for every person. And we know the challenges companies face when embarking on creating a fully inclusive workspace. We are here to support your journey. 

Learn more about integrating equitable access in your business. 

Companies That Integrate equitable access In The Workplace

Some major corporations have endeavored to integrate equitable access into their workplaces to support employees and customers with disabilities. 

Walgreens

In 2010, Walgreens started a program called REDI (Retail Employees with Disabilities Initiative), which sought to hire people with disabilities for 10% of retail position openings in the Dallas/Fort Worth stores. By 2014, the program had successfully employed more than 1,100 people with disabilities.

“We didn’t lower the bar when it came to performance but we did have to open the door wider to include those who are routinely overlooked. The results exceeded our wildest expectations. And the best work of our lives,” said Randy Lewis, former Senior VP of Supply Chain and Logistics. 

In 2020, Walgreens was recognized for the fourth consecutive year with a top score of 100 by the Disability Equality Index, a joint initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities and Disability: IN. 

The Boeing Company

The Boeing Company created and implemented the Boeing Employee Ability Awareness Association (BEAAA), which aims to promote the inclusion of employees with disabilities and educate other employees on inclusivity. 

Boeing took this a step further and also started the Boeing Deaf Employees and Friends (BDEAF) group. It frequently spotlights the company’s Deaf and hard-of-hearing workers and has achieved a top score of 100 by the Disability Equality Index.

PepsiCo

In 2013, PepsiCo launched Pepsi ACT (Achieving Change Together) in order to attract and hire more workers with disabilities. ACT has since become an integral part of its hiring initiatives, with over 1,400 employees with disabilities now working for the company. Pepsi ACT has also increased training and education for managers and supervisors on how to better interview and manage all employees, including Deaf workers. 

Starbucks

Starbucks has begun a number of initiatives to serve both workers and customers with disabilities. Recently, Starbucks offered free Aira service, which provides visual interpreting services to blind and low-vision customers, as well as new large-print or Braille menus upon request in all stores. 

In Washington D.C., China, Japan and the UK, Starbucks opened Signing Stores, which bring in “design elements that address major aspects of the Deaf experience and store partners who are proficient in sign language, whether they are hearing, hard of hearing or Deaf.” 

Starbucks employs more than 200 Deaf employees worldwide. To expand accessibility, Starbucks offers American Sign Language interpreting and real-time captioning services.