An important read.
We live in a society that purports to value hiring diverse
candidates in the workplace as the right thing to do. Companies garner praise
and gain awards left and right for their commitment to inclusive employment.
"Inclusion" and "diversity" are buzzwords used liberally in
hiring strategies and frequently tossed around in boardrooms and staff
meetings. And yet, according the December nTIDE Jobs Report, the rate of
unemployment for people with disabilities in the United States continues to
rise. While this certainly points to the need for more businesses to adopt
hiring policies that focus on inclusion that actually includes people with
disabilities, it also raises an important question: are the companies that have
already claimed commitment to inclusion trying to look good, or are they truly
doing all they can to make full inclusion a priority?
As I searched for jobs a couple years ago, I noticed many
businesses go above and beyond the standard equal opportunity employer policy
statement on job applications. Several major corporations and organizations
have entire pages on their websites dedicated to inviting diverse candidates to
apply. This felt encouraging, but also left me wondering whether people with
disabilities, like me, are perceived as valuable hires or if the hiring of a
person with a disability is obligation fulfillment.
Of course, there is reason to be grateful when chosen for a
job, but it is important that people from the disability community who are
hired to be seen for their assets, rather than as a token employee with a
disability.
Tokenization, though possibly unintentional, can be harmful
to both businesses and their employees. I'm happy to say I work in a place
where I am respected for who I am. How can employers make it possible that all
employees with disabilities are respected for their skills and not for filling
a quota, real or imagined. How can job-seekers with disabilities and
inclusion-focused employers ensure that tokenization is squelched and the work
environment is truly embracing diversity and promoting it as the norm?
To read more on this story, click here: The True Meaning of Diversity and Inclusion in theWorkplace
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