A Healthy Dose of Inclusion: The Corporate Remix

This post was originally published in the Oxford Business Review in 2021.

Developmental disabilities include Autism, Attention Deficit HyperActivity (ADHD), blindness, and various other conditions and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that the prevalence of these disabilities in the US is 16%. While disability condition diagnoses make up a significant portion of the workforce, having an inclusive workplace environment can be beneficial to not only the intended demographic, but also the community at large.

While making sufficient working conditions conducive for neurodiverse and other communities with disabilities is still underway in several corporations, some companies are forging the path. Accenture, for example, created a Disability Employee Resource Group to raise awareness and develop support networks for those with various disabilities and mental health conditions. Microsoft, Dell, and Ernst & Young have all included recruitment and retainment schemes for those with autism and other neurodiverse conditions. While this is considerable progress, it is imperative that more companies emulate inclusive practices as well as create and iterate on better working environments for their employees.

One reason it is important for workplaces to accommodate those with disabilities may be due to the current barriers hindering members of certain communities from receiving official diagnosis. An example of a disability that may have barriers to access a diagnosis is autism. Autism is a developmental condition that has varying affects social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication. While 1 in 54 children are diagnosed with autism, diagnosis is four times more common in males than in females—although there is no proof that females have lower rates of autism. Differences in presentation of symptoms is one reason for this contrast in diagnosis. Even more strikingly, while autism prevalence affects all communities equally, the CDC notes that racial and ethnic minority groups are receiving a diagnosis significantly less often than their white counterparts.

In both academic and professional settings, one needs an official diagnosis for most disabilities to receive accommodation. Often, this approach is used to ensure that employees are discouraged from taking advantage of certain accommodations that are necessary for those with disabilities. Receiving extra time on a test when it is unnecessary is an example of such. However, one should consider if autism and similar disabilities are inaccessible for some communities due to factors such as stigma, cost and time constraints.

Given such barriers of access, there are several possible ways employers can accommodate their employees with minimal effort and financial cost. The UK’s Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service Centre, and the Disability Service Center at University of Oxford, states that engaging employees, speaking clearly, limiting the use of: bright lights, loud noises, and open-floor planning are common examples of enabling an inclusive work environment.

Taken together, work environments cannot solely rely on an official diagnosis to be accommodating in the workplace. This is important because working in environments that are not conducive to an employees neurotype, health, or personality can be detrimental to one’s stress level or mental health. Stress resulting from lack of inclusion in the workplace has been proven to lead to increased days off.This both hinders the employee themselves, while also impacting the economy. For example, researchers at Penn State found that when employees that take just 1 additional day off per month for mental health reasons entailed a 1.84 drop in per capita real income growth rate. In blunt terms, taking 1 extra mental health day —resulting from occurrences such as stress— can lead the US economy to miss a total of $53 billion dollars in income every year.

Additionally, not accommodating those with unique needs (or waiting for a formal request to do so) can be detrimental and accommodating these needs can rather have a positive impact on all. An infamous example is the invention of SMS texts. Finnish inventors Matti Makkonen et al., originally invented SMS texting to be an alternative to voice conversations for deaf individuals and others who are hard of hearing. The use of SMS texting is now ubiquitous as it proved to be efficient for both personal and professional use while also saving their intended company ample bandwidth. There are several other examples of accommodation to the minority that led to prosperity and convenience for the majority. Ramps, elevators, and automatic doors being additional classic examples.

It is evident that inclusion in workplace settings lessens workplace stress and decreases days off from stress or fatigue. Accommodating those with diverse needs can also have a greater impact on the entire work community at-large. A diverse and broad environment that can both incorporate and inspire those with unique needs and personalities can be beneficial to all employees. It is time our employers accommodate diverse needs, and it is time all of us advocate for every community. We can advocate by listening to and creating a platform for those in minority and/or disabled communities to communicate their needs and demands for the various companies to implement willingly. We can also use discernment while consuming in order to support companies whose employees feel included and heard in their work environment.

Thus, it may not be necessary to wait for official permission or an urgent need to accommodate those with disabilities. Accommodating individuals with various needs is often simple to do, and the positive effects to the workplace community and bottom line can be vast.