Key Findings in Global Survey Data About Disabled Employee Experience

Published March 15, 2021

Ninety percent of global corporations report being committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, yet less than 5% explore the work experience of their employees with disabilities, which is the largest minority group worldwide. Neglecting to include this diversity group in DEI discussions and initiatives hinders the goal of these efforts, which is to create equal opportunities for all. The vast majority of all corporate engagement surveys neglect to segment out employees with disabilities to make a comparative analysis, which can be used to identify and launch initiatives to equalize any disparities found.

To this end, Global Disability Inclusion and Mercer collaborated to conduct a ten-year study analyzing the attitude and experiences of individuals with disabilities in the workplace. The report, called The State of Disability Employee Engagement, revealed that individuals with disabilities feel less engaged, report having less favorable employment experiences than their colleagues, and have a poorer outlook on leadership, equity, and opportunity. The study, which analyzed responses from over 12 million employees worldwide, found a significant difference in the experiences of employees with disabilities compared with their non-disabled counterparts, even greater than that of other diversity groups such as gender, race, and sexual orientation. If a 5% point difference exists between segments, it is considered significant enough to demand change, and in some areas, there was a difference of up to 13% between disabled and non-disabled employees. The areas of most significance were as follows:

  • Employment Equity (-8): Employees with disabilities felt as though their companies did not treat them or care about them as well as their non-disabled colleagues, in terms of their value to the organization, their treatment in the workplace, and their comfort level in being themselves.
  • Workplace Achievement (-8): Individuals with disabilities felt as though there were unequal opportunities for growth and advancement opportunities in their places of employment.
  • Leadership (-7): Individuals with disabilities felt more disconnected from leadership and more fearful to speak up.
  • Immediate Manager (-4): Employees who disclosed their disabilities reported feeling more engaged in their companies, managers, and colleagues than those who did not disclose their disabilities.
  • Overall Engagement (-6): Individuals with disabilities felt their companies should be doing more to help them feel more connected/engaged.

These findings point to the need for employers to alter their recruitment, hiring, engagement and retention efforts for individuals with disabilities.

Meg O'Connell, CEO and founder of Global Disability Inclusion, commented:

Companies must begin to include the world’s largest minority group, people with disabilities, in their diversity and inclusion programs. There is tremendous opportunity for companies to take action and create immediate impact for up to 20% of their employee population.

As companies continue their efforts to improve DEI efforts in the workplace, the need to investigate and include the needs of individuals with disabilities in their discussions and initiatives is paramount to promoting equal opportunity. Once employers improve their efforts to understand the work experiences of their employees with disabilities, they can take actionable measures to ensure the success and engagement of this population, which could constitute up to 20% of their workplace.

If your company would like to have employees partake in a disability engagement survey called Amplify designed by Global Disability Inclusion and Mercer, or would like additional information on this report, you may contact Meg O’Connell at meg@globaldisabilityinclusion.com or Pete Rutigliano at peter.rutigliano@mercer.com.

 

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