Leadership development is a critical component of every workforce. For both employers and individuals, leadership development that addresses the fundamentals as well as principles of accessibility, equity, and inclusivity are ideal.
There are various ways to support employees as they enter leadership roles. These include organization-based programs that help employees looking to advance their careers within the company, as well as external programs where employees can independently enhance their leadership skills. One notable example is our Leadership Program.
Disability Belongs™’ Leadership Program emphasizes disability inclusion and accessibility, recognizing that these concepts are essential for any initiative aimed at developing leaders, regardless of the field. Leaders who prioritize inclusion create environments where employees feel they belong and where their perspectives are valued.
People with disabilities are a particularly valuable part of the workforce. Therefore, training leaders to be aware of challenges that disabled employees may face, as well as resources and strategies to break down these barriers is essential for creating an effective and safe workplace. Incorporating disability awareness and inclusion into training for leaders can take many forms. For example, employers can bring in disability etiquette or disability fundamentals training for leaders, ensure that all people managers have access to the company’s resources about accommodations, and ensure that there is solid representation of disabled leaders spread throughout the company. Ideally, employers will take several of these steps and more to ensure that disability is not a taboo topic in their workplace and that everyone in a leadership position is equipped with the information and resources they need to support disabled employees.
In our Leadership Program at Disability Belongs™, we do all the above and more. In addition to providing training, resources, and authentic representation, we also focus on providing mentorship and peer support for our emerging leaders. Our Leadership Program runs in cohorts of ten, which creates a built-in support network of peers who are also exploring their professional goals. More importantly, because our program is specifically for emerging disabled leaders, it creates a community of people who have similar experiences navigating the world as a person with a disability. This, along with mentorship from staff at Disability Belongs™, creates a large support network for our cohorts made up of people with various backgrounds, disability identities, and professional experiences. Through these relationships, our cohorts learn the different ways that disabled people can thrive in the workplace. This sets them up to be leaders who can create supportive environments that are inclusive and accessible.
Empowering disabled professionals in this way strengthens the workforce and promotes inclusion and access to career development. When people with disabilities are in leadership positions, it sends the signal to the rest of the company, as well as its stakeholders, that the company is supportive and a safe place for people with disabilities to work. This is quite important when you consider the fact that more than 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. have a disability.
Additionally, studies have shown that inclusive workplaces retain employees more effectively because people are more likely to stay in environments where they feel supported and respected. Therefore, when employers are considering how to train leaders, disabled or not, training them to create supportive and respectful environments should be a priority. Including training about disability etiquette and accommodations, as well as peer support and mentorship, are all important strategies to create inclusive workplaces in tandem with hiring practices that ensure people with disabilities can attain and maintain roles at the company.
