Author: Luan

Ford Foundation’s Remarkable Mea Culpa Will Provide Greater Opportunities for People with Disabilities | BLOG BY CAROL GLAZER

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For 80 years, the Ford Foundation has sought to reduce poverty and injustice, strengthen democratic values, promote international cooperation and advance human achievement. Now stewards of a $12 billion endowment, when this remarkable organization’s leader speaks, people listen. So it may well reverberate throughout the nonprofit world – and far beyond – now that Ford Foundation President Darren Walker has used the occasion of his annual letter to his constituents admitting that a new effort by the Ford Foundation to disrupt inequality had neglected people with disabilities.

Walker, who is African-American and gay said, “In the same way that I have asked my white friends to step outside their own privileged experience to consider the inequalities endured by people of color, I was being held accountable to do the same thing for a group of people I had not fully considered,” Walker wrote. “Moreover, by recognizing my individual privilege and ignorance, I began to more clearly perceive the Ford Foundation’s institutional privilege and ignorance, as well. It is clear to me now that this was a manifestation of the very inequality we were seeking to dismantle, and I am deeply embarrassed by it.”

I have known Darren Walker for years and consider myself honored that he sought counsel from my organization and others in the disability community on this issue. He is an extraordinary man who has been a leader in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors for two decades. When TIME magazine names someone to its annual list of the “100 Most Influential People in the World” one could be expected to let that get to his head. Not Darren. His remarkable admission about the Ford Foundation’s past ignorance and indifference to people with disabilities only underscores his humility and grace. He also knows when he’s made a mistake and owns it.

The sad reality is people with disabilities have been marginalized for centuries. Even in this age of prosperity, people with disabilities remain underemployed and their skills underappreciated. Twenty-six years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, its full promise has yet to be fulfilled, as millions of Americans with disabilities still struggle to attain a quality of life equal to our non-disabled neighbors.

Personally, I have felt a special connection to the Ford Foundation since my longtime mentor, Mike Sviridoff, went to work for the Foundation in the 1970’s under its legendary leader McGeorge “Mac” Bundy. Together, Mike and Mac worked tirelessly to nurture a variety of programs to address the problems of our cities, most notably poverty. Two years before President Lyndon B. Johnson declared the war on poverty, Mike led an antipoverty program in New Haven that was set up with a Ford Foundation grant. In its first 30 months, the program found employment for 1,500 people and became a national model.

Fast-forward half a century, the Ford Foundation continues to deliver proven results for poor and excluded communities around the world. But even more importantly, Darren Walker takes the unusual next step of putting Ford’s own practices under a microscope, and leading by example. In his letter, Darren notes that “those who courageously—and correctly—raised this complicated set of issues pointed out that the Ford Foundation does not have a person with visible disabilities on our leadership team, takes no affirmative effort to hire people with disabilities, does not consider them in our strategy, or even provide those with physical disabilities with adequate access to our website, events, social media, or building. It should go without saying: All of this is at odds with our mission.”

In a country where most foundations don’t consider disability among their focus areas, for the leader of the nation’s second-largest philanthropy to acknowledge this gross oversight and to appreciate the need to be inclusive of people with disabilities, is a game-changing move for the people my organization represents and for our nation as a whole. I hope his actions will spur other foundations, large and small alike, to examine if they, too, have ignored people with disabilities in their programs and employment. He concludes his letter with a hopeful tone:

“For my part, I am hopeful,” he writes. “By demanding and expecting more of ourselves and our institutions, we can deliver more for others. In listening to each other, we will continue to learn. By listening more to each other, we can continue to forge a more just way forward, together.”

Darren knows we’ll all be watching. And we know he’ll deliver. He always has.

Read NOD President Carol Glazer’s Blog on The Huffington Post

NOD Staffer Receives Disability Award

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Margaret Ling, NOD’s Event & Administrative Associate, received a citation this week for her work while Vice Chair of City University of New York’s Coalition for Students with Disabilities (CCSD).

The citation is an acknowledgement of New York residents who dedicate their efforts to advocating and serving the disability community.

Michael Miller, Michael Simanowitz, and Aravella Simotas, representatives from the New York State Assembly, awarded Ms. Ling and the CCSD executive board members with the citation. In addition, Dr. Christopher Rosa, Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, City University of New York, was in attendance at the ADA anniversary event, held at Queens College.


Photo includes: Assemblywoman  Aravella Simotas and NOD’s Margaret Ling.

Photo includes: Michael Miller, Michael Simanowitz and Aravella Simotas of the New York State Assembly, with Samantha Wong, Chair of CCSD, and Dr. Christopher Rosa, Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, City University of New York.


Photo includes: Executive board and members of CCSD with members of New York State Assembly and Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, City University of New York.

National Organization on Disability Welcomes Three Prominent Companies to Corporate Leadership Council

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Johnson & Johnson, CSC, and Mondelēz Join Corporate Leadership Body Committed to Building a Disability Inclusive Workforce

NEW YORK (July 28, 2016) – The National Organization on Disability (NOD) is pleased to welcome three prominent companies to its Corporate Leadership Council – a group of companies who distinguish themselves as leaders in diversity and employers of choice for people with disabilities.

The Corporate Leadership Council welcomes Johnson & Johnson to the President’s Circle, as well as CSC and Mondelēz to its Corporate Circle. With these latest Corporate Leadership Council additions, NOD is now proud to count 36 companies as members, including six lead partners: DiversityInc, JPMorgan Chase & Co.; Prudential Financial; S&P Global; Sirota Consulting; and the UPS Foundation.

“The National Organization on Disability is delighted to welcome these prominent companies to its Corporate Leadership Council. Membership sends a powerful message to consumers who interact with these brands that they take disability inclusion seriously,” said Gov. Tom Ridge, Chairman of NOD. “With their membership these leading companies commit to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of their consumers. On behalf of everyone at NOD, we thank our new members for their commitment and unwavering support in expanding employment opportunities for people with disabilities.”

“Because so many corporate leaders with titles other than CEO have been keenly active participants whose contributions we wish to honor, NOD has proudly renamed our Corporate Leadership Council, known earlier as the CEO Council,” Gov. Ridge added. In addition to this expanded network, Corporate Leadership Council member companies receive a range of benefits, including:

  • Special access to NOD experts in disability employment and inclusion
  • Exclusive networking events with C-suite business and government leaders and opportunities to learn from corporate peers about leading practices in disability inclusion
  • National visibility for your commitment to disability employment through NOD’s communications channels
  • Unique insight into corporate trends and leading practices in disability inclusion through NOD’s yearlong agenda of learning forums, both in-person and virtual, and publications
  • One-on-one fast track consulting with NOD disability employment experts
  • Members Only pricing on any of NOD’s suite of Professional Services

Learn more about on joining NOD’s Corporate Leadership Council or email council@NOD.org.

A Chance for Every Willing Worker | Op-ed by NOD Chairman Gov. Tom Ridge

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The Americans with Disabilities Act is 26-years-old. And today, federal contractors are showing early progress in hiring people with disabilities.

It was about this time three years ago that U.S. federal contractors learned of new rules from the Labor Department concerning the employment of qualified workers with disabilities and protected veterans. The new rules, the business community was told, would update 40-year-old federal policies to enhance job opportunities for people with disabilities and veterans. It represented the first time the federal government would create specific metrics to measure federal contractors’ progress toward achieving equal employment opportunity. With approximately 1 out of 4 U.S. companies being a federal contractor, this was a big deal.

So three years later, it’s worth asking: How are things working out?

I will admit to having had some conflicting thoughts at the outset. On the one hand, I sympathized with the business community, which raised valid concerns about aggressive new employment targets. There had never been a requirement for employers to hire a certain percentage of veterans or people with disabilities – now they were being told the goal would be 7 percent.

But as chair of the National Organization on Disability, I also knew that, as a society, we must do more to find ways to connect talented men and women with disabilities to job opportunities. The unemployment rate for these Americans remains far too high, despite the fact that employers – once they have taken steps to hire people with disabilities – report that those people consistently rank among their best workers. Our success in the global economy depends, more than ever, on how well we inspire and put to use the talent and energies of every person in this country – every talent, every skill, every ability. That is why the National Organization on Disability was created – to see to it that no ability is wasted, and that everyone has a full and equal chance to play a part in our national progress.

In a conversation I had with President George H.W. Bush last year, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, he said it best when he told me it simply comes down to those who have the jobs giving these workers a chance. It is worth noting that when Bush – a proud conservative – signed the ADA into law on July 26, 1990, he specifically challenged the business community, saying they alone held the key for unlocking the success of the ADA.

At the end of the day, I was able to set aside any apprehensions I held largely because of the good work done by the Labor Department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. To their credit, OFCCP listened to the concerns of contractors and provided additional time to implement the new requirements. And they decreased an employer’s burden on record keeping, too. They were smart to work in partnership with the business community to find solutions.

I’m pleased to report that we already are beginning to see signs of progress. Slow and incremental for sure, but progress nonetheless. The National Organization on Disability recently shared new data from its 2016 Disability Employment Tracker. The survey showed 16 percent of respondents have achieved the 7 percent utilization goal, up from just 9 percent in 2015. What’s more, the study revealed that in contrast to previous years, three quarters of 2016 respondents – 78 percent of which are federal contractors – currently track the number of employees with disabilities that have been hired in the past year. It’s also worth noting that 20 percent of companies who took the tracker assessment are not federal contractors, which signals the new federal regulations may be offering guidance to the noncontractor business community, which would be welcome news.

I had hoped after several years we might have seen even greater results. But we knew this was a process that would take time. Despite some initial concerns, I strongly believe it is an investment in time worth making. Tens of millions of working-age Americans with disabilities are able and eager to work. By joining forces with employers and the 24 million working-age Americans with disabilities who are not working, we can harness the talent of every willing worker and vastly expand the productive power of the national labor force.

Read on U.S. News & World Report

My Son With a Disability Deserves the Same Opportunities as Everyone

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Our society should tell people with disabilities they can work and live equally

Twenty four years ago my son, Jacob, was born with hydrocephalus, or water on the brain. After several surgeries, doctors told us Jacob would be living with both physical and intellectual disabilities. They also told us not to expect much of Jacob in terms of his ability to participate in civic life, community life and in work. And they plunged us into what I now call the “The Tyranny of Low Expectations.”

All these years later when people speak to Jacob, they still infantilize him, speaking slowly, avoiding big words, as if he’s a toddler. It may not seem like a big deal, but for people with disabilities and their families, it is among the largest challenges we face. Like Jacob, it starts early in life for someone born with a disability, or after acquiring a disability for those who do so later in life. The bar on expectations for that person is often set so low by doctors, teachers, friends and even families that the person with a disability lives with artificially low ceilings.

The reasons for the tyranny of low expectations are rooted in our societal approach to disability, which has historically been viewed as a problem to be fixed (and in many cases feared or isolated), versus a natural part of the human condition that each of us is likely to encounter in our lives. In the past, people with intellectual disabilities were sent away from their families to institutions, where they would not be threats to public safety. I shudder when I think how, if Jacob had been born only 20 years earlier, he’d likely have been taken away from me.

We’ve also viewed disability as a problem whose responsibility to find solutions rests with the individual, not with the community or our collective society. The passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act 26 years ago this week effectively declared that people with disabilities had a right to participate in all aspects of life, in their community and the workplace. And our society—our builders, our bosses and our brethren—has to provide reasonable accommodations to enable people with disabilities to participate.

But we have not yet raised that low-set bar on expectations that means most Americans with a disability receive a continuous flood of signals—some intentional, some not—that tell us that we cannot really expect to work, or learn or participate equally.

How do these signals manifest themselves? As children, while the special education system teaches independent living or “life skills” (like cooking, personal hygiene and travel training), far too little attention is given to skills that can be used in the workforce. It’s no wonder then that only aboutone in five working-age Americans with disabilities is employed. The public benefits system—despite efforts at reform—reinforces the expectation that people with disabilities aren’t expected to work; and an outdated statute from 1938 means that people with disabilities can still be paid less than minimum wage to perform menial tasks in a segregated work setting. Proposed new federal legislation aims to remedy that problem, but it has yet to pass.

Every parent hopes that his or her child will become independent, contributing members of their communities, leading full and productive lives, using and being rewarded for their full talents and abilities. We set expectations for them and they rise to the occasion—but we must be mindful of the expectations that we are instilling.

Those who set the early expectations for people with disabilities—parents, school administrators, employers and neighbors—usually have the best of intentions. Nevertheless, many unwittingly engage in the tyranny of low expectations, seeing deficits, not strengths. Disability, not ability. And people with disabilities pick up those messages. When the world doesn’t expect much of you, it’s hard to expect much of yourself. It’s hard to believe in yourself when others don’t. I always tried to hold the bar high for Jacob—and still do—and today he proudly works a part-time job where he gets a paycheck and feels valued for his work.

Those of us with a personal experience of disability know that people with disabilities possess unique problem-solving skills, tenacity, resilience and creativity. Employers must understand the benefits of a diverse society that uses the talents of its citizens to full advantage. We must change attitudes and see strengths—not limitations. We must convert pity to high expectations and help corporate America to recognize promising talent.

More than ever before, people with disabilities are present throughout American society—carrying on our daily lives as workers, consumers, students, neighbors and volunteers—and contributing greatly to our national and community life. But America still has a long way to go to close the gaps in levels of participation between people with and without disabilities. We can start by raising our expectations.

Read President Carol Glazer’s Commentary on TIME

Fulfilling the Promise of the ADA: Innovative Talent Strategies Are Driving Corporate Success | Blog by Carol Glazer

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Each year at this time, those of us who work in the disability space take a very serious look at our progress to fulfill the promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination in all areas of public life for America’s 56 million individuals with disabilities. It has been nearly three decades since the ADA’s passage on July 26, 1990, and people with disabilities have seen progress made to increase their access to education, transportation and public places, but, notably, employment is still a hurdle to many.

When he signed the ADA into law, President George H.W. Bush very publicly challenged the business community to welcome people with disabilities into their workplaces, and he reflected on that call to action in a poignant exchange with Governor Tom Ridge, chairman of the National Organization in Disability (NOD), on the occasion of the ADA’s 25th anniversary last year.

Still today, 24 million working-age Americans with disabilities are not employed. The next step in our progress to realize the ADA is clear: ensure that people with disabilities enjoy full opportunity for employment, enterprise and earnings, and that employers know how to put their talents to work. For us at NOD, that means innovating scalable and sustainable disability employment models that marry the talent needs of corporate America with the skills of working-aged Americans with disabilities.

And the reality is that companies face a lot of challenges today that can be solved by building a culture of inclusion at work and employing talent with disabilities. From emerging market developments and changing consumer demands, companies must evolve to remain competitive. On top of that, between now and 2024, American industry will need 47 million new workers to replace retiring Baby Boomers and respond to growing industry sectors. In my many conversations with corporate leaders, there is no question these are pressing issues.

To succeed in the face of these challenges, companies need resiliency, adaptability, and a future-oriented perspective to anticipate what tomorrow’s customer wants. But how can global companies foster and deploy these skills to meet consumer preference and drive value?

The answer—in large part—lies in talent development, with the men and women, who at every level of the organization, embody and enact the core values of the organization. Companies that can retain talent, with sought-after competencies such as problem solving, innovation and adaptability, will have the most success in meeting the constantly evolving demands of the 21st century marketplace.

And due to living in a world that wasn’t built for them, many of the millions of working-age Americans with disabilities have already honed these skills. Studies across the board show that workers with disabilities are loyal, dedicated, have few absences and last longer on the job.

As many of us know, attracting the best talent is closely linked with creating a progressive and inclusive corporate culture—including welcoming employees with disabilities. Robust diversity & inclusion practices have a positive effect on employee recruiting and retention across the entire workforce and are appealing to consumers. Ultimately, companies will see the benefits in their bottom-line.

Just look to Giant Eagle. The Pittsburgh-based grocery giant tapped NOD’s expertise to help them bring in talent with disabilities and enhance their overall corporate culture. Their company-wide commitment to inclusion is paying off—and Giant Eagle is reaping the benefits of skilled workers, improved morale among all employees, and growing consumer preference for their brand.

In looking back 26 years after President Bush signed this historic legislation, it’s clear to me and our corporate clients like Lowe’s, PwC and J.P. Morgan Chase that fulfilling the ADA’s promise of equal employment opportunities for Americans with disabilities is not an act of ‘charity.’ It’s a solution for leading companies whose success in the global economy depends, more than ever, on the quality of their workforce. From our perspective—and the businesses we serve—it’s a win-win.

Read President Carol Glazer’s Blog on The Huffington Post

Workers with disabilities Can Solve Corporate America’s Talent Vacancies | Gov. Tom Ridge on Fox Business

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###Gov. Tom Ridge calls on businesses to tap into the talents people with disabilities offer###

WASHINGTON, DC (July 13, 2016) – Today, Gov. Tom Ridge, Chairman of the National Organization on Disability, spoke with Fox Business about the many benefits Americans with disabilities are offering to the business community.

“One of the highest priorities in corporate America for the next 20 years is filling millions and millions of vacancies due to retirement and due to the new jobs that will be created in this economy.”

“There is a huge, vast, untapped pool of 24 million working aged Americans that have disabilities…. And if you hire an employee [with a disability, you’ll retain] a loyal employee with less absenteeism, great productivity, and good safety records. So we say to corporate America, if you want to fill vacancies in the future, hire Americans with disabilities.”

Learn how the National Organization on Disability partners with leading companies, like Starbucks, Capital One and Lowe’s, to advance their disability inclusion agendas.

U.S. Employers Score High Marks for Tracking Veterans in their Workforce, Yet Few Reaching Federal Hiring Goals

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Latest Disability Employment Tracker™ from the National Organization on Disability Reveals Mixed Results on the Hiring of American Veterans

NEW YORK (July 12, 2016) – While new data from the National Organization on Disability (NOD) shows companies are increasingly tracking the veteran status of their employees and referencing veterans in their diversity policies, the reality is only one in four companies who responded to the annual survey have reached a 7% veteran employment target established by the U.S. Department of Labor. The remaining 75% still have work to do in order to achieve those hiring goals for America’s veterans, according to data from NOD’s 2016 Disability Employment Tracker™ survey.

“The Tracker data tells us that many employers are doing the right things, like establishing veteran-specific employee resource groups and using their human resource information systems to better track the number of veterans in their workforce,” said NOD President Carol Glazer. “But for many companies, it’s not necessarily translating to hiring enough veterans. We know from NOD’s partnership with the Army, through our Wounded Warrior Careers program, that hiring veterans, who often arrive at the workplace with both visible and invisible disabilities, takes a concerted, systematic effort. That’s why we make available free toolkits for employers to help them both hire and retain veterans with disabilities.”

Resources available at www.NOD.org include an Employers Guide for Welcoming Veterans and Service Members Home and Tools for America’s Best, among other research-based materials.

The Disability Employment Tracker™ is a free tool for employers to confidentially assess their disability and veteran inclusion practices. Survey respondents receive a free and customized Disability Employment Tracker™ Scorecard that provides key benchmarks and leading practices in disability employment. The Tracker represents a diverse cross-section of U.S.-based employers, including:

  • 41% Fortune 500 companies
  • 78% Federal contractors
  • 95% of all companies completed the optional veterans section
  • Representation from finance, manufacturing, healthcare services/pharmaceutical, commercial/professional services, technology and equipment, food/agriculture, and many others
  • Workforce size:
    • 28% > 50,000
    • 34% between 10,000 & 50,000
    • 13% between 1,000 & 10,000
    • 25% < 1,000

Among the key veteran-related findings from the 2016 Disability Employment Tracker™:

  • The number of companies referencing veterans in their diversity policies continues to grow (89% vs. 72% in 2014)
  • Use of veteran-specific employee resource groups remains strong (68%)
  • More and more companies are tracking the number of veterans in their workforce, with nearly 90% of respondents tracking veteran status in their HRIS
  • Only about a quarter of 2016 respondents report 7% of employees identify as veterans

For companies interested in participating in the Tracker, simply visit www.NOD.org/Tracker.

Federal Contractors Showing Progress in Achieving U.S. Labor Department Hiring Goals

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Latest Disability Employment Tracker™ Finds 16-Percent of Respondents Have Achieved the Seven-Percent Hiring Goal for People with Disabilities, Up from 2015

NEW YORK (June 23, 2016) – Federal contractors are making steady but incremental progress in achieving new U.S. Labor Department goals for employment of people with disabilities, according to new survey data from the National Organization on Disability (NOD). The 2016 Disability Employment Tracker™ survey shows 16% of respondents have achieved the 7% utilization goal, up from just 9% in 2015. Further, the study reveals that in contrast to previous years, three quarters of 2016 respondents – 78% of which are federal contractors – currently track the number of employees with disabilities that have been hired in the past year.

“While we would love to see a higher number of companies hitting these goals, we all knew back when the Labor Department announced its disability employment targets that this would be a process that would require not just a commitment of resources from these federal contractors, but also some time,” said NOD President Carol Glazer. “These Tracker findings show meaningful progress. But now is the time to accelerate our efforts. That’s why NOD is working with employers to analyze and benchmark their Tracker data and help them put a more effective plan into action.”

NOD recently announced the creation of the Disability Inclusion Accelerator™, an interactive briefing giving executives a data-rich view of where their company stands in relation to others – and a customized action plan to advance their disability inclusion efforts, based on Tracker findings. Glazer noted that the Tracker and Accelerator combined can help federal contractors achieve the goals established by the Labor Department.

“I was particularly pleased to see that 20-percent of the companies who took the Tracker are not federal contractors, meaning our new regulations are offering guidance to the non-contractor business community,” said Patricia Shiu, Director of Federal Contract Compliance Programs at the U.S. Department of Labor. “The National Organization on Disability continues to provide valuable data that delivers real insights into how the Section 503 rule change is impacting disability hiring. I thank them for their leadership.”

The Disability Employment Tracker™ represents a diverse cross-section of employers, including representation from finance, manufacturing, healthcare services/pharmaceutical, commercial/professional services, technology and equipment, food/agriculture, and many others. About the respondents:

  • 41% are Fortune 500 companies
  • 78% are Federal contractors
  • Workforce size:
    • 28% > 50,000
    • 34% between 10,000 & 50,000
    • 13% between 1,000 & 10,000
    • 25% < 1,000

More About the Disability Employment Tracker™

The Disability Employment Tracker™ is a free tool for employers to confidentially assess their disability and veteran inclusion practices. Survey respondents receive a free and customized Disability Employment Tracker™ Scorecard that provides key benchmarks and leading practices in disability employment.

The Disability Employment Tracker™ was developed by the National Organization on Disability, in partnership with the National Business and Disability Council at The Viscardi Center and Sirota Consulting, a leading provider of organizational assessments.

The partnering organizations conducted interviews and focus groups with dozens of Fortune 500 companies to develop a tool that is responsive to their needs, concise, and easy to use. The free and confidential Tracker was introduced in 2013, with lead support from the Exelon Foundation and guidance from leading research firm J.D. Power, a business of S&P Global.

For companies interested in participating in the Tracker, simply visit www.NOD.org/Tracker.

New Data Reveal Tracking Disability in the Workforce Becoming Standard Practice among Leading Employers

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Latest Disability Employment Tracker™ Shows 9 in 10 Companies Now Invite Employees to Self-Identify as Having a Disability – a 100% Increase from 2014

NEW YORK  (June 16, 2016) – A new survey from the National Organization on Disability (NOD) finds that employers have taken major strides forward in learning about disability in their own workforce. The 2016 Disability Employment Tracker™ survey shows more than 90-percent of responding companies now invite employees to self-identify as having a disability, a 100% increase since the initial baseline Tracker in 2014 found less than half (44%) asked employees that same question.

“The fact that we have seen this remarkable spike in employer engagement, actually asking their employees about their disability status, is an important step in creating more inclusive workplaces, which will equate to more job opportunities for people with disabilities,” said NOD President Carol Glazer. “We created the Disability Employment Tracker three years ago because we know both employers and those who create public-policy look to NOD for trusted data that provides key insights on disability employment. More companies than ever are now taking the Tracker and rely on its findings to help them improve their hiring practices.”

Among other key findings from the 2016 Disability Employment Tracker™:

  • There has been a 20-point improvement in the rate of recruiters being trained on disability employment needs (65% vs. 44% in 2014)
  • 85% of 2016 respondents have a diversity champion whose responsibilities include driving the organization’s strategy on disability inclusion (up from 76% in 2014)
  • While improving, disability still lags behind general diversity initiatives in many areas. For example, there are significantly fewer employee resource groups that target employees with disabilities (58%) vs. other diversity groups (78%)

“What we are seeing is that employers are changing the conversation on disability. While disability has long been a taboo topic, companies are increasingly recognizing that thoughtfully addressing it is to mandatory for success and increasing diversity,” said Glazer. “There is no question the rule changes initiated by the Labor Department have kick-started these conversations inside the HR and compliance departments of many companies.”

The Disability Employment Tracker™ is a free tool for employers to confidentially assess their disability and veteran inclusion practices. Survey respondents receive a free and customized Disability Employment Tracker™ Scorecard that provides key benchmarks and leading practices in disability employment. The Tracker represents a diverse cross-section of employers, including representation from finance, manufacturing, healthcare services/pharmaceutical, commercial/professional services, technology and equipment, food/agriculture, and many others. About the respondents:

  • 41% Fortune 500 companies
  • 78% Federal contractors
  • Workforce size:
    • 28% > 50,000
    • 34% between 10,000 & 50,000
    • 13% between 1,000 & 10,000
    • 25% < 1,000

More About the Disability Employment Tracker™

The Disability Employment Tracker™ was developed by the National Organization on Disability, in partnership with the National Business and Disability Council at The Viscardi Center and Sirota Consulting, a leading provider of organizational assessments.

The partnering organizations conducted interviews and focus groups with dozens of employers, including many Fortune 500 companies, to develop a tool that is responsive to their needs, concise, and easy to use. The Tracker was introduced in 2013, with lead support from the Exelon Foundation and guidance from leading research firm J.D. Power, a business of S&P Global.

Tracker data was used to determine winners of the inaugural NOD Leading Disability Employer Seal, a public, annual recognition designed to both recognize and applaud those companies who are leading the way in disability hiring and to encourage others to consider the many benefits of making an inclusive workforce a priority.  NOD Leading Disability Employer Seal winners were revealed on June 9.

For companies interested in participating in the Tracker, simply visit www.NOD.org/Tracker.