Published in the October 2013 issue of Public Relations Tactics
Diversity. Disabilities. Inclusion.
You often hear and see these terms used in discussions, in articles
and on corporate websites, but what do they really mean and why are they
important? Communications professionals thrive on words and digging
into the deeper meaning and relevance.
To get to the definition of inclusion, you have to start with diversity.
Merriam-Webster defines diversity as: “
the condition of having or
being composed of differing elements: variety; especially: the inclusion
of different types of people (as people of different races or cultures)
in a group or organization.”
Sound reasonable? Yes, of course, but it hasn’t always been that way.
Changing the Law
Less than 60 years ago in the United States, it was legal to
discriminate against an employee or job applicant because of race,
color, gender, religion, country of origin, age, pregnancy or
disabilities. Recruiting, hiring, job assignments and promotions didn’t
have to include or go to the most qualified applicants or employees.
Signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson and enacted on July 2,
1964, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 made it illegal to
discriminate against someone on the basis of race, color, religion,
national origin or sex.
Title VII was landmark legislation, but it didn’t go far enough, so
several laws were amended to protect the rights of additional groups of
people being discriminated against. These included:
- The Pregnancy Discrimination Act
- The Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA)
- The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)
- Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)
Eliminating Barriers
Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 prohibits
private employers, state and local governments, employment agencies and
labor unions from discriminating against qualified individuals with
disabilities in job application procedures, hiring, firing, advancement,
compensation and job training, as well as other terms, conditions and
privileges of employment.
By eliminating barriers to their participation in many aspects of
living and working, the passage of the ADA in 1990 was a huge step
forward in enabling PwDs (People with Disabilities) to join the
workforce with reasonable accommodations and to share their valuable
talents and skills.
According to the
U.S. Office of Disability Employment Policy
(ODEP), accommodations in this context are intended to ensure that
qualified individuals with disabilities have employment rights that are
equal to — not superior to — those of individuals without disabilities. A
reasonable accommodation is a modification to a job, a work environment
or the way someone works that allows an individual with a disability to
apply for a job, perform essential job functions and enjoy equal access
to benefits available to other individuals in the workplace.
Being Aware and Open
When people think about diversity in the workplace, they often focus
on creating work environments with ethnic, racial and gender balance
that reflects the society we live in today. However, they often overlook
PwDs. Considering that about 56.7 million people — 19 percent of the
population — have disabilities, according to the U.S. Census Bureau,
that is a large group of employees and clients to overlook.
In the Diversity Dimensions article I wrote for the June issue of
PR Tactics, “
Ability Beyond Disability: Understanding Accessibility,”
I discussed disability and accessibility, and mentioned inclusive
communications. But inclusion goes deeper into the DNA of our society
and of an organization.
There isn’t a legal definition of inclusion, and while it’s a fairly
common term in our education system, defining it with a general lens is
difficult. Inclusion Network does a good job explaining with this list:
- Inclusion is about all of us.
- Inclusion is about learning to live together.
- Inclusion treasures diversity and builds community.
- Inclusion is about our abilities and gifts, and how to share them.
- Inclusion is not just a disability issue.
“People with disabilities represent a critical talent pool that is underserved and underutilized,” said
Shirley Davis, director of global diversity and inclusion at the Society for Human Resource Management.
As a communications professional, you can practice and promote
inclusion by your awareness of the issues surrounding diversity and by
making your communications accessible to PwDs.
In today’s global, social and hyper-connected world, organizations
routinely interact with clients, employees and vendors who speak
different languages, come from different cultures, have different levels
of technological literacy and have widely varying physical and
cognitive processing abilities. So, excluding any individual means
missing out on important ideas, insight and opportunities.
Quick and Accessible Communication Tips
This is not a comprehensive list, but incorporating all of these
actions into your communications can help your messages reach a broader
audience:
- Use plain language.
- Use respectful language.
- Include images of people with disabilities in everyday situations.
- Create accessible PDFs.
- Caption videos.
