2. What will we
discuss today?
● Talk through why inclusive
managers make a difference.
● Define disability inclusion.
● Understand barriers to
achieving disability inclusion
in the workplace.
● Learn practical best practices
for being an inclusive
manager and leader.
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH
4. Who am I? ● Visual description
● Pronouns: she/her/hers
● Land Acknowledgement
● My perspective
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
Land Acknowledgement: This presentation
was created on the traditional, stolen lands of
the Piscataway and Nacotchtank (Anacostan)
people.
9. Reflection Moment:
Think about someone who was/is a supportive manager to you.
What made/makes them a good manager for you? Can you
think of any specific examples or stories of their management
in action?
Reflect for 2 minutes, then share in the chat if you would like.
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
11. Accommodations = tailored to
individuals who disclose only
Disability Inclusion = creates an
inclusive culture for all
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
12. What are barriers to disability
inclusion? Share in the chat box.
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
13. Key Myths
● MYTH: People with disabilities are “somewhere else”.
● MYTH: There are not many people with disabilities.
● MYTH: There are no disabled employees at this company.
● MYTH: Accessibility is something we can focus on later.
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
24. “Disability-inclusive
companies achieved – on average – 28 percent higher
revenue, double the net income and 30 percent higher
economic profit margins than other companies.”
*Accenture “Getting to Equal: The Disability Inclusion Advantage” report
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
25. $13 trillion
“The Disability Market influences over $13 trillion in
annual disposable income” globally.
*Return on Disability 2020 Annual Report: The Global Economics of Disability
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
26. Expanded reach
Higher SEO rankings, more video views, etc.
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
27. CHAT BOX: What role can
managers/leaders play in
creating disability inclusion?
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
28. Your role as a
manager/leader
● Create an inclusive team culture
and environment.
● Advocate on behalf of your team
members within the company.
● Develop your team members +
support their growth.
● Create psychological safety.
● Actively own + engage in your own
learning journey.
● Validate your team members and
help them thrive.
● Listen.
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
29. Work on the basics! ● I cover these in more depth in my
“A Practical Introduction to
Disability Awareness” session:
○ Avoid microaggressions
(verbal + physical)
○ Use inclusive, non-ableist
language
○ Respond appropriately to
disability disclosure
○ Disability is not a bad word
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
30. Disability
Disclosure: What to
Do
● Listen first.
● Don’t assume that
someone is asking for
accommodations or
asking for action.
● You can say:
“Thank you for trusting me
with this. I’m here to support
you however I can.”
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
37. - Build a culture of trust
- Acknowledge mental health
- Cameras can be on/off
- Don’t exclude camera off
participants
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
38. Flexibility in how you
communicate information
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
40. - Create a structured meeting
agenda
- Provide closed captions
- Use visuals, not just audio-only
- Visuals should be high contrast +
readable
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
41. - Allow for processing time
- Provide background context first
- Check for understanding before
moving to brainstorming or
higher-level discussions
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
42. Flexibility in how to solve a
problem or reach a goal
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
43. “I know the best way
to solve this
problem.”
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
44. - Listen more
- Value all ideas
- Allow experimentation and
testing
- Recognize that different
leadership styles and values exist
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
45. 2. Adopt best practices for
inclusive meetings.
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
54. Disability Inclusion
for Executive
Leaders
● Representation: Do you
have any openly disabled
executives?
● Make the financial
investment in inclusion.
● Engage in your own
learning journey and
demonstrate vulnerability.
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
55. Disability Inclusion
for HR Leaders
● Create a clear &
understandable reasonable
accommodations process.
Support employees to figure
out solutions together.
● Create accessibility
guidelines for all work +
employee initiatives.
● Require accessibility plans.
● Hire + promote disabled
talent.
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
56. Disability Inclusion
for Middle
Managers
● Recognize your importance
within DEI work.
● Use inclusive, non-ableist
language. Self-correct in the
moment when you slip up, it
happens to everyone.
● Be familiar with the reasonable
accommodations process and
have resources for supporting
your staff (askjan.org).
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
57. Disability Inclusion
for Marketing
Teams
● Create accessible content.
○ Closed captions
○ Alt text
○ Image descriptions
○ Camel case hashtags
● Share transcripts for videos.
● Check color contrast.
● Select fonts wisely.
● Show diverse people in your
photos + marketing.
● Learn about digital accessibility.
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
58. Disability Inclusion
for Product Teams
● Design with the disability
community, not for.
● Avoid simulations.
● Use disabled testers + pay
them fairly.
● Make sure your product
integrates with assistive
technology.
● Create accessible packaging.
● Design with accessibility in
mind from the beginning. Don’t
postpone it.
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
59. Key Takeaways:
● Accommodations are the floor, not the
ceiling.
● Creating disability inclusion benefits
everyone.
● Leaders play a powerful role in inclusion.
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
60. What can you do
now?
● Continue learning,
especially from
disabled voices.
● Focus on your sphere of
influence.
● Talk about disability.
● Take action!
Slides by Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC