Millennials have made it clear they want employers to develop inclusive workplaces where everyone understands their value to the organization. It requires successfully developing a culture of accessibility.
By Sharon Ross

Millennials, people under the age of 35, will make up approximately 75 percent of the workforce by the year 2025, but their influence in the workplace is already felt. They are having a tremendous impact on everything from organizational structure and governance to work design. It is a caring and socially responsible generation that believes work should bring value to local or global communities and not just to the bottom line. Millennials are also focused on the group rather than the individual, and they want to participate on diverse and inclusive teams. Unlike the prior generations, millennials include factors like social responsibility, corporate culture, and workplace accessibility in their decision-making processes when selecting an employer. They also know that the full inclusion of people with disabilities requires a culture of accessibility in which people embrace the core value and utilize their knowledge of accessibility to improve workplace performance and to innovate product or services designs.

More Than Accommodation
Accommodation is not accessibility. Accommodation is a response to an individual's needs, but it does not mean the workplace is inclusive. It is the difference between obeying the ADA legal requirements versus proactively designing a workplace in which all employees benefit. A culture of accessibility recognizes the value of inclusivity and everything is viewed through the lens of inclusiveness. Teams are developed that include people with disabilities. Products and services are designed for accessibility by all users. Managers and supervisors fully support the culture of accessibility and ensure all staff has access to the resources needed to perform at the highest level. No one in the workplace is left behind because of their disability, and this is the kind of workplace that millennials prefer.

Federal law requires that people with disabilities must have access to the tools that provide equal opportunities to achieve the same result or the same achievement level as people without disabilities. Millennials grew up with the law and have embraced inclusiveness as a core value, but it is safe to say they expect employers to do more than accommodate people with disabilities. A culture of accessibility proactively anticipates the needs of the workforce and does not intentionally put people in a position where they have to explain their disabilities. Accommodation is reactive and is only necessary when accessibility fails to meet specific needs. For example, in a culture of accessibility, employee training tools are developed as videos with sound or captions and as transcripts with text to speech capability. If accommodation is needed, it could be the software needs adaptation to a particular type of technology equipment the person with a disability utilizes for at-home training.

Accessibility as a concept understood by millennials does not focus on meeting the letter of the law. The designing of processes, systems, training and development tools, workspace, and so on benefits everyone and not just people with disabilities. For example, a training manual available in audio benefits blind employees as well as employees without disabilities who want to listen to the manual on long drives home.

Leading the Way in Developing a Culture of Accessibility
Dropbox, a technology company started by two millennials, shared its approach to developing a culture of accessibility. The company strives to develop products that are easy to use but is now turning its focus on improving product accessibility for people with disabilities. Rather than beginning with product engineering, the company began by developing a culture in which all employees, including engineers, understand and value accessibility best practices. Creating accessible products that everyone can use requires a culture in which people freely share accessibility ideas, knowledge, and experiences. Dropbox created a cross-functional accessibility working group with representatives from various functions including engineering, R&D, communications, and legal. The group takes field trips and attends a series of speaker events.*

Dropbox also developed an Assistive Technology Lab which gives product team members and others opportunities to use assistive technologies, like speech recognition software, screen readers, screen magnifiers, and head mice. The people attending lab sessions perform three tasks ranging from easy to challenging. By making each task more difficult, users are likely to get frustrated which enables them to understand the frustration of staff and consumers. Leadership at Dropbox believes that spreading knowledge of accessibility is the only way a culture of inclusion for people with disabilities is achievable. The knowledge is spread in a variety of ways. The company implemented a variety of approaches: adding an accessibility debug tool to its website which delivers feedback on accessibility errors, like missing links without accessible names; holding team events in which users try to break products; building entire features with accessibility in mind; and conducting user research.

Asking the Right Questions
Technology offers other opportunities to increase accessibility, and a workforce aware of them will naturally apply best practices. A good example are meetings. Are people with disabilities included in meetings, even if it requires accommodation? Is the workforce trained to understand that accessibility is a core value and it is about giving people choices so they can enjoy their experiences? Can people with disabilities access the company website? Does marketing integrate images of people with disabilities into its promotional efforts? Is the physical environment such that people with disabilities can navigate hallways and office space? Are HR policies inclusive of diversity? Does the company have an ERG for people with disabilities? Does the business engage with disability organizations?

A culture of accessibility makes all people feel welcomed, gives employees the tools they need to perform at their highest level, and attracts and retains consumers by offering products and services that are designed with all users in mind. The key is developing a culture of diversity and inclusion, and accessibility is a core principle. As a principle, it should be pervasive. That is the quality that must be captured because it will mean accessibility is considered in everything the business does. This is the kind of workplace that millennials want, and it is a better workplace for everyone.

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