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Including Disability In DEI Efforts with Alycia Anderson

2023-08-15

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Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.

Alycia Anderson is a TEDx motivational speaker; disability advocate; corporate diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility consultant; founder and CEO of The Alycia Anderson Company, LLC; and host of the podcast Pushing Forward with Alycia. July is Disability Pride Month and Alycia wrote an article, “8 Ways to Include Disability in DE&I Efforts,” for the July RIMS Risk Management Magazine. She comes on the show to share those tips with us and continue the conversation in August.

Alycia also discusses the importance of representation, especially for people with invisible disability, and providing a psychologically safe place for people with disability to raise their hands and talk about their needs in the workplace.

Key Takeaways:

[:01] About RIMScast and the RIMS App, an exclusive benefit for RIMS members.

[:33] About today’s episode, where we will discuss some major cyber reporting news with RIMS Risk Management Magazine Managing Editor, Hilary Tuttle.

[:56] All about exciting, upcoming RIMS events! Registration is open for the RIMS Canada Conference 2023, which will be held September 11th–14th in Ottawa! Visit RIMSCanadaConference.ca for more information.

[1:16] On September 14th, the Spencer Educational Foundation returns to New York City for its Annual Funding Their Future Gala. The event will be held at the Cipriani on 42nd Street. A link is on this episode’s notes. You can also visit SpencerEd.org.

[1:33] The RIMS Western Regional Conference will be held October 4th–6th in Vail, Colorado. Visit RIMSWesternRegional.com for more information and to register.

[1:45] Head to the RIMS.org/Advocacy page to find information about The RIMS Legislative Summit, which is returning to Washington, D.C. on October 25th and 26th.

[1:59] We are very excited about the RIMS ERM Conference 2023, which will be held November 2nd and 3rd in Denver, Colorado! The theme is Elevate and Evolve. Registration will open soon as will a call for nominations for the ERM Award of Distinction. Visit the events page on RIMS.org for more information.

[2:22] August 18th is the last day to submit a session for RISKWORLD 2024. See the link to the online submission form in this episode’s notes. RISKWORLD 2024 will be held May 5th–8th in San Diego, California!

[2:40] July is Disability Pride Month, a commemorative celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act being signed into law in 1990. RIMS Risk Management Magazine, as is our flagship publication and there’s a wonderful article in the current print edition. It is also available online. It’s called, “8 Ways to Include Disability in DEI Efforts.”

[3:02] The article was written by Alycia Anderson, the Founder of her company. She’s best known for her TEDx talks. Justin thought she would be a fantastic guest on RIMScast to talk about the tips in the article and extend the dialog beyond July.
[3:23] We are going to provide some actionable tips for risk managers and business leaders who want to make the DE&I conversation more inclusive about people with disabilities, throughout the year.

[3:44] Justin welcomes Alycia Anderson to RIMScast. The topic is disabling ableism. Alycia is an international TEDx motivational speaker, a disability advocate, a DE&I and Accessibility corporate champion, and a podcast host advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and including disability in that conversation.

[4:45] Alycia has a Master’s degree in Adaptive Physical Activity. It’s work she has been doing for pretty much her whole life. She was born with her disability, sacral agenesis, so she has lived her life in a wheelchair. The path of advocacy and fighting for her opportunities in life is been a requirement from day one.

[5:11] Today, Alycia is focused on bringing some of that exposure to corporate America and speaking to companies globally about the benefits, principles, and practices of including disability inclusion in these diversity conversations that we’re having all over the world.

[5:41] Alycia worked in corporate America for around 20 years. Through her experience of climbing the corporate ladder, into the business she owns today, she has had a constant relationship with risk management professionals. Often the inclusion of disability in the workplace is seen as a risk.

[6:18] It’s always in play for Alycia to dismantle that assumption, start the conversation and bring the human spirit into opportunities in employment for people with disabilities.

[6:43] Alycia thinks we’re just starting to scratch the surface and raise awareness among risk managers about disability and other DE&I issues. Diversity conversations have picked up since COVID-19, George Floyd, and things that have been happening in society. Disability traditionally, is one of the last issues to catch on in a movement.

[7:23] Through Alycia’s experience, disability inclusion has been a compliance-driven, check-off-the-box, ADA conversation about accommodation. Where is the conversation going to look at the human experience, the value of it, and what it brings to organizations? The human experience is our common ground.

[7:49] We’re gaining traction in this DE&I conversation. Alycia believes that’s why she is so busy. She’s spending a lot of time educating organizations globally on the subject of the ROI, how this conversation benefits all of us, and dismantling some of the typical barriers from a disability inclusion standpoint that would tie into risk management.

[8:26] What are our attitudes toward inclusion? What are the physical barriers, policy barriers, and communication barriers? There’s a lot to unpack in this conversation and start to educate. We’re at the beginning of education on disability inclusion.

[9:32] Alycia says disability invisibility is prevalent. Disability is one of the largest marginalized groups in this diversity conversation. It’s one-seventh of our global population. We’re not creating environments in the workplace for employees to feel safe and comfortable to raise their hands and identify with whatever disability they have.

[9:55] The way companies can do better and continue the conversation is to have the conversation; to start to get comfortable with it, to start to formalize it. That means talking about it regularly and remembering that not everybody is going to feel safe initially to raise their hand and have those conversations.

[10:20] Is feeling safe the same as feeling comfortable? Alycia is talking about feeling emotionally safe. Alycia always wanted to hide her disability when she could, like on LinkedIn. She wouldn’t tell hiring managers she was in a wheelchair because she knows that there is stigma, bias, and fear about what is possible for people with disabilities.

[10:46] We are not diving into the conversation. People are afraid to raise their hand at work and say, “I’ve got a hearing impairment. I need this small thing on my computer so I can function better.”

[11:13] Once companies start to have open conversations, have accessibility mission statements, and hire people with disabilities and promote them into positions of leadership, have more visibility, hire speakers, have ongoing education in each department, it shows employees and customers that you are open to this conversation.

[11:47] It shows that it’s psychologically safe to explore this a little bit deeper. Then employees feel that they can start to raise their hand and not feel like they’re going to be discriminated against, fired, not promoted, or all the things we’ve seen historically with the 70% of people with disabilities that are not even working.

[12:14] We’ve got a society that has a lot of pretty negative stigma placed on disability. Alycia is trying to bridge the gap and bring in humanity to open up opportunities for people that are going to follow her down the path.

[12:58] How do risk managers go beyond the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act? These are baseline legislation. How do we expand the opportunities? How do we move forward with better legislation and more law? Accessibility in the workplace is innovative. It’s an opportunity for us as companies to grow our businesses.

[14:07] We need innovations for people with disabilities to have a spot in the workplace. It challenges us as companies and employers to innovate. When we’re looking at many different ability types, and we’re creating products, services, and infrastructure that works for the majority of abilities, we’re creating innovation that we choose universally.

[14:39] Siri, texting, closed captioning; we’re choosing products, services, and infrastructure, whether we have a disability or not, today, that were developed for accessibility initially.

[14:57] To create more of a universal design model where we are simply baking this philosophy into our development as businesses, as employers, as developers of technology, we’re creating opportunities for a larger employee base.

[15:45] RIMS plug time! Sponsor an episode of RIMScast! Contact us at pd@rims.org. For upcoming virtual workshops visit RIMS.org/virtualworkshops for the calendar. Managing Data for ERM is a three-module course that begins September 21st.

[16:29] Optimizing Risk Management with Artificial Intelligence will be led on September 28th by Pat Saporito. Recent RIMScast guest Chris Hansen will be leading Managing Worker Compensation, Employer's Liability, and Employment Practices in the US on November 7th and 8th. Be sure to register for that course!
[17:02] Information about these sessions and others is on the RIMS Virtual Workshops page. Check it out and register!

[17:14] For anyone attending RIMS Canada on September 10th and 11th, there will be a RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep In-Person Workshop in Ottawa, and it will be led by former RIMS President Chris Mandel.

[17:30] Visit RIMS.org/Certification for these and future workshops. A link is also in this episode’s show notes, as is a link to the full Virtual Workshop calendar.

[17:49] There is a new RIMS webinar called A Decade of Disconnect: Understanding Multi-Generational Mental Health in the Workplace. It is sponsored by Travelers and Constitution State Services on September 7th, 2023 at 12:00 noon Eastern. Visit Rims.org/webinars or the link on this episode’s show notes to register.

[18:25] Webinar registration is complimentary for RIMS members. RIMS has a DE&I Resource Page. Find a link through the Community tab of Rims.org or on this episode’s notes. It has information about our DE&I Advisory Council and reports, articles, toolkits, mentorship program opportunities, and more. RIMS has a strong commitment to DE&I.

[19:10] Alycia Anderson contributed a wonderful article in July to the online edition of RIMS Risk Management Magazine. It’s called “8 Ways to Include Disability in DEI Efforts.” A link is on this episode’s show notes. July was Disability Pride Month. In the article, Alycia suggested starting an Employee Resource Group to keep the conversation going.

[19:45] What does it take to start an Employee Resource Group and how does that factor into people feeling emotionally safe enough to speak out? The steps to create an Employee Resource Group will come from your company’s policy manual. However, disability is generally not included in the advocacies within organizations.

[20:26] There’s a study that shows 90% of companies today have DE&I programs. Of that 90%, only 4% are including disability in their DI efforts. Within DI efforts, traditionally there are employee resource groups where people with disabilities come together. The point is, we need to include it in the advocacy of the diversity work in the organization.

[21:37] When we start to include disability and accessibility in these conversations while we’re launching employee resource groups, we need to implement HR recruiting initiatives to hire people with disabilities. We need to hire them as experts. “Nothing for us without us,” is a principle of disability advocacy.

[22:01] Hire people with visual impairment to help you with accessibility on your website. It’s powerful to use the community of experts to help you perfect the path you’re on. Include disability in this advocacy for diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

[22:49] Alycia says by putting accessibility tools on your website and representation in your marketing, you’re visually including people with disabilities, whether visible or invisible. One in four people with invisible disabilities does not raise their hand. They do not see their organizations creating space for them. Representation matters.

[24:15] Alycia talks about companies that have hired her company, including Abercrombie & Fitch, Burlington Coat, Blue Shield of California, Victoria’s Secret, and more. These companies are integrating her training into their year-round initiatives.

[25:13] Microsoft embeds disability inclusion and accessibility in every aspect. They don’t ship one thing without making sure that it is accessible or that disability inclusion is embedded in it. It drives innovation. There are billions of dollars of buying power from people with disabilities just waiting to have something accessible to use, to buy.

[26:20] Alycia has been discriminated against in the workplace. She has been excused from offices and had meetings on the grass because of an ADA lawsuit. She was the first waitress in a wheelchair. She showed what was possible. There are lots of moments that have empowered Alycia she wants to share what she can while she can.

[27:06] It’s been a powerful life path. She knows we’re not seeing enough of this. That’s why she does the TEDx. She’s been speaking for years. She is seeing bands of advocacy coming from different groups, so she saw it as her opportunity to include disability advocacy, talk about ableism and educate us on our biases in favoring able bodies.

[27:50] Alycia’s goal is simple. It’s to widen the pathway of opportunity for people with disabilities to follow so maybe they don’t have such a hard time in convincing society that we’re powerful and able and we bring a lot to the table. She got to a point when it was time to use her voice. She felt it in her heart and so she tried a TEDx talk.

[28:29] Alycia was comfortable in her life, and when she chose to be a public speaker, she allowed the layers of insecurity to go away. Coming from a sales background, she got good at pitching strangers and companies. Over time, she got used to it. Getting on stage wearing a microphone made her feel tall and loud. She tries to project humanity.

[29:57] Alycia’s biggest motivator on-stage is the 15 minutes of open Q&A she offers her audience. She challenges them to ask the things they’ve been afraid to talk about with disability. She sees in their eyes and their questions that this helps them.

[30:36] Alycia spoke at a large company. A mother asked about her son with a suddenly disabled right arm. He learned to play the trumpet with his left hand, but he was made fun of so he put it down. After her keynote, the boy picked up the trumpet and will never put it down again. People with disabilities want to be who they are, the way they are.

[31:18] What inspires Alycia is enabling her audience to feel safe, strong, and powerful within who they are at that moment.

[31:39] Her final words: “Reach out to me if you’re looking for a DE&I conversation.” Listen to her podcast, Pushing Forward, with lots of great learning opportunities. “I really appreciate opening your audience up to this conversation! AlyciaAnderson.com, if you want to find me.”

[32:07] Justin thanks Alycia for joining us in August to keep the conversation going after July!

[32:15] Special thanks to Alycia Anderson for joining us here today to discuss the ways to include disability in DE&I efforts. I hope everyone out there can start using some of these tips in their day-to-day activities. The article is live at RMMagazine.com and it’s in print. More RIMS coverage on related topics is on this episode’s notes.

[32:40] If you’re a member, you can check out Risk Management Magazine on the RIMS app. Be sure to go to the App Store and download it. It is a member-exclusive benefit and it is fantastic!

[33:00] You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are on our show notes. RIMScast has a global audience of risk professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let’s collaborate! Contact pd@rims.org for more information.

[33:41] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. The RIMS app is available only for RIMS members! You can find it in the App Store.

[34:05] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today’s risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more.

[34:20] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com and in print, and check out the blog at RiskManagementMonitor.com. Justin Smulison is Business Content Manager. You can email Justin at Content@RIMS.org.

[34:40] Justin thanks you for your continued support and engagement on social media channels! We appreciate all your kind words. Listen every week! Stay safe!

Mentioned in this Episode:

NEW FOR MEMBERS! RIMS Mobile App

Submit an Educational Session for RISKWORLD 2024 by Aug 18!

RIMS ERM Conference 2023 | Nov 2-3 in Denver, CO!

RIMS Canada 2023 — Sept. 11–14 in Ottawa!

Spencer Educational Foundation — Funding Their Future Gala — Sept. 14, 2023

Contribute to Risk Management Magazine

RIMS Western Regional — Oct 4–6, Vail Colorado

RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP)

Dan Kugler Risk Manager on Campus Grant

RIMS DEI Council & Resource Page

“8 Ways to Include Disability in DEI Efforts,” – Risk Management Magazine (July 2023)

RIMS Webinar:

A Decade of Disconnect: Understanding Multi-Generational Mental Health in the Workplace | Sponsored by Travelers and Constitution State Services | Sept. 7, 2023
Upcoming Virtual Workshops:

Optimizing Risk Management with AI | Sept. 28

Managing Worker Compensation, Employer's Liability and Employment Practices in the US | Nov 7

See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops

RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep In-Person Workshop
In Ottawa, ON, Canada
September 10–11, 2023

9:00 am–4:00 pm EDT

All RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops

Related RIMScast Episodes:

“Mental Health Awareness Month 2023” “Pride Month 2023 with the Rainbow Risk Alliance”

“Risk Insight with AAIN Leadership”

“Taking the ‘Next Steps’ with NAAIA Executive Director and COO Omari Jahi Aarons”
“RIMS DE&I in June 2022: Pride, Juneteenth, and National Indigenous History Month”

“Launching DEI Initiatives with Tara Lessard-Webb” (2021)

“Pride Month: How Risk Pros Can Protect and Uplift LGBTQ+ Employees” (2021)