The Billion-Dollar Blind Spot
Is disability exclusion hindering your startup’s success?
Over 2 billion people globally, a staggering 15%, live with some form of disability. In India alone, this number translates to roughly 10% of the population. Yet, a shocking 64% of people with disabilities in India remain unemployed - in most cases, it is because of preconceived notions about their capabilities.
Studies show that companies with diverse workforces outperform their less inclusive counterparts by a significant margin. By failing to embrace disability inclusion, you're not just missing out on a chance to do the right thing, you're missing out on a significant competitive advantage.
At MetaMorph, we're dedicated to helping startups build thriving and inclusive workplaces. Our India's ONLY Startup Inclusivity Survey is your first step. This powerful tool assesses your company's current state of disability inclusion, providing valuable insights and helping you identify areas for improvement. Take the survey today and join the movement towards a more equitable and successful startup ecosystem!
Disabilities can be functional or non-functional. A functional disability may limit a person's ability to perform certain tasks, but with proper accommodations, they can still excel in their roles. For example, someone with dyslexia may struggle with reading traditional text but can thrive with the use of assistive technologies.
On the other hand, non-functional disabilities may significantly impact a person's ability to perform daily activities without support. However, this doesn't negate their skills or talents. Regardless of the type, people with disabilities face various forms of discrimination:
Building Bridges to Hidden Talent:
You've identified the talent gap, now it's time to bridge it. Here's how to create a more inclusive environment for people with disabilities, tapping into a vast pool of skilled individuals ready to contribute to your startup's success.
Accessibility is the Gateway: Ensure your website, job applications, and all internal documents are accessible to users with screen readers, alternative text descriptions for images, and keyboard navigation options.
Beyond Resumes: Move past traditional interview formats that may disadvantage candidates with disabilities. Consider offering video interviews with closed captioning, coding challenges, or portfolio presentations to assess skills objectively.
Open Communication is Key: Encourage open dialogue about disability needs during the interview process. Explore solutions like providing ergonomic furniture, flexible work arrangements, or assistive technologies to ensure everyone can thrive.
More Than Just Hiring:
Inclusion is an ongoing journey, not a one-time event. Here are ways to build a supportive environment for employees with disabilities:
Building a Barrier-Free Workplace: Invest in accessible infrastructure, including ramps, elevators with audio announcements, and accessible restrooms.
Fostering Empathy: Organise disability awareness workshops to educate your team and cultivate a culture of understanding and support.
Celebrating Diversity: Recognise and celebrate the unique contributions of employees with disabilities. This could involve featuring employee stories or hosting events during International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Review Your Policies: Take a fresh look at your company policies and handbooks to identify any hidden biases or language that might exclude people with disabilities. Look for opportunities to use inclusive language and ensure policies are fair and accessible to all.
Empowering Inclusion: A Q&A with Yashna Ray
Building a diverse and inclusive workforce is crucial for any successful startup. But when it comes to disability inclusion, many questions remain. In this Q&A, we chat with Yashna Ray, Partner at MetaMorph and a passionate advocate for creating accessible workplaces. Yashna brings a unique perspective, combining her legal expertise with personal experience navigating the world as a Person with a Disability (PwD). Let's delve into her insights and explore practical steps startups can take to foster a more inclusive environment for everyone.
What challenges, if any, have you faced in your career journey as a PwD? How did you overcome these challenges?
With more than 50% loss of hearing my 2 biggest challenges have been, making people aware of how to adapt their behavior to accommodate my disability (sometimes this includes having to change volumes, or take into consideration external noise when not face to face, as well as facing me when speaking for lip reading and lastly using specific tech).
Second challenge has been being taken seriously, mostly people think I’m joking or its not as bad as it ‘looks’. There is also a misconception that a hearing disability ONLY affects your hearing, when reality is it affect other issues like migraines due to sound sensitivity, which in turn can affect mood, balance, severe tinnitus and attention/focus.
In your experience, how inclusive are Indian startups towards PwDs?
Not very. Founders/management want employees to be ‘adaptable’ in roles and priorities, but sometimes they are the most rigid. “business needs” is often used as an excuse for not being able to focus on issues like diversity or employee well being.
What aspects of the startup work culture do you find most (or least) accessible for PwDs?
In my experience, the biggest aspect has been mindset. people view adaptability as an ‘extra’ chore. There is a severe lack of awareness as to what that adaptability means or how inclusivity can lead to higher eNPS (Employee net promoter score). People like to stick to the familiar. Inclusivity or diversity often begins and ends at the phrase ‘we need more women in the team'.
What changes do you think Indian startups can make to become more inclusive for PwDs?
Educate yourselves! There are many kinds of disabilities, many of them functional in the corporate workspace. Make a concerted effort to bring some on board and you will find some starkly diverse voices in the room!
Any quick advice for founders/HRs or Recruiters on how they can make hiring more inclusive and even post-hiring - how the workplace/culture can be more accessible?
Create regular check-ins post their joining for continued support. But mainly, have these conversations BEFORE someone joins. Let the team vocalise the issues they anticipate, so they can be addressed asap., some might just be a nominal worry. And sensitivity training is essential! Things like office language from a place of ignorance can go unchecked.
Don’t leave us yet!
MetaMorph isn't your typical HR firm. We're a 360° HR Advisory firm dedicated to helping startups scale, evolve, and grow. We’ve helped more than 220 startups and multiple hires (and counting), providing them with the platform and opportunities they deserve.
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