The Disability Inclusion Commitments focuses on equal treatment, equal opportunity, and equal access.
The Disability Inclusion Commitments provide organizations with practical actions to take and learning opportunities to broaden disability inclusion.
law firms committed to implementing one or more of the Disability Inclusion Commitments.
of the firms are already taking four out of the 10 actions.
Knowledge Sharing webinars were presented on disability inclusion in just four months.
Disability inclusivity is often overlooked or overshadowed in broad organizational diversity efforts. Right now, 21% of individuals in the US workforce identify as having a disability, but only 1.4% of lawyers in law firms do.
Diversity Lab is working with its Disability Inclusion Advisory Group to help bridge this gap. Together, we created the Disability Inclusion Commitments, 10 actions proven to broaden inclusion for people with disabilities.
The Disability Inclusion Actions:
Establish a disability employee resource group.
Conduct an annual survey for lawyers and business professionals to identify as having a disability.
Create opportunities for everyone in the firm to discuss their ideas and perspectives on inclusive actions and language related to disabilities.
Remove physical barriers for employees, clients, and other constituents to perform their jobs.
Remove digital barriers.
Ensure firm and client events don’t exclude colleagues with disabilities.
Infuse the culture with inclusivity for people with disabilities and reward individuals who do the work.
Increase opportunities to hire disabled people.
Start a disability mentorship program.
Add disability inclusion to the board’s and/or management committee’s agenda.
In December 2023, we launched the Commitments with more than 90 leading law firms in the US, UK, and Canada, in 2024, we have 100+ law firms partnering with Diversity Lab to continue building a culture of inclusion for people with disabilities by implementing one or more of the actions listed in the Disability Inclusion Commitments.
In partnership with Diversity Lab, these firms will have access to Knowledge Sharing webinars and other resources to raise awareness within their organizations and the wider legal community on important aspects of disability inclusion, such as training on digital accessibility, hiring disabled individuals, and starting an employee resource group.
Many participating firms are now:
In 2024, many participating firms have committed to:
Our sincere gratitude goes to the following 100+ firms, as well as legal departments — including McDonald’s, Discover, Astellas, and more — that are partnering with us to cultivate a culture of inclusion for all.
We invite all organizations to take these actions to foster a more inclusive environment for those with apparent and non-apparent disabilities.
