[Music] what are you most afraid of alligators the dark public speaking my communication device what if i told you it could also read the minds of others would that scare you well technology is good but not that good yet so you're safe for now but truly i am speaking to you today because i too am afraid i am afraid that unless universities collectively champion for their students with disabilities many will graduate under or unemployed even with a degree in hand i am afraid that many recruiters and companies don't yet fully grasp the economic and workplace
potential of hiring a diverse array of qualified individuals i like many others i'm afraid that without a fair opportunity to be seated at the corporate table or even invited through the door of employment that an entire talent pool will be lost leaving crucial innovation to assumption rather than truth the time is now for us to hear the voice that says diversity inclusion is also disability inclusion and for the next few minutes that voices me disability inclusion and equity is a red hot topic today in the realm of talent recruitment in companies of all sizes in
nearly every industry it should be disability represents the largest minority in the world with nearly one in four persons identifying in america and one in five globally while the americans with disabilities act of 1990 offers numerous protections and directives for how individuals with disabilities must be treated once they're in the workplace the 25 billion dollar question remains how do we get our foot or our wheel in the door attracting developing and retaining diversified talent has become even more essential as the dynamics of our global workforce shifts and as populations live longer it's time for business
to understand that the benefits of disability inclusion and equality bring an exciting new dimension to industry to begin it encircles nearly every corporate tenant social responsibility impact investing and creative problem solving many of the drivers affecting business can be solved with the skills already associated with disability enhanced proficiency with technology team collaboration and dear god experience with local state and national government there is profitability too into hiring those with disabilities to the tune of 25 billion dollars more profitable that is the boost the american gdp would receive by hiring an additional 1 of people with
disabilities into the workforce one percent yet employment figures presented by the u.s bureau of labor statistics in 2019 reveal that only 28 of disabled civilians with a college degree or higher are employed nationally compare that to 76 employment for non-disabled civilians with a bachelor's degree or higher that 28 to 76 percent disparity means your degree and mind do not have equitable weight in the workforce and that really scares me too could it be that bias and stigma even unintentionally still exists in corporate america how much longer will ignorance and indifference be tolerated the answers we
hope are changing with this message here today i hope you are beginning to understand that change will demand a three-way collaborative effort with colleges employers and students all communicating the same message diversity inclusion is also disability inclusion now since we are here at the very large top 6 university i thought you could join me in visualizing a typical career fair too bad i didn't live stream the event with an on-board camera full battle gear in place i've rolled over more than a few dozen toes to break through the throngs of thousands with this eye gaze
technology communications device teetering on my tray resume and backpack i can't reach and my personal assistant running to catch up i am at last in front of a potential employer with good benefits then i see the think bubble over them how would our marketing team react to this can we even on board someone with an assistant they wonder is our corporate culture truly ready they ponder oh my god she uses that to communicate is she related to what's his name stephen hawking and all this before they know what competencies i can bring to their company
yes i have cerebral palsy yes i will bring value to your company because i am intelligent and qualified yes i am healthy and will work long hours yes i drink and will go to happy hour with the team as long as you have accessible ubers for many students it's literally and figuratively the chance to be heard which is why i'm speaking with you today for you to hear that diversity inclusion is also disability inclusion can we a generation of innovators recreate hiring events to include more possibilities for connection one game changer bursting on the global
employment stage is artificial intelligence will its interpretation of abnormal speech patterns or unique facial expressions for example suggest poor performance will biased illogical or even illegal interpretations remove those who are outliers from the job pool it will be crucial then that at the onset of artificial intelligence disability advocates help construct the role of artificial intelligence in regards to recruitment and retention of those with disabilities in employment recruiters should be equipped to explain their onboarding processes and organizational structure mentoring physical layout of workspace affinity groups as well as an expressed commitment to develop talent at all
levels especially for the c-suite where only seven percent of leaders currently identify as having a disability and most do not feel comfortable in doing so if universities actively and publicly take the initiative to recruit students with disabilities either for mandated funding or for cultural status then why not strive for excellence with employment inclusion educational institutions themselves must take the lead in redirecting the narrative of possibility for all their students their staffing must be increased to serve the documented 11 percent of their student body who have some form of a disability that's an average of 11
at any given university in america when is 28 versus 76 acceptable why not leverage the public and private partnerships that already exist at universities to seek advancements with their knowledgeable mentors employment strategists and thought leaders who can educate the educators and lastly students themselves must not only demand change we must seek roles that elevate disability in the employment narrative we must find our collective voice i may have trouble speaking but i hope you found my voice to be loud and clear diversity inclusion is also disability inclusion from this moment on i urge you to fortify
your conversation wherever you work with the necessity of inclusion let us not just tell a different version of the same story let us write a new story that brings disability into the full circle of potential employers give us the platform to innovate to offer you a new perspective colleges give us space rather than boundaries so we can test the impact of our education in every aspect of independence and for my fellow students let us give each other confidence in finding employment rather than fear so that we too can pay off our college loans let us
remove fear and bias and unintended ignorance let us embrace our differences and invite others to join us the table is big enough for everyone inclusion elevates it rejuvenates the soul it makes for better conversation disability inclusion dives deeper it ignites curiosity it opens doors it offers hope for all those kids behind me who wonder if they can to them i say do not be afraid yes yes you can you
