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Featuring....
Maria McFarlane, Sr. Enterprise Program Manager, Best Buy
What is one disability topic or trend you think employers should be thinking about to make their companies more inclusive and accessible to disabled candidates and employees?
Embedding accessibility design into planning for future changes in the workforce should be top-of-mind for all employers. For example, since the pandemic, more people with disabilities have entered the workforce, which has enabled companies to tap into a talent pool that has been underutilized in the past. Additionally, with a potential labor shortage in the future as the population ages, there will be more pressure for employers to meet the needs of their workforce from an accessibility and accommodations standpoint.
By being proactive with accessibility design, employers can be ahead of the game as they prepare for future workforce changes. This will not only enable them to access a larger pool of individuals but become more competitive for top talent. Imagine low-light work spaces for people who suffer from migraines, quiet rooms for people with sensory sensitivity, accessible places for people with mobility conditions, or other re-imagined workspaces to become more inclusive and accessible for the needs of their current and future workforce.
What is one best practice you hope to see more employers implement to improve disability inclusion?
Increasing disability representation across corporate boards and the C-suite is pivotal for disability inclusion efforts. People with disabilities are nearly invisible in these type of roles. As any other underrepresented community, people with disabilities bring a unique set of life-learned skills, experiences and perspectives that help companies make better decisions.
According to the 2023 Disability Equality Index, a benchmark survey for disability inclusion, just 7 percent of the 485 participating companies reported having a board member with a disability. Several years ago, an executive leader at Best Buy shared a video raising awareness of our mental health benefits and shared with all employees their own personal mental health journey. This action was so transformative in our company because it normalized conversations around mental health and showed employees that mental health is a top priority at Best Buy.
ID: Headshot of Maria McFarlane, a woman with shoulder-length, curly brown hair. Maria is wearing a black blazer and tan blouse. Maria is sitting on a stool, leaning forward, and smiling at the camera.
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