By: Charul Dhingra, Associate Director, Consulting, LTIMindtree

On 3^rd December 2024, we celebrated the International Day for Persons with Disabilities—a day dedicated to raising awareness and celebrating the achievements of those who live with disabilities. However, as we pause for this annual observance, it’s worth reflecting on the larger question: How are we actually celebrating them? Despite the significant strides made over the years, the world is still far from perfect for individuals with disabilities. One cannot help but ask: Do they truly deserve this treatment? After all, nothing that happened to them was in their control—either they were born with it or it crept into their lives uninvited; a challenge they must navigate daily.

The fact is that they’re already dealing with significant mental trauma, battling with themselves. The least the world could do is make it a better place.

In this context, digital inclusion emerges as a pivotal strategy. It is crucial that we build systems where people with disabilities can fully participate, access opportunities, and lead fulfilling lives. And, as someone who has seen this struggle firsthand, I recognize that, while I may not have faced these challenges, it is essential to raise awareness and drive change in the hope of a better, more inclusive world.

How else can we justify the facts like

• Only 2% of the world’s top one-million websites offer full accessibility
• 20% of public transport stops do not meet accessibility standards.
• Less than 5% of textbooks in developing countries are available in Braille
• Or one billion people need assistive technology, only 1 in 10 have access to it.

One billion people have been off our radar! That’s a huge number.

It may be beyond my capacity to drive any of these initiatives. However, my goal is to drive awareness on disability rights and inclusion, so the world moves one step forward to making it a better place to live for them.

Digital inclusion:

I worked for a client on a business transformation initiative a few years ago. They were transitioning from their legacy applications to a new platform that was yet to be designed. Amidst numerous design thinking workshops, we had workshops on why it was important for us to work on the design that was inclusive. Inclusivity was inducted as a separate workstream in the implementation.

Additionally, we incorporated strategic interventions for inclusion to ensure diverse perspectives were integrated into every aspect of the design process.

While the user experience team had clear guidelines by Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) that talked about adjustable font sizes and colors for visually impaired users, it wasn’t as black and white for the change management team whose effort had to aligned with inclusivity as well.

The need for strategic interventions:

At that point in time, organizations typically did not have a strategic approach to managing change due to lack of awareness and focus on this area. However, if I were to create an organizational strategy today, I would include the following key interventions to reshape mindsets, behaviors and practices on inclusivity.

Strategic interventions for digital inclusion

• Integrate inclusivity into policies and practices: Collaborate with HR leaders to review policies and performance evaluations for inclusivity, identifying any unintended biases or exclusions. Update the policies as needed and communicate these changes to employees so they are aware of the organization’s commitment to this purpose.
• Implement inclusive practices: Collaborate with key departments such as administration, IT, and recruitment to enhance the working environment for employees with disabilities. This involves constructing ramps in buildings, ensuring a seating arrangement that is suitable for their needs, and equipping them with advanced hardware and software for optimal performance. Additionally, work with the recruitment team to establish diverse hiring panels.
• Embed inclusivity into performance management: Incorporate inclusivity goals into performance reviews for all managers and higher-level positions. This approach not only holds them accountable for their team’s diversity but also reinforces that inclusivity is an essential aspect of overall performance. Include inclusivity goals in leadership programs and succession planning to develop a future leadership pipeline that prioritizes inclusivity.
• Recognize and reward inclusivity efforts: Acknowledge individuals who contribute to inclusivity. To emphasize the importance of inclusivity efforts, consider implementing awards, bonuses, or organizational announcements.
• Introduce and empower Inclusivity champions: Identify and train inclusivity champions who can promote inclusivity at the grassroots level, advocate for inclusive practices and provide peer support within their teams.
• Monitor, measure and continuously improve: Use data to measure impact on diversity ratios, attrition rates among the employees with disabilities and inclusivity scores in engagement surveys.

Tactical interventions for digital inclusion:

Aside from a strategic approach, certain tactical measures are essential to drive digital inclusion.

• Vision articulation: The vision must be framed in a way that connects inclusivity to the client’s mission, values and success.
• Clear objectives: A clear breakdown of objectives into measurable goals, like representation at senior levels, enhancing employee engagement of the community of persons with disabilities or building awareness on unconscious biases.
• Sponsor buy-ins: The leadership must be onboarded with their role of championing inclusivity, demonstrating commitment through communications and interactions.
• Inclusivity and culture assessments: Ensure persons with disabilities are involved in the decision-making process. Engage them in user testing, soliciting their feedback on accessibility features or having them serve as an advisory board for the initiative.
• Assisted media for accessibility: Provide captions for videos and transcripts for all the audio content. Train team members on using assistive technologies like screen readers and voice commands. Another step is to ensure pdfs and other documents are tagged correctly so screen readers can read them.
• Communicating the importance of accessibility: Share stories from physically challenged employees who have benefitted from the accessible technology to emphasize the importance of inclusivity.

Conclusion:

By integrating inclusivity into policies, practices, and organizational culture, businesses can turn accessibility challenges into opportunities for growth, innovation, and success. Together, we can build workplaces and communities where everyone thrives, creating not only equity but also a sustainable competitive advantage. Let’s shape a future where inclusivity becomes a defining marker of success.

Additionally, digital inclusion strategies are at the forefront of driving meaningful change and ensuring no one is left behind in the digital economy. As we navigate the evolving landscape of diversity, equity, and inclusion, modern enterprises can drive inclusivity by fostering these principles in their organizational culture.

References

1. The WebAIM Million, WebAIM, Mar 28, 2024- Over 96% of the world’s top one million web pages are not accessible. This means less than 4% of the most popular websites are capitalizing on the disability market, which is largely underserved and growing
2. Disability Inclusion, World Bank Group, April 3, 2023, https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/disability#1
3. https://www.ltimindtree.com/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/