Blog #153: Why DEI is Key for an Economic Recovery?

If there is going to be a key to a slow economic recovery, it’s going to be that all companies and businesses continue to fully embrace Diversity, Equality and Inclusion in their workplaces regardless of size and shape.

The fact is that while many people would much rather sit at home and let someone else give them money for survival, those who are neurodiverse or developmentally disabled are hungry for the opportunity to make a living and prove themselves at the same time to others.

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Sean Penn working at Starbucks in “I Am Sam” (2001). Starbucks is one of several companies that hires Neurodiverse and Disabled Individuals as employees.

We are already seeing some signs of companies embracing Diversity, Equality and Inclusion in their operations. This is ranging from in person jobs such as at Supermarkets and Fast-Food Restaurants like Stop and Shop and McDonald’s to technological jobs at companies like Dell and IBM.

However, there are other industries that neurodiverse and disabled individuals can thrive at and they don’t have to be in retail and fast food. You can put someone who is neurodiverse and disabled in a job like a doctor’s office as a file clerk and that is a major contribution in itself. In fact, it’s one of the most important jobs out there, but the problem is that people will view them as unimportant when in reality, they are important.

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Then there is also the matter of working from home. People may think that working from home is nothing more than being lazy and cut off from the outside world. But DEI also extends to at home and virtual jobs as well. Just because you are not in the office or workplace, you can still contribute to the organization from the comfort of your home. This is especially true if the individual has mental health or anxiety issues and cannot work with the public.

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion also involves empathy for those who cannot work in an in person setting. If companies can’t have empathy for those that cannot work in a public or office setting, then they are not contributing to the overall economic recovery.

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Now, let me be perfectly clear that an economic recovery will not happen overnight. Much like with the COVID pandemic, it’s like using a dimmer: you either slowly turn it up or you slowly turn it down. These things take time and effort, but it’s up to the organization in question to contribute to that dimmer.

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Catch you all later!!

#Diversity #Disability #Neurodiversity #Equality #Autism #Inclusion