Social entrepreneur Max Simpson shares ways in which startups can address employment and workplace biases towards persons with disabilities
An estimated one billion people, or 15 percent of the world’s population, are dealing with some form of disability, but only a small fraction of them are employed across most countries. In Singapore, just 28.6 percent of working-age, resident persons with disabilities (PWD) are actually working. In Thailand, that number drops to under 25 percent. Several factors are at play, such as employer biases towards PWDs and unfair employment practices.
According to reports, the economic cost of excluding PWDs from the global workforce could cause trillions of dollars loss in GDP (Gross Domestic Product) annually. So how can businesses address this by revising their existing employment policies and implementing new and more inclusive practices? And how can these plans be rolled out effectively and sustainably?
We speak to Max Simpson to find out. Simpson is the co-founder and CEO of Steps, a Bangkok-based social enterprise that provides training and stable employment to neurodivergent young adults through its coffee shops. Last October, Steps was recognised for its efforts by the National Association for Special Educational Needs at the organisation’s annual awards in London.
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For startups that are just starting to think about disability inclusion, what should they first consider?
I recommend that they consider their motivations for wanting to be an inclusive employer. Then, assess if they have the relevant knowledge and capacity to provide an accessible work environment (think about accessibility beyond physical accommodations and more in terms of communication systems, working hours, employee resource groups etc), and identify partners who may have that knowledge and can provide training and mentorship.
For the neurodivergent community, it is so important to remember that it is made up of individuals, the same as the neurotypical population, so there are no standard jobs or systems that fit everyone. Each time we hire inclusively, we are hiring someone with unique skills and areas for development.
Besides attracting talents with disabilities, what’s the key priority for startups in order to retain them? What is the most common reason they leave a company?
In my experience, our community wants to work with truly inclusive organisations and not be the token hire. In Thailand, the legislation states that organisations must hire one disabled person for every 100 non-disabled employees. So there are employers who choose to hire instead of pay the fine simply to hit the number they need.
My advice would be to work with a partner who can help you create systems and processes that enable inclusive employment alongside a three to five-year recruitment plan.
What are the business benefits of creating an inclusive workplace?
The business case for diverse and inclusive workplaces is now incredibly strong. Globally, we are talking about over one billion people with disabilities, with their unemployment creating up to a US$2 trillion loss to the GDP annually.
Companies that hire inclusively have reported higher staff retention rates and higher [employee] engagement. In more and more cases, they are also attributing increased revenues to their inclusive practices.
When the prevalence of autism, for example, is now at 1 in 160 children worldwide, the odds of having an employee who identifies as autistic, or an employee with a family member who does, become quite high. In Asia, the prevalence is lower than in the US or Europe due to stigma, lesser access to specialists who can diagnose autism, and lesser access to specialists who can spot developmental differences and refer for diagnosis or specialist support.
When companies don't have an inclusion-orientated ethos, or policies and roadmaps in place, you are not only ignoring them as quality employees, but as consumers too. This potential market is difficult to measure still, but many indicators point towards these values being crucial to retaining existing and engaging new customers today.
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