The Importance of Disability Employee Resource Groups

Do you bring your “authentic self” to work? Most people with disabilities don’t, especially those with invisible disabilities. Disability ERGs can help with that.

Cartoon human cutouts grouped under signs with the wheelchair symbol under them

First-class relationships are possible only in an atmosphere of total trust.
― Wu Wei, I Ching Life: Becoming Your Authentic Self

The Center for Talent Innovation’s “Disabilities and Inclusion” study found that 30% of the professional workforce fits the current federal definition of having a disability. When looking at the IT profession in particular, the most recent Stack Overflow survey reported the figure as a cumulative 29.3 % of respondents — only slightly less.

Sometimes disability status is unavoidably obvious — those of us who use mobility aids, hearing processors, or assistive technology can’t hide our disabilities even if we wanted to. But most disabilities are hidden.

“Invisible disability” is an umbrella term that encompasses a significant number of disabling conditions that can’t be detected at first glance. Just a few of these include renal failure, heart defects, diabetes, tinnitus, sleep disorders, chronic pain/ fatigue, epilepsy, migraines, fibromyalgia, learning differences, color blindness, HIV status, digestive disorders, TBI and memory issues, early stages of many serious diseases such as…