welcome to the disco

30% of American workers are disabled. Only 3% of workers in the US report disability status to their employer. Why does only 1 in 10 feel safe enough to disclose?

• Neurodivergent and disabled people have a (well-founded) fear of exclusion.

  Employers often approach disabled people as a legal risk first, and a person second. While only 13% of disabilities are immediately noticeable, if an applicant with a non-apparent disability is able to progress to a hire, they keep their disability to themselves and only disclose on a “need-to-know” basis.

  There’s a gaping hole in organizational leadership’s understanding of disability, placing the disabled and neurodivergent population at risk of facing adverse bias. The truth about the potential and abilities of the neurodivergent and disabled communities is obscured by persistent myths of lower productivity, lower attendance, and legal risk.

• Neurodivergent and disabled people fear retaliation—direct and indirect.

  Neurodivergence often intersects with other minority types (including women, LGTBQ+, and racial minorities). The compounding effects of microaggressions and bias have taught neurodivergent and disabled people to “mask” and do their best to “pass” as neurotypical. Requests for reasonable accommodations are typically met with suspicion, putting the disabled person on trial to defend their needs, and expose vulnerable private information. Even for those with more obvious disabilities (e.g. dynamic mobility disabilities), they frequently find themselves defending their basic accessibility needs—or even their disability status entirely.

  Performance review systems are a pain point, frequently creating barriers to advancement (57% of disabled employees feel they are stalled in their careers due to their disability) and putting undue strain on mental health.

• Neurodivergent and disabled employees fear being misunderstood.

  Neurodivergent people in particular are prone to be in possession of what is called a “spiky” profile, meaning their skillsets are often distributed in high and low extremes. Unfortunately, as a result of being viewed through an ableist lens, they are frequently labeled as lazy, unreliable, and poor performers—when the truth is that they are being judged according to criteria that puts them at an innate disadvantage, while their abilities are neglected or undermined.

Neurodiversity is Groovy!

The signature infinity loop that you find in the discoHR logo and to the left are representative of the Neurodiversity Infinity symbol, with a nod to the queer community.

discoHR was founded in response to the glaring lack of support and consideration given to neurodivergent and disabled people, particularly in the workplace. Employers should have FOMO for the talent they’re missing out on.

Companies that champion disability as part of their inclusion efforts increased revenue by 28% on average, and 30% higher overall profit margins.

In addition to the innovative capabilities that disabled individuals bring to the table, proper support for neurodivergent and disabled people increases retention by as much as 90% (which saves companies a LOT of money).

Organizations that are willing to greet the future by implementing neurodiversity and disability inclusion will reap the benefits of the Inclusion Advantage. discoHR is here to help you find your groove, and we look forward to having you at the disco!