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Digital Accessibility in Equitable Hiring Practices

October marks , a time to recognize and celebrate the contributions, achievements, and diversity of individuals with disabilities. The purpose of NDEAM is “to confirm our commitment to ensuring disabled workers have access to good jobs, every month of every year.” In service to the purpose of NDEAM, this newsletter will focus on inclusive hiring and workplace practices that can be implemented to ensure that everyone has opportunities to engage in the workforce.

Did you know that over 1 billion people worldwide live with a disability? People with disabilities are more likely to experience barriers in education and employment. Consequently, a large percentage of the population is excluded from the opportunity to contribute to society in fulfilling ways. According to the , the employment-to-population ratio as of September 2024 is 37.5% for individuals with disabilities, compared to 75% for individuals without disabilities.

Adopting Inclusive Hiring Practices

Following are just a few action steps that can be taken to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in the workforce:

• Use in job postings. For example, avoid using double negatives.
• Ensure any marketing of the job posting is in an accessible format.
• Provide contact information for questions.
• Outline how accommodation requests should be submitted throughout all stages of the hiring process: recruitment, interviews, and for the job.
• Consider the accessibility of the tools utilized and how the interview is conducted.

Adopting Inclusive Workplace Practices

It is also important to consider retention and practices that make employees feel welcomed and supported to do their jobs. Following are a few action steps to create a culture that prioritizes accessibility:

• Create accessible communication norms, which allow everyone to be equally involved. For example, ensure everyone has access to captions.
• Create and share accessible documentation.
• Provide training opportunities for all staff to learn how to create accessibly.
• Stay informed and up to date on technology trends and how they impact digital accessibility.

Inclusive work environments foster creativity, innovation, and progress. By promoting accessibility and ensuring that diverse perspectives are welcomed in all aspects of life, the full potential of people with disabilities can be realized, resulting in a better world for everyone.

October Challenge

• Take a look at the to review their resources.
• Explore the accessibility of your recruitment, hiring, and retention practices by asking the following questions:
  • Is your organization/institution using accessible technologies for job applications, materials submissions, and interviews?
  • Are you using accessible systems for messaging and collaboration?
  • Who can you talk to in your organization/institution about improving or implementing digital accessibility practices in the workplace?

DAO News

Earlier this month, the Digital Accessibility Office hosted a Digital Accessibility Symposium, which brought together colleagues from various offices across all CU campuses. We focused on digital accessibility policy, creating and maintaining partnerships around campus, best practices for digital accessibility testing, training and outreach initiatives, and captioning services. It was a wonderful and productive time to reflect upon the progress we have made during the past ten years, as well as engage in meaningful discussions regarding how we can continue working together to improve accessibility and inclusive practices at CU in the years to come.

The DAO presents a tri-annual Digital Accessibility Buff Award, recognizing CU Boulder students, staff, and faculty who have demonstrated noteworthy digital accessibility practices and fostered an inclusive digital environment for individuals with disabilities. We are excited to share that the CU Boulder Buff Portal team has been selected as the Digital Accessibility Buff Award winner for the September 2024 cycle! Read more about why the Buff Portal team is our Digital Accessibility Buff Award Winner!

We want to congratulate Addie Hugen, who has been promoted to the position of Accessibility and Usability Specialist. She will continue leading in manual testing work and also support and promote digital accessibility throughout the campus. Congratulations Addie!

DAO Office Hours are now the 4th Tuesday of every month from 1 to 2 PM MT. Our next office hours will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, November 26th, 2024.