How accessibility in the workplace is evolving

Making spaces and technologies work better, facilitating access, easing tasks, and reducing costs for people of different abilities are critical goals for many organizations who strive to create more inclusive workplaces – but more importantly, for the more than one-in-five (22%) Canadians living with a disability.

Companies like Amazon have their own affinity group for employees with disabilities and aims to build a community that supports employees and customers who have mental/physical disabilities.

Brendan Gramer, Senior Manager UX/Design & Payments Design, Board of Directors, Member – Amazon Design Leadership, Global President of AmazonPwD, who was born deaf,  joined Amazon in 2015 and is a passionate advocate of raising the bar for people living with disabilities.

With Brendan’s efforts, Amazon is today recognized as one of the best places to work for disability inclusion. We were interested in learning more about how he continues to help move and shape the work environment for the estimated 25% of Canadians living with disabilities.

What was your experience like when you were seeking your first job?

Brendan: Yes, I was lucky enough that I had the drive and support to pursue my career goals. I knew what I wanted to do and treated my job search like a job itself. That said, I did face rejection from many places, but I don’t think it was because of my disability. I do remember interviewing at companies and explaining how they could support my communication needs through the process. It wasn’t until after I got job offers that I discussed my accommodation needs to ensure that I could be successful at my job.

How has technology helped in seeking employment?

Brendan: Employers could do more to have inclusive ways of connecting with deaf job seekers. I switched from Advertising to Design in tech because the barriers to communication were lower. Tech companies were early adopters in setting up company email accounts, which meant I could email my colleagues rather than having to phone them.

When did you realize that you could make a difference in the workforce for millions of others just like you?

Brendan: I think it was when we founded AmazonPWD. At the time, our disability communities were scattered and having this employee resource group helped pull us together to share and amplify our stories so that we could advocate for our needs and for a stronger and more inclusive culture. When I listened to others, I realized how much more impactful we were together as a group and what we really could achieve together.

Amazon is quite a company! Can you tell us how you began working there and what you've done to make it a more inclusive environment?

Brendan: I was excited to join Amazon because it is one of the few companies where I could be challenged to solve complex customer problems at a global scale. Working on small tactical improvements, or innovating blue sky concepts or even moonshots all can have equally powerful impact in how we innovate on behalf of our customers.

What are some of the common misconceptions about people with disabilities in the workplace?

Brendan: That Disability is a dirty, shameful word to avoid using. I think Disability is something to be proud of and we should use that word as much as we can to normalize it. We can use the power of disability to advocate for improving the world around us so that it is more inclusive and accessible. The diversity of our perspective is our superpower.

We should challenge employees on what their notion is of disability and disconfirm their biases - the most apparent one is ableism which discriminates against people with disabilities. Dismantle the barriers that prevent inclusion from becoming the norm in the workplace. Ableism is the biggest barrier to Disability Inclusion.

What's your proudest achievement to date?

Brendan: I am most proud of co-founding AmazonPwD because it serves as an outlet for advocacy and disability inclusion.

What's next? What are working on now in your role at Amazon?

Brendan: As a UX Design Manager, we are always working on new ways to delight our customer experience in how they pay on Amazon. As a Global President for AmazonPwD, We are working to expand the group broadly across regions to have better global representation. We’re also finding new ways to better support persons with disabilities more deeply where they work, through community building and connecting with Amazon for accommodations and support.

What advice do you have for people with disabilities when it comes to seeking employment?

Brendan: Seek out accommodations and research the company’s inclusive practices online. Do they also have CSR objectives? Do they engage communities with outreach programs? Do their inclusive values align with yours? If not, do they listen and are they willing to learn and put changes in place?

Learn as much as you can about how they, as an Employer, can support your accommodations because that will determine how successful you can be in your role. By hiring you, they are making an investment in achieving their goals.

Anything else you'd like us share?

Brendan: Technology is amazing because it has the power to connect communities. Deaf generations before me would drop by each other’s houses unannounced because they could not use the telephone, and hope they would be home so they could socialize. Since then we’ve moved from accessing landline telephones using TTDs to new ways of communicating that includes email, text pagers, blackberries, smartphones, messaging, and video technologies. Each leap has brought us closer and with video technology, we can now see and sign with each other. When there’s a will, there’s a way, and that’s how we create progress through our advocacy and adapt to new technology that works for us as expected.

Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us Brendan!