We recognized that we needed to increase touchpoints with employees and managers on the topic of disability inclusion globally so that employees feel comfortable inquiring about reasonable accommodations.

DuPont began hosting a celebration to observe the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which the United Nations has commemorated since 1992 to promote awareness and mobilize support for critical issues relating to the inclusion of persons with disabilities in society and development.

The celebration is 90 minutes long and includes perspectives from an external speaker, employee stories, and a panel discussion.  The event includes presentations—equal parts moving, inspiring, and instructive—from DuPont employees whose lives, by necessity, revolve around some kind of disability.

The annual event has raised awareness about DuPont’s reasonable accommodations policy and highlighted that DuPont has been able to retain valued employees, proving there is more than one way to meet the requirements of a job.

The event is broadcast via conference call for those employees who cannot make it to the event in person.  Additionally, the event is videotaped and the recording is circulated via the internal newsletter to reach the widest audience possible.

The event has raised awareness of disability inclusion in order to promote employee-manager conversation.  In fact, one manager proactively inquired about vehicle accommodations for an employee who had been born without a full left arm but was accustomed to driving one handed.  The employee was happy to engage in the dialogue with the manager and appreciative of the manager’s care and concern.

Gretchen DeJesus

Ana Somolinos