Disability, accessibility and allyship: How we can do better

According to the World Health Organization, over 1.3 billion people around the world live with some form of disability. They make up the largest minority group in the world.

Despite this, the needs of people with disability are often overlooked or ignored. That’s why the ongoing journey towards inclusion and accessibility is so crucial.

This week, the Microsoft ANZ community took another step forward on our accessibility journey at our inclusive event – the latest in a series of events where we’ve tackled complex and important topics like gender and racial discrimination.

This time around, we focused on disability, accessibility and allyship. As we discussed, there are more steps we can take – both as individuals and as organisations – to play our part in making all feel heard, all feel valued, and all feel respected.

1.????Acknowledge. We must acknowledge and address the gaps in our understanding of the lived experiences of people with disability. One in five people over the age of 15 with a disability have experienced some form of discrimination, and this is even more prevalent in the workplace. Only 48 per cent of working-age adults with disability have a job, compared with 80 per cent of adults without disability.

We can’t ignore the numbers, and we must acknowledge the unconscious role we might play in enabling systemic ableism.??

2.????Empathise. Listening and learning are crucial to developing empathy for people with disability who experience discrimination, and an understanding of how to be a better ally. One in six people with disability experience social isolation. We need to confront our own assumptions and biases by engaging with the very real, lived experiences of those working alongside us who have a disability.

3.????Support. Allyship is defined as an ‘informed, consistent and empathetic practice that requires reflection, rethinking and relearning past behaviours and approaches to constantly improve our self-awareness and adopt inclusive behaviours’.

A number of studies have shown that allies are more likely to be taken seriously than people from minority groups when advocating for diversity or addressing non?inclusive behaviour. To begin our allyship journey, we can equip ourselves with the proper tools and understanding to act with confidence alongside those with disability in advocating for change.

Brave and harrowing testimonials are emerging through the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with a Disability in Australia. And it is my hope that the findings of this inquiry will provide us with tangible steps to help address the inequities faced by people with disability.

I’m excited to see how change unfolds over the next few years, especially at the intersection of technology and accessibility. And as we embrace the era of AI, I’m positive that our diverse talent ensure Microsoft remains focused on responsible and accessible AI.

I would like to thank our guest speakers, Tom Nash and Nas Campanella, both of whom are incredible leaders and advocates. I learnt a great deal from hearing their stories, along with their unique perspectives on what inclusive design and accessibility should look like, and their descriptions of how they leverage technology to do what they love.

I’d like to also thank our hosts, Cecilia Fang and Dom Pringle , for sharing with us their personal experiences with ADHD. Their passion and advocacy makes Microsoft a kinder, more inclusive place for everyone, and I’m proud to call them my colleagues.

I’m incredibly grateful for the incredible team at Microsoft led by our Chief Accessibility Officer Jenny Lay-Flurrie , who work hard to make inclusivity a conscious and ongoing practice at Microsoft.

If you’d like to learn more about inclusive and Microsoft’s inclusion and accessibility journey, read the full article published on our News Centre.