Do you ever find yourself: ▷ Feeling uneasy interacting with people with disabilities?▷ Hesitating to discuss disability (and feeling guilty about it)?▷ Second-guessing your words or actions to avoid making a mistake?If so, I understand. I’ve been there. I used to be afraid of making a mistake or offending someone, and was drawn to avoiding situations entirely. This happened despite the fact that my dad is a full-time wheelchair user. I grew up watching well-meaning people be uneasy around him, but my own bias and discomfort about other disabilities didn’t go away on its own. With empathetic guidance and support, I unearthed the root of my issue and transformed my perspective on disability. This exposed the bias I had and removed its influence over me. My 17+ years in the disability sector since have not only shown me how common this discomfort is in the professional world, but how insidiously it has permeated all aspects of businesses and brands. It wreaks havoc on team dynamics, threatens the success of disability inclusion efforts, and excludes and discriminates against people with disabilities. Now, I’m on a mission to foster healthy teams and accelerate inclusion across industries. This is why I help non-disabled leaders and managers confront their discomfort and assumptions about disability, so that they can build thriving, cohesive and inclusive teams that have a positive ripple effect throughout their organization.The harsh reality is that:🚩In 2020, 36% of EEOC claims were disability-related, making it the second leading cause after retaliation.🚩Only 4% of companies committed to diversity and inclusion include disability in those efforts.🚩Unemployment rates are much higher for people with a disability than for non-disabled people across all levels of education. Leaders and managers are under increasing pressure to navigate disability and inclusion effectively, but are operating from flawed and potentially harmful assumptions (often without even knowing it). Transforming your perspective on disability is the most effective way to be set up for successful disability inclusion in your business. If you think I could help you or your team, as I’ve done already for hundreds of professionals, feel free to send me a DM.