Supporting Career Advancement: Beyond Hiring to Retention and Promotion

In recent years, organizations have made great strides in creating more inclusive hiring practices for people with disabilities. But hiring is just the first step. True inclusion goes beyond bringing people on board — it’s about ensuring that employees with disabilities can thrive, advance, and lead. Supporting career advancement means addressing daily barriers and creating a culture where everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Below are some of the key challenges faced by members of the Disability Community — and the practical, hopeful actions we can all take to remove them.

Everyday Challenges

1. Inaccessible Work Environments

For employees with physical disabilities, basic workplace design can still present daily obstacles — from narrow doorways to desks that don’t adjust for wheelchair access. Similarly, digital workspaces can be just as limiting for employees who use screen readers or other assistive technologies when platforms and internal systems aren’t accessible.

2. Communication Barriers

For Deaf or hard-of-hearing employees, virtual meetings without captions or live interpreters can be isolating. Likewise, individuals with speech differences may find themselves unintentionally overlooked in brainstorming sessions or team meetings where speed of conversation is valued over inclusivity.

3. Hidden Bias and Limited Advancement Opportunities

Employees with invisible disabilities — such as chronic pain, neurodiversity, or mental health conditions — often face unspoken stigma. They might be viewed as “less capable” of handling leadership roles, or passed over for advancement due to assumptions rather than ability.

4. Lack of Career Development Pathways

Many organizations invest in recruiting diverse talent but neglect to build tailored mentorship, training, or leadership development opportunities for employees with disabilities. Without accessible career development programs, professional growth stalls.

5. Fear of Disclosure

Even when companies promote inclusion, many employees with disabilities still hesitate to disclose their condition. The fear of being treated differently or seen as a “burden” keeps many from requesting accommodations that could enhance their performance and well-being.

Practical Solutions

1. Build Accessibility Into Every System

Accessibility shouldn’t be an afterthought — it should be a core design principle. That means ensuring that both physical and digital spaces are fully usable for everyone. Regularly audit your workplace and technology platforms with input from employees with disabilities, and make adjustments proactively rather than reactively.

2. Make Communication Universally Accessible

Normalize accessibility features like live captioning, transcripts, and interpreters in meetings and events. Encourage multiple forms of participation — written chat, voice, and video — so everyone has a chance to contribute comfortably.

3. Create Mentorship and Sponsorship Opportunities

Mentorship is vital for career advancement. Pair employees with disabilities with mentors and sponsors — not just for support, but to open doors to leadership pathways. Representation matters, and when people see others with disabilities in senior roles, it creates a ripple effect of confidence and aspiration.

4. Provide Manager Training on Disability Inclusion

Equip managers with the skills to recognize bias, discuss accommodations sensitively, and focus on outcomes rather than limitations. Inclusion training should move beyond compliance and toward empathy and practical allyship.

5. Foster a Culture of Psychological Safety

Encourage open dialogue about disability and accommodation needs without stigma. When employees feel safe to disclose and advocate for themselves, they can perform at their best. Leadership should model this openness by speaking transparently about the value of accessibility and inclusion.

How Everyone Can Have Skin in the Game

• Ask, don’t assume. When collaborating with a colleague with a disability, ask what support or format works best for them.

• Be proactive. Share accessible resources, offer to caption a video, or make meeting notes available in multiple formats.

• Speak up. If you see an accessibility gap or hear an ableist remark, address it respectfully. Advocacy starts in everyday moments.

• Support policy change. Encourage your organization to invest in accessibility audits, inclusive leadership programs, and transparent advancement metrics.

• Celebrate inclusion. Recognize and elevate the achievements of colleagues with disabilities — not as inspiration, but as equal contributors and leaders.

A Hopeful Path Forward

True inclusion means looking beyond hiring — it’s about retention, growth, and leadership. The path forward lies in building workplaces that are accessible by design, equitable by intent, and human at their core. When employees with disabilities are empowered to advance and succeed, organizations don’t just become more inclusive — they become stronger, more creative, and more resilient.

The journey toward full inclusion isn’t about doing everything at once. It’s about starting somewhere, staying committed, and ensuring that everyone — regardless of ability — can envision a future where their career has no limits.