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National Disability Awareness Month in October is an opportunity for individuals and organizations to recognize and celebrate the achievements, contributions, and unique challenges faced by the disabled community. Nicsa’s Diversity Project North America is committed to promoting inclusion. The DPNA Industry Events & Engagement Committee has compiled a list of resources and simple strategies to help firms and individuals make the most of this important month.

START WITH SIMPLE CHANGES:

To recognize National Disability Awareness Month, consider implementing some straightforward measures. DPNA member JP Morgan, for example, intentionally renames this month "Disability Inclusion Month" to emphasize the importance of inclusion.

LEVERAGE VIDEOS FROM NICSA:

Nicsa’s Diversity Project North America offers valuable resources in the form of informative videos that provide insights into disability awareness. Here are two video links that you can explore:

• Supporting Employees with Disabilities
• Neurodiversity Includes Everyone in the World

VISUAL ACCESSIBILITY:

Visual accessibility is a crucial component of supporting those with disabilities. You can take the following steps to enhance it:

• Hire a firm to audit your website's accessibility across various dimensions of disability. One such firm is allyant.com.
• Use Adobe Acrobat Pro DC's Accessibility Checker to ensure PDF compliance with PDF/UA standards.
• Employ the Colour Contrast Analyser for Windows to evaluate the contrast between foreground and background color combinations.

IN-PERSON INCLUSIVITY:

When conducting in-person events or working in shared office spaces, it's essential to create an inclusive environment. Consider the following measures:

• Accommodate individuals with food allergies and dietary restrictions during events.
• Arrange cubicles and office spaces to provide appropriate distance, especially for those with scent allergies.
• Use large-font name tags with phonetic spellings, pronouns, and company names to enhance inclusivity. 
• Have speakers introduce themselves by name to associate names with voices.
• Ensuring that desks, tables, chairs, and other equipment are accessible and comfortable.

VIRTUAL MEETING ACCESSIBILITY:

Ensure that technology support is readily available and educate participants about the proper etiquette for an inclusive experience. This includes:

• Using cameras during video conferencing to facilitate lip reading and enhance visual cues.
• Expanding accessibility on event recordings by offering translations and large-font closed captioning on event replays.
• Utilizing virtual name boxes, and including company names where appropriate.

Readers can refer to the blog: How to Make Your Virtual Meetings and Events Accessible to the Disability Community for more information and ideas.

EXPLORE (AND SHARE!) AVAILABLE RESOURCES:

National Disability Awareness Month provides an excellent opportunity to educate ourselves and others about disabilities. To help you on this journey, we've compiled a list of diverse resources, including videos, books, consultants, networks, and more. Let's explore these valuable materials together and share them with others to promote awareness and understanding.

Videos

Leverage talks presented to local audiences, such as this one on redefining diversity. Tedx: When I Stopped Hiding, I Found Freedom | Ruth Rathblott

Third-Party Services

There are many consultants and providers that help their clients craft accessible practices, policies, products and services, places and promotions. One such service provider is: Tilting the Lens

Networks

DPNA member State Street operates a Disability Awareness Alliance support network that offers resources for employees with disabilities and caregivers. State Street has similar networks in various locations worldwide, all dedicated to fostering inclusivity and receiving executive-level support. Many firms across the asset and wealth management industry have resource networks. Please speak to your team leadership to help identify similar networks that may be appropriate.

Children's Material

Explore these children's books that cover a range of topics related to disabilities, including ADHD, ASD, Dyslexia, OCD, and more:

• Remarkable Remy
• Rules
• The Unstoppable Jamie
• Manny's Mood Clouds
• Violet Shrink
• The Worry Balloon
• Virginia Wolf, My Brain Is Magic
• A Day with No Words
• Hide and Shhhh
• Dark Cloud, My Whirling Twirling Motor
• The Curiosities, Brilliant Bed
• Malik's Number Thoughts
• My Busy Busy Brain
• I Talk Like a River

Other Children's Books to Explore (K-5):

• The Best List of 18 Children’s Books about Disabilities
• 19 of the Best Books for Toddlers with Autism

Middle Grade & Young Adult Books:

• 5 MG and YA Novelists with Disabled Characters Share What Inspired Their Stories
• 5 YA Titles Featuring Characters With Physical Disabilities
• 36 YA Books Showcasing Diverse Disability Representation

Adult Material

• Documentary: The Reason I Jump (2020) on Netflix
• Book: The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism by Naoki Higashida

Fiction & Non-fiction Books:

• 15 Best Books With Disability Representation to Read Now
• 12 Non-Fiction Books on Disability Inclusion
• 42 Best Books On Disabilities Curated by a Disability Activist

TV Shows & Movies:

• 11 Movies or TV Shows with Authentic Disability Representation
• 21 of the Best Films, Books, and Shows Spotlighting Experiences of Disability

Other Resources:

• Disability Pride Month - Teacher Guide
• Don't be scared to talk about disabilities. Here's what to know and what to say
• How to talk about disability sensitively and avoid ableist tropes

By exploring and sharing these resources, you can contribute to the promotion of disability awareness, inclusion, and understanding during National Disability Awareness Month and beyond.

CONCLUSION:

National Disability Awareness Month is a time to promote inclusion and raise awareness about the challenges faced by the disabled community. By implementing these simple steps and utilizing available resources, firms and individuals across the asset and wealth management industry can play a significant role in making the world a more inclusive place for everyone. Nicsa’s Diversity Project North America welcomes you to embrace the spirit of inclusion and celebrate the diversity of abilities during this important month.

Personal views and observations contained herein do not necessarily reflect the views of Nicsa or its member organizations. The information contained herein is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a recommendation of best practices.

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