Disability Friendly

13Communicating the Organization's Policies and Practices

This chapter addresses both external and internal communications as related but very different practices that corporate communications professionals use as they tailor messages to key audiences differently.

External Communications

To maximize an organization's ability to attract talent with disabilities, it is important to communicate to the public the company's commitment to employing individuals with disabilities and having an inclusive and diverse work environment, including subcontractors and vendors.

Some examples of successful external communication strategies and practices:

• Including individuals with visible disabilities when employees are pictured in customer, promotional, or recruitment advertising.
• Sponsoring and participating in job fairs that target job seekers with disabilities.
• Informing disability organizations about organization‐sponsored career days, youth motivation and mentoring programs, and related community activities.
• Distributing information about relevant disability company policies and priorities to subcontractors, vendors, and suppliers and requesting their support, and, when feasible, requiring it via contract.
• Communicating with union officials and/or employee representatives about the organization's policies and seeking their cooperation, if the organization is a party to a collective bargaining agreement.
• Posting the organization's policy statements regarding Disability Inclusion and ...