Disability inclusion at Deloitte
Deloitte is committed to providing an inclusive and equitable workplace where everyone can thrive.
Deloitte’s global approach to disability inclusion is built upon the ‘social model’ in that people are disabled by the social and physical environment around them. We are thus focused on providing a workplace environment in which our people can thrive.
We place emphasis on creating a working environment in which our employees feel comfortable. Part of our long-term strategy is also support for people with disabilities.
When we think of disability, most of us probably think of a person confined to a wheelchair, a blind person or a person with a prosthetic limb. In short, the disability is visible at first glance. However, the issue of disability is far from being so black and white. People with health limitations include, among others, people who have had breast cancer, celiacs, asthmatics, people with stabilized multiple sclerosis, epileptics, patients with psoriasis and many others.
We consider it essential not to forget how important it is to foster an environment based on respect, empathy and cooperation, where everyone has access to job opportunities, regardless of their disability.
At the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in January 2019, Deloitte Global became a signatory to The Valuable 500, demonstrating our global commitment and leadership in disability inclusion.
Deloitte is proud to sign the International Labour Organisation (ILO)'s Global Business and Disability Network Charter, highlighting its focus on disability inclusion and neurodiversity. The Charter includes a commitment to 10 principles for the inclusion of persons with disabilities and neurodiversity. Each of these principles is fully aligned with Deloitte's global strategies that focus on these key inclusion priorities.
Deloitte's global focus on supporting inclusive workplaces for colleagues with disabilities has been recognized by independent organizations around the world. For example, Deloitte US has received a perfect score in the ranking of the best places to work according to the Disability Equality Index in the last five years. Deloitte UK is part of the UK Government's Disability Confident programme, which focuses on best practice in recruiting, retaining and developing employees with disabilities.
Matte
Deloitte Malaysia partner, Matte Leong, shares his personal story of adapting to life with a disability. This is part of Deloitte’s “Can you hear me, do you see me?” series highlighting the experiences of our people.
Thiago
"...a lot of the time, I think I must be invisible. And when people do see me, all they see is the chair."
Deloitte's support of the Paralympic movement
In April 2022, Deloitte and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced a decade-long, five-Games “partnership with purpose” through 2032 which will see Deloitte serve as a Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partner. This partnership leverages Deloitte’s considerable business acumen to help the Paralympic games realise the possibilities of its strategic plan for the future, transforming attitudes towards persons with disabilities and driving social inclusion. Learn more about the partnership here.
Andrew Parsons, IPC President, said: “The Paralympic Games are the biggest showcase of persons with disabilities on the world stage. Having worked with Deloitte for several years now, the IPC is enthusiastic to explore with Deloitte how its expertise and wide range of services can benefit the wider Paralympic Movement. Together we can use Para sport as a tool to empower people, change attitudes towards disability and create greater opportunities for the world’s 1.2 billion persons with disabilities.”
While the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)’s definition of persons with disabilities includes neurodiverse variations such as autism, dyslexia and ADHD, feedback from neurodiverse colleagues tells us that they often do not self-identify as disabled. As such, Deloitte’s global diversity, equity and inclusion strategy differentiates between disability inclusion and neurodiversity.
