Recap from Disability: IN_Building Inclusive Talent Systems

This year, I attended my very first Disability:IN conference, and Elevait Solutions was proud to serve as a host committee member/sponsor. For us, this wasn’t just about showing up... it was about learning, contributing, and amplifying conversations that matter.

As a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Elevait helps employers solve human capital problems through contingent workforce solutions. Our team also carries lived experience... I personally live with a silent disability. For me, inclusion isn’t a “program” ...it’s how we ensure people are seen, supported, and set up to thrive!!!

My biggest takeaways from this conference, I have broken down into the areas where TA leaders have the most influence: Candidate Experience → Onboarding → AI & Enablement → Veteran Talent → Future-Proofing Your Workforce.

Please take a few minutes to read, as the information learned was powerful and I'd love to start some collaborative conversations on how WE, together, as a talent community, can do better (as our work matters and helps bring positive change to communities).

I'm proud to serve on the TA Committee and we kicked off the week with a meeting where collaboration and conversations were around a powerful theme: It’s not about candidates winning jobs, it’s about equitable journeys.

Here are a few key takeaways...

• Proactive accommodations. Organizations like Nationwide and Workday embed ASL interpreters, screen recorders, and flexible formats into their standard processes. Asking “Do you need accommodations?” should be a baseline, not an afterthought.
• Transparency over ghosting. Candidates with disabilities often experience more barriers. Simple automation (status updates, rebooking links) ensures dignity in the process.
• ERG involvement (with guardrails). Employee Resource Groups can enhance the candidate journey, but they need structure. Without clear roles, ERGs risk being stretched too thin or acting as informal recruiters without support.

Why this matters: A 2023 Harvard Business Review study found that 76% of job seekers say a poor candidate experience directly reduces their likelihood of accepting an offer, even if they’re qualified and interested. For people with disabilities, the stakes are even higher: unclear processes = exclusion.

How does this relate to your business? Here are a few key questions for you to think about:

• Where in our funnel could a candidate with low vision or hearing loss get stuck?
• Which steps truly require synchronous video, and which could be made more accessible asynchronously?
• How do we train hiring managers to respond when a candidate discloses a need
  
  

One of the most under-discussed topics at the conference: Onboarding. It’s not a single day or checklist... it’s the bridge between inclusion promises and lived experience.

Here are a few best practices shared:

• Blended models. Lowe’s standardized its virtual Day 1, ensuring every employee gets the same critical information, then hands off to local teams for tailored integration.
• Manager enablement. PNC built one-page guides for managers to understand common accommodations. This normalizes the conversation, reduces stigma, and prevents managers from “winging it.”
• Continued connection. Unum emphasized skills-based validation and ongoing check-ins, while Rocket spotlighted the importance of verifying that digital tools actually work for employees with vision impairments.

Why this matters: Gallup reports that employees who say their onboarding was exceptional are 2.6x more likely to be satisfied in their jobs. Yet only 12% of organizations get onboarding right. For employees with disabilities, missteps here can mean immediate disengagement.

Here are some questions for you to reflect on within your own program:

• Do our onboarding measures stop at completion rates, or do we track long-term belonging and performance?
• How often do we follow up... week 1, month 1, quarter 1?
• Do managers know what to do if an accommodation request comes after Day 1?

AI was a recurring theme across sessions, and the consensus was nuanced. AI isn’t inherently inclusive or exclusive; it depends on HOW we build, train, and govern it.

A few key takeaways include:

• Bias in, bias out. AI tools can unintentionally filter out Veterans, caregivers, or neurodiverse talent if trained on traditional résumés or “career continuity” patterns.
• Accessibility opportunities. EY research shows that 85% of neurodiverse professionals already use AI to help with productivity, communication, and confidence, often without disclosing their disability. For example, AI can help workshop tone, manage rejection sensitivity, or break down complex tasks.
• Skills-first platforms. Salesforce’s Career Connect focuses on skills mapping vs. job titles, critical for candidates with nontraditional paths. This shift is especially powerful for Veterans and neurodiverse candidates.

Stats to anchor this:

• Inclusive companies are 25% more productive than peers, in part because they embed diverse thinking into processes... including AI adoption.
• 53% of next-gen workers are expected to be neurodiverse, and 60% will self-identify with a disability or condition. AI must be part of inclusion-by-design.

Here are some challenge questions to ask yourself:

• Where does AI free up recruiter time that can be reinvested into mentorship, coaching, or human touchpoints?
• Who is excluded by our current AI workflows, and how do we close those gaps?
• Do we have oversight structures (audits, escalation steps) to ensure fairness?

This session struck a personal chord for me, coming from a Military Family, and someone leading an SDVOSB. Veteran hiring isn’t just a compliance checkbox... It’s a culture accelerator!

Here are just a few educational insights to think about:

• Skills are highly transferable. Veterans excel in leadership, logistics, conflict resolution, and operating under stress. These translate directly into roles across operations, IT, healthcare, and more.
• Invisible disabilities matter. Roughly 30% of Veterans have a service-connected disability; for post-9/11 Veterans, it’s 46%. Most are non-apparent. Employers must normalize accommodations to unlock full contributions.
• Transition friction is real. From acronyms to attire to first-name culture, small things can trip up integration. Buddy programs and ERG mentorship are low-cost, high-impact solutions.

Misconceptions to correct:

• “All Veterans have PTSD.” Not true... most do not, and those who do often manage it successfully.
• “Veterans don’t ask for help.” Many hesitate to request accommodations, believing others need them more. Proactive education breaks this cycle.
• “Veterans only fit into certain jobs.” The reality: Veterans thrive in diverse fields, especially where teamwork and adaptability matter.

Best practices for you to take to your leadership team:

• Pair Veteran candidates with Veteran interviewers.
• Use MOS skills translators to align resumes with civilian job descriptions.
• Offer contingent-to-hire pathways so managers can see talent in action.

🎖 Veteran Talent “Questions for Leaders”:

• Are we unintentionally screening out Veterans through degree requirements or ATS filters?
• Do our managers know how to support cultural transitions (e.g., language, hierarchy, identity)? Do we help Veterans translate military experience into civilian success stories?
• How are we ensuring Veterans feel confident using the benefits they’ve earned? How do we normalize conversations about invisible disabilities in our culture?

A closing theme of the week: inclusion and reskilling must go hand in hand. Organizations like Pfizer, Google, and Workday shared how ERGs, peer learning, and AI-enabled training are reshaping workforce development.

Educational takeaways:

• Democratize AI skills. Pfizer’s “Growth Gig” program trains employees across functions in generative AI, with peer-to-peer learning so no one is left behind.
• Normalize continuous learning. Workday hosts “Prompt-a-thons” where employees share AI use cases, fostering creativity and reducing fear.
• Design with inclusion from the start. Accenture reminded us: if you don’t ask who is excluded in research and design, you’re already behind.

Why this matters: The World Economic Forum projects that 44% of workers’ skills will be disrupted in the next five years. Inclusive reskilling strategies ensure people with disabilities and Veterans aren’t left out of that shift.

Are you future-proofing your workforces?:

• How do we build in time for employees to learn and experiment without penalty?
• What guardrails ensure AI-driven training remains ethical, accurate, and inclusive?
• Are our reskilling programs designed for everyone... or only those who already feel confident?

For Elevait, the Disability:IN conference was more than a networking opportunity, it was a chance to live our mission. As an SDVOSB, we bring both lived experience and execution capacity to employers.

• Compliance with intent. Federal contractors face a 7% disability utilization goal under Section 503. Smart TA design is how you get there.
• Supplier diversity with substance. The government sets a 3% contracting goal for SDVOSBs, and forward-thinking companies exceed it by leveraging SDVOSBs to build Veteran pipelines.
• Friction-reducing execution. Contingent-to-hire strategies de-risk placements while improving equity and performance.

Reality check: 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. lives with a disability. This isn’t niche. Designing for disability means designing for everyone.

Which of these themes... candidate experience, onboarding, AI, Veteran hiring, OR reskilling, would make the biggest impact in your organization this quarter?

What’s one change you could make next week to move from compliance to culture?

I’d love to hear comments and how you’re approaching these challenges...

The future of work belongs to ALL of us... and it’s built by the questions we’re brave enough to ask today!

Cheers, Rachel