National Disability Employment Awareness Month: Empowered to Help Others. Participe de um programa de 12 semanas com

By: Chelsey S., Sr Manager, Communications

McCall T., a Schwab employee based out of Austin, has been living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) for 26 years, and her lived experience has fueled a passion for making the workplace more inclusive for individuals with disabilities.

Recently, McCall volunteered to participate in a 12-week program with deficiência: em, uma organização sem fins lucrativos dedicada ao avanço da inclusão por incapacidade no local de trabalho. Como parceiro corporativo, a deficiência: em colabora de perto com as empresas, incluindo a Schwab, oferecendo ferramentas e recursos para promover um ambiente mais acessível e inclusivo. Uma das principais lições que ela tirou foi a idéia de que possuir sua deficiência está possuindo sua história, o que leva ao empoderamento. E é esse sentimento de empoderamento que pode levar as pessoas a divulgar suas deficiências (quando estão prontas) para suas empresas e seus colegas. McCall sabe que, quando as pessoas se sentem apoiadas, são capazes de prosperar, e Schwab faz esforços de boa fé para fornecer acomodações razoáveis ​​para funcionários e candidatos qualificados com deficiência. Isso pode incluir coisas como oferecer entrevistas baseadas em habilidades para candidatos neurodivergentes ou adquirir ou modificar equipamentos de trabalho para facilitar para pessoas com deficiência fazer seu trabalho. "Sempre podemos fazer mais para mover a agulha para a frente com acessibilidade", diz ela. "Eu digo aos meus colegas que, se algo não estiver funcionando para você ou para um de seus colegas, informe a Schwab para que eles possam ajudar", diz ela. “Foi a única conferência em que eu senti que realmente pertencia”, lembra ela. Unidade, plano de trabalho e marketing de consultores. Armada com o conhecimento e as ferramentas que ganhou com a deficiência: em, ela está ansiosa para continuar discussões mais amplas na Schwab e explorar novas maneiras de apoiar os funcionários com deficiência. Ela quer que as pessoas saibam que está disponível para conversar como alguém que "esteve lá" e "fez isso", e está confiante de que esse trabalho ajudará outras pessoas a ter sucesso em suas jornadas de carreira, assim como a ajudou a moldar sua própria carreira significativa na Schwab.

For McCall the Disability:IN program was transformative. One of the key lessons she took away was the idea that owning your disability is owning your story, which leads to empowerment. And it’s this feeling of empowerment that may lead people to disclose their disabilities (when they are ready) to their companies and their colleagues.

“There’s a whole amazing team available to help with accessibility at Schwab,” McCall says, emphasizing that disclosing a disability is not just about acknowledgement, but about unlocking the resources that Schwab has in place to aid employees.

From her own experience, McCall knows that when people feel supported, they are able to thrive, and Schwab makes good faith efforts to provide reasonable accommodations for employees and qualified applicants with disabilities. This may include things like offering skills-based interviews for neurodivergent applicants, or acquiring or modifying work equipment to make it easier for people with disabilities to do their job.

Everyone can create a more inclusive workplace

McCall is eager to continue to create a culture where employees feel comfortable sharing their stories and getting involved. “We can always do more to move the needle forward with accessibility,” she says.

She advocates for an approach similar to Schwab’s “see something, say something” mantra toward identifying red flags to prevent financial crimes. “I tell my colleagues that if something isn’t working for you or for one of your colleagues, let Schwab know so they can help,” she says.

The 12-week program concluded with an in-person capstone learning session and graduation at the 2024 Disability:IN global conference in Las Vegas, that for McCall was a deeply meaningful experience. “It was the only conference where I felt like I truly belonged,” she recalls.

Surrounded by people with disabilities and advocates from companies committed to inclusion, McCall found herself part of a community united by a common goal: pushing the conversation forward and taking concrete steps toward greater accessibility for those living with disabilities.

Since the conclusion of the program, McCall has taken on the role of Digital Accessibility Champion for her business unit, Workplace Plan & Consultant Marketing. Armed with the knowledge and tools she gained from Disability:IN, she’s eager to continue broader discussions at Schwab, and to explore new ways to support employees with disabilities. She wants people to know that she’s available to talk to as someone who has “been there” and “done that,” and she’s confident that this work will help others succeed in their career journeys, just as it helped her shape her own meaningful career at Schwab.

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