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EMPLOYER ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY

Office of Disability Employment Policy 

Contract Number: DOLU139434942

Period of Performance: 

September 30, 2013 – September 29, 2014

FINAL REPORT 

February 2015
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

BACKGROUND RESEARCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

MARKETING FRAMEWORK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

BETA MARKETING PLAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

METRICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

CONCLUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

APPENDICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Executive Summary

Continuing its efforts to improve employment outcomes for workers with disabilities, the 

Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) contracted with Diversity 

Marketing and Communications to develop an Employer Engagement Strategy (EES) that provides 

an employer-focused marketing framework for addressing the dearth of employment opportunities 

for individuals with disabilities in the private sector.

EES is based on research conducted by Dr. Peter Cappelli, the George W. Taylor Professor of 

Management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Director of 

Wharton's Center for Human Resources, with his students. In focus groups with private-sector

executives, Dr. Cappelli confirmed that ODEP’s prior research on making an economic business case 

for increasing employment of individuals with disabilities was insufficient to persuade employers to 

increase their efforts at disability recruitment and retention. Dr. Cappelli and his students suggested 

developing a persuasive argument that addressed the underlying biases and cultural stereotypes 

toward those with disabilities. He reframed the challenge as a marketing case, and recommended 

using a strategic and tactical marketing framework, beginning with a segmentation of employers

based on their readiness to support diversity and inclusion. His findings showed three distinct 

market segments in the private employer base which he characterized as the Choir, the Inclusives 

and the Uninitiated. The Wharton team identified two segments as particularly promising targets for 

ODEP’s EES: 

 Choir: Companies with existing programs and a culture that supports the hiring and 

advancement of people with disabilities. 

 Inclusive: Companies that support a diverse workforce, but do not explicitly include people 

with disabilities in their initiatives.

The development of the EES began with a proof of concept to apply Dr. Cappelli’s segmentation to

actual companies. A group of companies was identified that fit the Choir and the Inclusive segments. 

Companies were assigned numerical scores based on their employment practices and policies (see 

Background Research/Proof of Concept). The scores incorporated two measures: one score to 

reflect commitment to the employment of people with disabilities and a second score based on 

workplace diversity and inclusiveness. Because the companies’ actual employment numbers for 

individuals with disabilities were not available, affiliations and public initiatives, such as sponsorship 

of organizations such asthe American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), were used as 

proxies for commitment to a diverse and inclusive workforce. Upon scoring the companies, it was 

confirmed that the Choir and Inclusive segmentation could be observed in practice.
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Through collaboration with Dr. Deborah Small, Associate Professor of Marketing and Psychology, 

at the Wharton School, behavioral insights,such as those designed to make accessibility for 

employees with disabilities the norm rather than the exception, were incorporated into the 

marketing framework. These marketing strategies address intersections or “bottlenecks” in the 

employment cycle where prospects for people with disabilities are slowed or limited. Organizations 

with established diversity and inclusion initiatives—primarily the Inclusives—became the target 

audience. Interviews with companies in the Choir segment—employer members of the Circle—

provided insights from their corporate journeys to establishing a set of best practices. (Circle refers 

to group of US businesses and organizations that received the Secretary of Labor’s New Freedom 

Initiative Awards (from 2002-2008) for innovative and proactive efforts to recruit, hire and promote 

people with disabilities.)

Four bottlenecks were identified as areas where employers need assistance to increase 

opportunities for people with disabilities:

1. Countering stereotypes

2. Self-identification for employees and applicants

3. Fulfillment of accommodations

4. Assembling basic information for increasing disability employment

Four strategies for opening the bottlenecks were identified:

1. Change perceptions and stereotypes

2. Educate and inform

3. Motivate with incentives

4. Apply nudges1to change the “status quo”

Three groups of tactics were identified as implementations for the above strategies, with a range of 

activities within each tactic:

1. Adjust Communications

a. Use visual communication, when appropriate, to signal cultural change

b. Incorporate disability language and imagesinto all communication

c. Use the power of personal stories

d. Educate the staff about self-identification

 

1

“Nudge,” a term popularized by Dr. Richard Thaler of the University of Chicago and Cass 

Sunstein a Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, refers to changes made to 

the environment to encourage desired outcomes among individuals. 
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2. Engage the Organization

a. Develop internal cross-functional resource groups

b. Use technology accessibility

c. Ensure that leaders participate in mentoring

d. Recognize and reward vendors that support advancement of people with disabilities

e. Identify new organizational designs and metrics

3. Create a Roadmap

a. Align information with the employment cycle

b. Link to downloadable resources

c. Distribute in an interactive format, such as an accessible web page

The Marketing Framework was introduced in a series of Roundtable events at four industry 

conferences and small group settings to obtain employer feedback (See Appendix/Findings from 

Roundtable Discussions).

The Marketing Framework also includes recommendations for how ODEP may use metrics to 

measure progress by employers as they move from Uninitiated through Inclusive to Choir status. 

Two methodologies are recommended: the Maturity Model and Randomized Control Trials. These 

methodologies can be used independently or in combination. The Maturity Model is being used by

the US Business Leadership Network (USBLN) and the American Association of People with 

Disabilities (AAPD) for the Disability Equality Index (DEI). This benchmarking can be used by ODEP to 

measure adoption of strategies that are representative of Choir companies(e.g., how many 

companies have internship programs for people with disabilities and how the number changes over 

time). Randomized Controlled Trials, used by government task forces in the United States and the 

United Kingdom (known as “Nudge Units”), use insights from behavioral economics and human 

decision-making to advance the efficient implementation of public policy (Haynes, et. al., 2013). This 

methodology incorporates experimental methods to isolate variables and measure efficacy and 

causality (e.g., compare employment levels for people with disabilities among companies who offer 

internships and those that do not). 

Recommendations for future actions include suggestions for education, policy, technical assistance 

and guidance. These approaches may be particularly helpful to assist small businesses with 

increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities. ODEP may consider collaborating

with the Small Business Administration (SBA) to develop resources to encourage companies below 

the Fortune 1000 level to apply the strategies identified in the EES Marketing Framework. 
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INTRODUCTION 

Backcasting involves... A four-step thinking process for identifying how to improve a situation 

or setting. In the first step organization actors link identified symptoms to a root cause; in the 

second, they describe how an intervention, by overturning the root cause, can transform the 

symptoms into desired conditions; in the third, they specify the prerequisites that must be in 

place to implement the intervention; and in the fourth, they delineate the tactics to put these 

prerequisites into place.

Larry Hirschhorn, Backcasting: A Systematic Method for Creating a Picture of the Future and 

How to Get There, 2012

The Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) contracted with Diversity 

Marketing and Communications to develop an Employer Engagement Strategy (EES) that provides a 

marketing framework for addressing the dearth of employment opportunities for individuals with 

disabilities in the private sector. Using research provided the Wharton School, Hirschhorn’s 

“thinking-process” methodology, wasfollowed to develop the EES.

To link identified symptoms to a root cause, critical intersections were identified that limit the 

employment process for people with disabilities and form virtual bottlenecks. Interventions that 

overturn the root cause were identified in the form of marketing strategies aimed at easing the 

bottlenecks. Prerequisites to implement interventions were built on the segmentation framework

identified by subject matter experts at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. The 

EES Marketing Framework incorporates strategies and potential tacticsthat employers can 

implement to move steadily toward greater awareness of practices that support employment of 

individuals with disabilities.
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BACKGROUND RESEARCH

Where We Started: “RISE UP & SING”

The EES initiative was based on research led by Dr. Peter Cappelli, the George W. Taylor Professor 

of Management at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Director of 

Wharton's Center for Human Resources, with his students.

In focus groups with private-sector executives, Dr. Cappelli validated previous research by ODEP that 

making an economic business case for the increased employment of individuals with disabilities was 

insufficient to persuade employers to increase their effortsto do such. Dr. Cappelli advised that 

addressing the underlying biases and cultural stereotypestoward those with disabilities would be 

more effective. He reframed the challenge as a marketing case, and recommended that ODEP apply 

the types of marketing strategies and tactics used by employers to promote their products and 

services.

Dr. Cappelli began by segmenting employers based on their readiness to support diversity and 

inclusion. His findings identified three distinct segments as shown below: 
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Dr. Cappelli’s segmentation framework is fluid and suggests that employers can move along the 

continuum from Uninitiated to Choir. He suggested that ODEP brand the strategy that encouraged 

movement with the acronym “RISE UP & SING”:

The Wharton team characterized two segments as particularly promising targets for an Employer 

Engagement Strategy (EES): 

 Choir: Companies with existing programs and culturesthat support the hiring and 

advancement of people with disabilities. 

 Inclusive: Companies that support a diverse workforce, but do not explicitly include people 

with disabilities in their initiatives.

Dr. Cappelli encouraged ODEP to make the “Business Case” with principles of behavioral economics

and to develop customized approaches for each segment to “expand the Choir.” ODEP engaged 

Diversity Marketing and Communications to develop an EES to encourage continuous improvement 

in workplace opportunities for people with disabilities.
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Proof of Concept

Development of the EES began with a proof of concept to apply Dr. Cappelli’s segmentation to actual 

employers. Companies were identified that fit the characteristics of the target Choir and Inclusive 

segments. Numerical scores were assigned based on affiliations and public initiatives as proxies for 

commitment to a diverse and inclusive workforce. 

Upon scoring the companies, it was confirmed that the segmentation of Choir and Inclusive 

companies could be observed in practice. The methodology yielded a total of 161 companies 

segmented into 79 “Choir” companies and 82 “Inclusive” companies

The methodology involved three phases: 

Phase 1: Scoring

Numerical scores were assigned to companies based on their employment practices and policies. 

The scores incorporated two measures: one score to reflect commitment to employment of people 

of disabilities and a second score based on workplace diversity and inclusiveness. 

A “Disability Score,” affiliation with organizations that are members of ODEP’s Campaign for 

Disability Employment (CDE), was used as a proxy for commitment to a diverse workforce. CDE 

members include the American Association of People with Disabilities(AAPD), National Business and 

Diversity Council (NBDC), National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), Special Olympics, 

Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), and US 

Business Leadership Network (USBLN). Companies received a score of “1” for each organization with 

which they are affiliated. (To illustrate, AT&T is associated with four CDE member organizations, and 

therefore received a score of “4”.)
For the “Diversity Score,” two proxies were used to gauge commitment: 

 DiversityInc Top 50: Now in its 14th year, the employer survey conducted by 

DiversityInc.com includes nearly 1,000 businesses. Companies that ranked in the 

top 50 on the 2013 list earned a score of “0.5” (example: JC Penney). 

 Amicus curiae brief filed in the 2012 Supreme Court case of Fisher v. University of 

Texas at Austin: Diversity analyzed the list of companies that joined the “friend 

of the court” brief in support of affirmative action. The majority of the 65 

companies had supported a similar case in 2003, in which they stated, “[The 

friends of the court] have found through practical experience that a workforce 

trained in a diverse environment is critical to their business success...” Companies 

that joined the brief earned a score of “0.50” (example: Boeing). 

 Companies represented in the DiversityInc Top 50 and the amicus curiae brief 

earned a score of “0.75” (example: Dell).

Phase 2: Ranking 

Companies were ranked from highest combined Disability and Diversity scores to 

lowest. Diversity scores for companies that recognize the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, 

or transgender) community in their inclusion initiatives were weighted higher.

 Based on the Wharton team’s research, commitment to an LGBT-friendly 

workplace demonstrates that the company is committing resources and 

education to promote a culture of inclusion and diversity. This type of 

commitment may indicate companies that can be encouraged to move from 

“Inclusive” to “Choir” statusfor employment of people with disabilities.

 Affiliation with the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) was 

used as a proxy for LGBT support. 

Phase 3: Segmentation

 Companies earning a total score of 1.5 or higher were assigned the Wharton 

designation of “Choir,” as they demonstrated support for employment of people 

with disabilities as well as diverse and inclusive workforces.

 Companies scoring below 1.5 were assigned the Wharton designation of 

“Inclusive.”
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MARKETING FRAMEWORK 

To develop the Employer Engagement Strategy, Diversity Marketing and 

Communications collaborated with Dr. Cappelli and his Wharton School colleague Dr. 

Deborah Small, Associate Professor of Marketing and Psychology. 

A Marketing Framework was established thatsuggests incorporating targeted 

messages and behavioral insights to address intersections or “bottlenecks within the 

employment cycle may inhibit opportunities for people with disabilities. 

Organizations with established diversity and inclusion initiatives—the Choir and 

Inclusive segments—served as the target, pilot audiences. To understand current 

best practices, interviews were conducted with companies that meet the criteria for 

the Choir segment. (See Appendices/Interviews with Circle Companiesfor transcripts 

of interviews.)

Flexibility was built into the Marketing Framework to support the goal of 

continuous improvement and to reflect that employment is a continuous 

matching process between employers and employeesthat continues beyond 

the initial hire to ensure the employee’s continued success and contributions 

to the workplace. 

Bottlenecks in the Employment Process

Dr. Cappelli’s focus groupsrevealed five key bottlenecks that limit 

employment opportunities across all segments for people with disabilities:

1. Cultural Stereotypes: Perceptions exist that people with disabilities 

are less qualified, or that they are suffering from their disabilities, 

which creates discomfort among employers.

2. Self-Identification: Potential or current employees are reluctant to selfidentify; however, as federal contractors need this information for 

compliance with Department of Labor (DOL) regulations.

3. Accessing Information: Employers are overwhelmed by the amount of 

information available, but simultaneously need more information, 

particularly federal contractors who are affected by the new DOL regulations 

in Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.

4. Need for Incentives: Employers need greater visible acknowledgement for 

their efforts to employ more individuals with disabilities, to encourage 

continued buy-in and investment in disability and inclusion efforts.

5. Accommodation Process: Employers and employees need ongoing guidance 

in providing and requesting accommodations, respectively. As Dr. Cappelli

noted, “Application of strategies to ease bottlenecks will vary based on
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employer size and relative position within the Choir, Inclusive, or 

Uninitiated segments.”

Dr. Small recommended strategies to ease the bottlenecks: 

1. Change perceptions and stereotypes: As Dr. Cappelli identified, building a 

rational, economic business case does not address inherent bias, and those 

biases influence perceptions. Choir companies have addressed this 

bottleneck through programs and awareness-raising activities that work to 

change these perceptions.

2. Educate and inform: The distribution of information and education to HR 

executives and hiring managers is closely linked to the process of changing 

perceptions and creates awareness of a set of practices for increasing 

disability employment.

3. Motivate with incentives: Choir companies must be recognized and 

rewarded for their progress, including individual employees at all levels who 

will also respond through the use of incentives.

4. Change the status quo through “Nudges”: Principles of behavioral 

economics and human decision-making were identified that can help open 

bottlenecks. As Dr. Small explained,

All behavior is a function of the person and the situation, and so to 

change behavior, you must change the person or change the 

situation. Situational influences are stronger than personal 

influences. When we change perceptions and stereotypes, we 

change attitudes. When we educate and inform, we change 

knowledge. When we use incentives, we are changing

motivation. Each of those three is a change to the person. Only a 

nudge is a change to the situation.

“Nudge,” a term popularized by Dr. Richard Thaler of the University of 

Chicago and Cass Sunstein a Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard 

Law School, refers to actions that are taken on the environment rather than 

directed at individuals. Because people draw behavioral prompts from their 

environment, nudges provide an additional method for influencing desired 

behavior (Thaler, et al., 2008). 

5. Employers are experimenting with universal organizational designs that 

provide new approaches to accommodating employees. 
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BETA MARKETING PLAN

Findings from the focus groups suggest that bottlenecks exist in all phases of the 

employment cycle–from recruiting and hiring to retention and advancement. The 

pervasiveness of cultural stereotypes, in particular, informed the development of the 

tactical approach of the EES Marketing Plan. Three categories of tactics are 

recommended to ease the bottlenecks to increase employment opportunities for 

people with disabilities. The tactics, with a range of specific actions, are outlined 

below: 

1. Communications

a. Use visual communication, when appropriate, to signal cultural change

b. Incorporate disability language and imagesinto all communication

c. Use the power of personal stories

d. Educate the staff about self-identification

2. Engagement

a. Develop internal cross-functional resource groups

b. Use technology to promote accessibility

c. Ensure that leaders participate in mentoring

d. Recognize and reward vendors that support advancement of people with 

disabilities

e. Identify new organizational designs and metrics

3. Roadmap for Information

a. Align information with the “employment cycle”—from recruiting and 

hiring through resignation/termination or retirement 

b. Link to downloadable resources

c. Distribute in an interactive, accessible format

Recommendations and suggestions for implementing each tactic are presented 

below. 

Use Visual Communication to Signal Cultural Change: Visual communication is one 

of the most powerful marketing tactics available. Employers can signal a shift in 

corporate culture by incorporating visual imagery of disability inclusion into all 

communications, even where disability is not the focus. This tactic represents a 

nudge: an altering of the default visual landscape that sensitizes the audience to the 

company’s commitment to accessibility and inclusion. 

One method, for example, of employing visual imagery is to use standard disability 

graphics symbols (e.g., International Symbol of Accessibility (ISA), closed caption 

symbol) on all internal and external communications, including customer-facing and 

supplier-facing communications, forms, and web pages. For example, a photo of a 

company’s corporate campus in an annual report might contain the accessibility 

symbol in the corner of the photo, even when accessibility is not the focus. Such a 
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shift in the environment helps to make disability information an expected element in 

a company’s communication. 

Some Choir companies have developed a new mark or sub-brand that represents the 

company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. Examples include Manpower’s 

Access2Ability brand, and Prudential’s “I Bring...” campaign.

Companies are encouraged to create best practices for use of imagery of people with 

disabilities to avoid reinforcing prevailing stereotypes. Suggestions include 

employees working and performing job tasks; in a mixed group with employees 

without disabilities, and not isolated; and in realistic, candid settings. Pictures of 

adaptive equipment should be items that are appropriate for the employment 

setting. Companies can create libraries that facilitate resources for successful design 

via PowerPoint templates, assembling a rights-free image bank or a shared 

workspace where design teams can post examples of best practices from other 

companies and the broader culture. Corporate marketing and communications 

departments can conduct annual webinars with internal design teams and 

independent designersto train them on best practices, web access standards, and 

company standards, as well as showcase their work to other departments within the 

company.

Incorporate Disability Vocabulary into all Communication: Embedding disability 

employment goals in communication to all internal and external stakeholders is a 

powerful means to shift culture and signal company priorities. Organizational 

language practices should also adhere to contemporary tenetsthat ensure 

consistency and best practice.

Companies can consider evolving their hierarchical “codes of conduct” into a peoplefirst language governance document, working with their legal departmentsto ensure 

that mandatory requirements are met while adapting the necessary language to a 

human-centered approach. This practice mirrors the evolving philosophy in 

corporate communications. ODEP’s website and its partners can provide access to 

resources that provide guidance regarding protocol and vocabulary. 

Diversity and inclusion language can be included in the same governance 

communication as ethics, compliance and harassment language, thereby elevating it 

to the same level of importance. Internal websites or intranets can contain a section 

on inclusion, where guides/FAQs/policies are posted which anticipate varying

situations that might arise in a diverse workplace, including etiquette documents for 

interacting with people with disabilities, policies on requesting 

adjustments/accommodations and policies on dispute resolution. Statements of the 

company’s mission can include how an inclusive business model fits the 

organization’s business goals.
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Diverse hiring statements, internal and external,should be updated to include 

disability, such as this statement, which is currently in practice: “[Company Name] is 

committed to diversity in its workforce. [Company Name] is an equal opportunity 

employer and ensures the promotion of equal opportunity for all persons employed 

or seeking employment, without regard to race, sexual orientation, color, creed, 

national origin, sex, age, or disability status.” Employee Value Propositions(EVP), 

which describe what organizations want and expect from employees and what is

provided in return, can also incorporate diversity and inclusion goals. HR consultancy 

Towers Watson views the EVP as an effective means to drive employee engagement. 

Findings from the firm’s 2013-14 “Change and Communication ROI” study reveal that 

the way companies handle employee communication is fundamentally changing. 

Organizations with both highly effective communication and change management 

practices are more than twice as likely to significantly outperform their peers. A 

strategically designed EVP can help attract, retain, motivate and engage employees 

to drive business success. Towers Watson’s report recommends, “The extent to 

which employees connect with the organization’s EVP determines the amount of 

discretionary effort they commit to bringing the company culture, mission, vision and 

values to life.”

Use the Power of Personal Stories: Personal stories, which use positive exemplars of 

people with disabilities, add further engagement to the communication tactics 

described above, lifting awareness of the company’s commitment to diversity and 

inclusion. Personal examples also work at an emotional level, to help shift pervasive 

biases or misconceptions about people with disabilities. While stories of individuals 

with disabilities are often at the center of a personal approach, there are a variety of 

additional ways to utilize this tactic.

Companies are encouraged to share their journey in developing a commitment to 

disability employment. Often there is a passionate executive or other individual with 

a personal connection to people with disabilities who has inspired the organization.

Incorporating brand storytelling techniques into the communication of personal 

stories can further the emotional resonance. As contrasted with traditional brand 

communication, where the benefits of a product (the “what”) precede the reasons 

the consumer should purchase it (the “why”), brand storytelling reverses the 

information, placing the “why” before the “what.” The result is a unique messaging 

strategy that builds affinity with the audience from the outset.

Educate Staff about Self-Identification: To facilitate self-identification and ensure 

that employees get the proper information about the rationale for self-identification, 

it is recommended that education be built into existing employee training. In large 

companies, this effort could parallel the existing ethics and compliance training.

The elements of the program could include the creation of a 3-5-minute video or 

slide show that explains the Section 503 regulations, including the purpose of the 
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self-identification form and what happens to the information after it is collected. The 

presentation would also 

promote the company's commitment to a diverse, inclusive workforce and provide a 

contact for employees or managers who have questions.
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Integration of the above learning module into the new employee onboarding process

can ensure that all new employees have been exposed to the information. 

Companies may also find that creation of separate, more detailed training for HR 

professionals and hiring managers at the point of job specification can aid in 

distributing awareness of the regulations.

Develop Cross-Functional Resource Groups: Trends in fostering innovation and 

universal design have led some companies to refashion Employee Resource Groups

(ERGs) into Business Resource Groups(BRGs). While ERGs usually are focused on the 

needs of the employees, BRGs are aligned with the mission, vision and values of the 

employer. BRGs are typically cross-functional by department, seniority, geography 

and affinity. Variations and hybrids are also being utilized, so that even more 

traditional ERGs are aligned with the goals of the organization. 

Some companies empower BRGs to be standard bearers for cultural-change 

initiatives. For example, at Merck, the Victory Over Impairment and Challenge 

Enterprise BRG has been a catalyst for cultural change, helping reveal workplace 

challenges for employees with disabilities and drive swift solutions. Internal 

mentoring programs are sometimes an extension of the BRG’s work. At EY (formerly 

Ernst and Young), all employees are assigned a counselor, who serves as a coach and 

advocate for career growth. Counselor is a long-term assignment and by definition, 

one staff level above the counseled employee and in a similar area of the business, 

but may not be a direct supervisor. 

Successful BRGs are supported at the executive level. Dow Chemical uses the term 

Network for an ERG, and each Network has an Executive Sponsor. Executive 

Sponsors are direct reportsto the CEO and provide guidance, assist with scheduling 

of events, getting funding, etc. 
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Use Technology to Increase Accessibility: Increased use of technological innovation 

can benefit employees with disabilities in profound ways. Given the wide variety of 

resources among private employers, the Employer Engagement Strategy focuses on 

providing information to raise awareness of the ways in which technology can 

benefit employees with disabilities, including:

 Flexible Workplace: Technological tools to enable virtual workplaces and 

telecommuting.

 Hiring and Talent Management Technologies: A more anonymous hiring and 

performance management process can create fairer and better conditions for 

all employees, not just employees with disabilities. Electronic recruiting tools 

can yield benefits, if they are used fairly and without bias and are fully 

accessible. Talent management tools can be a significant source of 

employment metrics.

 508 Compliance and Customer Outreach: Companies can demonstrate their 

support of people with disabilities by raising the accessibility of their 

customer-facing materials. This can include programs that bring connectivity 

to underserved populations.

 Training: Companies such as Microsoft, IBM, and Qualcomm are developing 

innovative tools and training for IT managers to teach new solutions and 

provide business cases for adopting new technology and evolving standards. 

Ensure that Business Leaders Participate in Mentoring: Establishing a formal 

business leaders’ mentoring program will not only serve the goal of disseminating 

best practices in the employment of individuals with disabilities, it also can recognize 

and reward Choir companies and the inspiring executives who create change. Using 

mentoring to move companies up through the RISE UP & SING framework is a key 

goal of the Employer Engagement Strategy. A blog to which mentoring employees

contribute could supplement the program. Corporate PR channels and partnerships 

can raise awareness of the mentoring program and attract more participants. A 

formal recognition program, either internally or externally focused, can also be 

added.

Recognize and Reward Vendors that Support Employment of People with 

Disabilities: Employers that wish to support employment of people with disabilities 

can extend those efforts from their own employees to their supply chain. Patronizing 

suppliers that are disability-owned businessesis an important first step. The USBLN 

Disability Supplier Diversity Program serves as a third-party certification program for 

disability-owned businesses. Sharing personal stories can also be expanded to the 

supply chain. Expanding suppliers’ relationships beyond the procurement 

department can make them, and their efforts, part of the extended company culture. 
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Identify New Organizational Designs and Metrics

Ultimately, corporate change–both cultural and practical–that advancesincreased 

employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities will rely on new 

organizational design that embeds disability and diversity initiatives into the larger 

organization. Management expert Larry Hirschhorn warns that pilot programs 

cannot simply produce small wins, because people will retreat when the harder work 

has to be done. Innovative organizational design needs to “be able to loop learning 

back into the rest of the organization” (Hirschhorn 2002). 

In some organizations, “universal design” appears to influence the approach to

accommodations. At EY, for example, “accommodations” are referred to as 

“adjustments.” This approach is based on the assumption that all employees may 

need modifications to their workspace and/or schedule to be productive and 

communicates an important shift in corporate culture. Similarly, individualized

approaches to skills training and talent management are being used across many 

candidate pools. OfficeMax uses this approach for new candidates with disabilities, 

offering training in an individualized environment, at their own pace, where they can 

experience distribution, logistics, retail and office supply to help determine the

appropriate career path. In addition, some Circle companies are centralizing the 

accommodations function to remove cost and decision-making responsibilitiesfrom 

hiring and business unit managers(see Appendices/Interviews with Circle 

Companies).

Companies are actively searching for metrics to measure their progress toward 

employment of people with disabilities. Among the tactics being utilized are

employee surveys, hiring technologies, and marketing metrics. Section 503 

regulations are also expected to provide data streams that measure utilization goals. 

Align Information with the Employment Cycle: Participants in Dr. Cappelli’s focus 

groups said they wanted to take steps to increase employment of people with 

disabilities, but felt overwhelmed by the amount of information available through 

public, private and government sources. ODEP can increase utilization and 

awareness by organizing available information to align with the Choir, Inclusive, and 

Uninitiated segmentation. Presenting information in modular form with a roadmap 

orientation will allow the disability employment process to be seen end-to-end, 

which is helpful for managers who may not know where to begin, or where to go 

next. Checklists and other downloadable information can be linked to specific actions 

on the roadmap, such as how to more effectively recruit and interview candidates 

with disabilities. Checklists are available from the USBLN and the Conference Board.
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METRICS

Effectiveness of the EES marketing framework can be evaluated by looking at the 

progress made by employers and ultimately, how they advance from the Uninitiated 

segment to the Inclusive to Choir status:
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Two Research Approaches

Maturity Models and Randomized Controlled Trials can be used to gauge employers’ 

movement from segment to segment. The models can be used together or 

separately. The methodology will be determined by the measurement objective. As 

Dr. Cappelli noted, “Metrics can both measure change and cause change.”

Maturity Model: Maturity Models allow organizationsto assess methods and 

processes against a clear set of external benchmarks, with the goal of attaining a 

certain target or “Maturity.” The HRC Corporate Equality Index, DiversityInc50 and 

the USBLN/AAPD Disability Equality Index are examples of Maturity Models. The 

Maturity Model is based on the traditional approach to benchmarking, which 

includes the following steps: 

 Identify what is to be benchmarked

 Identify comparative companies

 Determine data collection method and collect data

 Determine current performance “gap”

 Project future performance levels

 Communicate benchmark findings and gain acceptance

 Establish functional goals

 Develop action plans

 Implement specific actions and monitor progress
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 Recalibrate benchmarks
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The Maturity Model can be used to measure penetration of tactics included in the 

EES. These tactics collectively represent the benchmarks for the performance of 

Choir companies. Some examples include:

• Development and use of internal training programs

• Use of visuals in company materials that support disability 

employment practices

• Use of people-first and other inclusive vocabulary in all 

communications, including a disability hiring statement

• Use of mentoring programs

• Use of internship programs

• Use of supplier recognition programs

Randomized Controlled Trials: Policy units in the United States and United Kingdom

incorporating “nudges” are using controlled experiments that isolate the variables 

contributing to potential change. Subject matter experts from the UK’s Cabinet 

Office categorize Randomized Controlled Trials are using a scientific method of TESTLEARN-ADAPT (Haynes, et al. 2013) as shown below:

TEST Identify two or more policy interventions to compare 

(e.g., old vs. new policy; different variations of a policy)

Determine the outcome that the policy is intended to 

influence and how it will be measured in the trial

Decide on the randomization unit: whether to 

randomize intervention and control groups at the level 

of individuals, institutions (e.g., employers), or 

geographical areas 

Determine how many units (people, institutions, or 

areas) are required for robust results

Assign each unit to one of the policy interventions, using 

a robust randomization method

Introduce the policy interventions to the assigned 

groups

LEARN Measure the results and determine the impact of the 

policy interventions

ADAPT Adapt policy intervention to reflect the findings

Return to Step 1 to continually improve upon the data 

set and analysis
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Randomized controlled trials can be used to measure EES recommendations for 

cultural and organizational change and identify causal relationships. ODEP or 

designated agencies can design experiments to measure the impact of certain tactics 

on the bottlenecks or moving employers through the RISE UP & SING framework: 

Some examples include:

• Does creating a roadmap for employment of people with disabilities 

affect perceptions of individuals with disabilities? Are perceptions 

different in HR than among business units? Do perceptions change 

when the roadmap is combined with internal educational sessions?

• What is the impact of including images of people with disabilities in 

communications materials? Does it lead to more candidates with 

disabilities? Higher rates of self-identification? 

• How does featuring the process for requesting accommodations on 

external career/job application materials impact requests for 

accommodations from existing employees?

• Does instituting the requirement that all presentations be in 

accessible formats impact perceptions of employment of people with 

disabilities? Do perceptions change when a statement is provided to 

explain the reason for the requirement?

• Does sponsoring an internship program for people with disabilities 

lead to greater employment opportunities?
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CONCLUSION

The Employer Engagement Strategy is based on original research conducted on 

ODEP’s behalf by Dr. Peter Cappelli of the Wharton School of the University of 

Pennsylvania. Using theories of behavioral insights contributed by Dr. Deborah Small, 

Associate Professor of Marketing and Psychology at Wharton, the Employer 

Engagement Strategy is positioned to support employers through a process of 

continuous improvement to enhance workplace opportunities for individuals with 

disabilities. 

This report documents the validation of the segmentation strategy proposed by Dr. 

Cappelli and development of the marketing framework. Detailed tactics are provided 

for each of the main strategies to address bottlenecks that affect the recruiting, 

hiring, and advancement of people with disabilities. The report also examines 

methodologies that ODEP can use to evaluate the effectiveness of the marketing 

framework.

Policy, education, technical assistance and training initiatives will be informed by 

these strategies. Policy will be particularly important as employers begin to 

implement the regulations required under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 

1973 and incorporate provisions of the recently passed Workforce Innovation and 

Opportunity Act (WIOA). Education initiatives can be used to inform professionals 

involved in recruiting as well as diversity and inclusion about strategies and tactics 

that can expand their talent pools to include more individuals with disabilities. 

Selecting “beta test sites” to pilot the Employer Engagement Strategy’s marketing 

framework can educate employers about communications, organizational design, 

and leadership development tactics that can enhance opportunities for people with 

disabilities.