How 84.51° a11y is redefining inclusion in the workplace

Last year, we launched our 84.51° a11y people-led team (PLT) to help ensure 84.51° is a place where associates feel comfortable sharing their neurodivergence and disability. Championed by co-leads Josh Smith and Michelle Ziegler, the group was built around the same idea that guides Disability Pride Month: that disability should be seen as a critical and natural part of human diversity.

“We want 84.51˚ to be a place where anyone can be comfortable being themselves, so we want to make sure disabled and neurodivergent associates don’t feel like they need to mask at work,” said Josh. “We’re challenging the very ways people think about disability, and then from the challenge we’re helping to build accessibility into our environment, our ways of working, our tools, and more.”

Less than a year in, the group is already making a lasting impact. In addition to advancing an environment and culture that makes disabled and neurodivergent people feel welcome, a11y made several strides during July’s Disability Pride Month. And with the launch of its new Accessibility Champions Program coming soon, the group aims to expand their accessibility efforts even further throughout our organization.

Access in action

Over the past year, a11y has implemented a range of initiatives to make our workplace more inclusive and supportive for disabled and neurodivergent associates. For our annual Area 51 company gathering, they helped the events planning team make the event more accessible by incorporating a quiet room, verbal and written instructions, live captioning for speakers, and clear communications about what to expect prior to the event.

They also brought in sensory-specializing occupational therapists, then secured 18 free one-on-one sessions for associates. “What’s cool about this initiative is that it was something that was good for everyone, not just those with disabilities,” Josh said. “Everyone can benefit from understanding how their sensory system interacts with their environment, and how that impacts their emotions and thinking and creativity. Our occupational therapists helped a lot of people find small things that can help them every single day.”

To help create a community, a11y established a chat just for neurodivergent people. They’ve provided team consultations on inclusive meetings, research, and product design, and created self-service courses to help associates learn about neurodivergence, disability, and accessibility. They’ve also worked with Kroger on their neuroinclusive hiring and internships.

Those efforts ramped up even more during July’s Disability Pride Month. In a weekly info newsletter, the team provided a series of announcements and simple accessibility tips. They also rolled out lifetime free access to Tiimo, a neurodivergent-friendly calendar/planning app, for neurodivergent associates. And they secured the host of the Climbing the Walls podcast as a guest speaker to share her ADHD journey with associates.

Soon, they’ll also be launching an Accessibility Champions Program to help more associates join the cause. Champions will receive free educational materials and complete training to better understand disability and how to make 84.51˚ more accessible.

“We realized that having a few people work on accessibility isn’t enough,” said Josh. “We need to embed people who are passionate and trained in accessibility throughout the organization, and we’ve got a roster of people already signed up.”

The team says they are proud of and passionate about their work because it impacts so many associates’ ability to do their day jobs, as well as the ways we serve our customers. “Being involved with a11y has transformed not only the way I feel about work, but also how I “show up” for my team and others,” Michelle said. “A11y’s mission is accomplished with and for me. I no longer feel like I have to mask my true self, and it’s a huge weight off my shoulders.”

Expanding the impact

The PLT grew to nearly 10% of the company within roughly one month, and almost 3% of the company participates in the neurodivergent chat, where the team has shared innovative assistive technology to help make people’s lives easier even outside of work. As a result, more teams are changing the way they work, and more designers are considering accessibility in their designs.

While the a11y teams receives steady positive feedback and appreciation for their accessibility efforts, even better, said Josh, is seeing others inspired to start their own initiatives.

“Our facilities team has integrated a lot of environmental accessibility, and our HR team has sought out inclusive benefits like sensory-friendly dental benefits,” he said. “Other people are initiating these efforts, and that’s just shows a level of investment in accessibility from this organization that goes far deeper than one PLT.”