Hewlett Packard Enterprise Panel Event for IDPD 2021

[BELovattUK]

IDPD 2021 – Panel Event “Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive and accessible workplace”

The IDPD 2021 Panel Event took place on 8^th December to celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities, hosted by Tom Black, SVP & GM Storage & Disabilities Network Executive Sponsor and featured panellists Aisha Washington (Global DEI), Shyamala Chalakudi (Global IT) and Paula Berg (Global Communications).

If I could give one piece of advice to anyone reading this within Hewlett Packard Enterprise who hasn’t watched the event yet, it would be this: bolster yourself to be inspired, filled with hope, have your ways of thinking challenged and then go and watch it right now.

Before I go any further about the event itself, I would just like to say thank you to every single person within Disabilities Network and HPE that made this event possible.

Your work is appreciated, and the result has been brilliant.

Tom Black introducing the panel event theme alongside a sign language interpreter.The journey to unconditional inclusion is a long one and one that will never truly be over. That doesn’t mean it is one that should be shied away from. We can celebrate the progress that has been made but we must continue to face the work ahead as a united force, making space for and amplifying the voices of those who have been marginalised. We need to listen to the experiences of those of us who identify as a person with disabilities, truly hear them and work together to make every career path, workplace, technology, meeting, team, community, and society accessible and a positive experience for all.

This years’ IDPD Panel Event spoke to that goal through the theme of “Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive and accessible workplace”.

Tom Black, SVP & GM Storage & Disabilities Network Executive Sponsor hosted the panel event and had this to say about the theme: ‘It’s a topic that the company is passionate about. I’m personally passionate about and it really aligns with our cultural behaviours of being unconditionally inclusive. And being a force for good. So, we are committed to making HPE a safe and inclusive workplace for all.’

Some of the many topics covered in the event included accessibility within the realm of technology, ableism, inclusion within communications, the value of diverse teams, accountability, and the pursuit of unconditional inclusion.

Shyamala Chalakudi speaking on accessible technology alongside a sign language interpreter.As a company at the forefront of the technology space, we recognise the importance of creating inclusive technologies and experiences for all. Shyamala Chalakudi, Global IT said ‘We want to make sure that everyone, inclusive of their disabilities, it could be in visual, could be auditory, could be motor, could be cognitive disabilities. We want to ensure that each and every one of them has the best experience.’

We also recognise that although the foundations have been laid, there is always more work to be done to create a workplace inclusive and accessible for all.

Paula Berg, Global Communications spoke more on this ‘From a strategy perspective, we have to recognise that it’s continuous learning and improvement. We’re never going to have it; we’re never going to be done and we always have to be open to feedback and making improvements so that all of our team members are having the best experience.’

Our team members sit at the heart of our business and the value of diversity within those teams cannot be emphasised enough:

• Cognitive diversity can enhance team innovation up to 20% - Deloitte
• Companies with above-average diversity produced greater proportions of revenue from innovation (45% of total) than companies with below-average diversity (26%). – Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
• Diverse companies enjoy better overall financial performance. – Harvard Business Review

Tom Black added ‘I’ve been really focused on diversity because I find when you bring people together from different with a variety of perspectives, from different cultures, men and women and any self-identification otherwise. Working together, people from different corners of the globe you tend to find that variety of perspectives really helps make better decisions.’

Shyamala Chalakudi also added how important a diverse team is when pursuing accessibility in technology ‘When you have a diverse talent within your technology team then automatically your people are able to think about the user base which reflects in your internal talent base. One thing we are heavily focused on is to ensure we bring diverse talent into the organisation. That is a continual focus for us.’

When we bring together diverse teams, we must also focus on creating the right environment to allow all team members to have a great experience within HPE where they feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, experiences and bringing their ideas to the table.

Paula Berg speaking on accessible communications alongside a sign language interpreter.Diversity and inclusion within the workplace benefit us all and so, the responsibility and accountability sit with all of us to do our part. Awareness is a great place to start but we must also collectively take action. Only by speaking up, taking action, and holding ourselves accountable can we create the environment of unconditional inclusion that we all hope for.

One small change we can all make in our day to day lives is to hold inclusion at the forefront of our minds. With each action, no matter how small it may seem, by having that extra step to take inclusion into consideration can completely transform the experience of those around you.