IDPD 2021 - HPE Celebrates International Day of Persons with Disabilities

[BELovattUK]

IDPD 2021 Together We Go HigherThere is nothing more precious than the feeling of belonging and acceptance. The strength that comes from knowing those around you celebrate and appreciate you for all that you are. When that feeling is shared in a professional environment it lays the foundations for growth, innovation and equity. At Hewlett Packard Enterprise we strive to ensure all our team members, regardless of our differences, are heard, understood and supported.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities is recognised and celebrated each year on December 3^rd. Since its inception in 1992, this day has been used to celebrate those of us who identify as a person with disabilities but to also learn and take action on making our society, communities and workplaces accessible for all. Removing the barriers to inclusion is the responsibility of all, only through recognising the value of a diverse global community can we reach our fullest potential.

HPE has committed to being a force for good, including setting an example for unconditional inclusion. In 2021, we participated in the Disability Equality Index® and for the fifth consecutive year HPE was named a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion.” The DEI is a joint initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and Disability:IN.

We continue to drive disability inclusion into our solutions and as a result of the dedication from our Product Accessibility Program Office. The team consists of passionate subject matter experts in the field of accessible technology, bringing awareness to the needs of users with disabilities, providing training and assistance to help them create accessible solutions for our clients and communities. It is through that awareness that we have been able to take steps towards unconditional inclusivity.

And we continue to drive awareness of HPE Able, a global program to help eliminate barriers experienced by team members with disabilities. The team operates with the background that life at HPE should not be harder because of a disability and team goals include education and awareness, improve processes, and develop capabilities that will positively impact our team members, customers, and communities the world over.

2021 has been a year of much acceleration in our disability inclusion journey. Some highlights for the year include:

• Our Disabilities Network is one of the fastest-growing Resource Groups with more chapters across the world than ever before, enabling all team members to receive the most tailored support and guidance for their location. These chapters also greatly promote HPE’s mission of making positive contributions to the communities where we live and work.
• In March, Disabilities Network hosted a listening session with President & CEO Antonio Neri and other senior leaders to hear directly from members of the community and caregivers and inform us on our journey towards inclusivity.
• President & CEO Antonio Neri signed The Valuable 500 pledge in May, joining other multinational brands in a pledge to hold business leaders accountable to disability inclusion in global companies.
• Antonio Neri also signed Are You In? pledge from Disability:IN which calls on CEOs to advance equality and inclusion within their organizations. The pledge has now been signed by over 70 CEOs.
• Through the work of Disabilities Network, HPE celebrated and raised awareness on Global Accessibility Awareness Day in May, the first time GAAD was celebrated globally by HPE.

To celebrate IDPD 2021, Disabilities Network has organized a virtual panel event to help team members continue on their disability inclusion journey. This year’s theme is ‘Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive and accessible workplace’ and is scheduled for December 8^th and will be hosted by Tom Black, SVP & GM Storage & Disabilities Network Executive Sponsor, and feature panellist’s including Aisha Washington (Global DEI), Shyamala Chalakudi (Global IT) and Paula Berg (Global Communications).

HPE is committed to accessibility for all – our team members, customers and the communities we are part of. We hope that you will join us in this commitment to eliminating ableism and celebrating IDPD 2021.

[Drew Lietzow]

We are using this event to amplify the voices from and of the disability community. The year that is 2021 has not been an easy one for persons with disabilities as we continue to face the pandemic all around the globe. HPE is committed to advancing our disability inclusion journey and thank you to each HPE team member who is helping accelerate it.  We also want to thank those from the community, from within HPE and beyond, who are helping guide us on our journey. Together we are pursuing Unconditional Inclusion. We look forward to this event and we hope all team members benefit from attending it live or catching the replay.

Happy IDPD, everyone!
~Drew Lietzow, Disabilities Network Co-Chair