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The Vanishing Act: Why Inclusion Language Is Quietly Disappearing
16 Plays3 months ago
In this episode of Disability@Work, Ashley Sims discusses a growing trend: DEI language quietly being removed from federal websites and Fortune 100 companies. With terms like equity, inclusion, and even disability disappearing from public materials, what does this shift mean for accessibility, workplace culture, and disability inclusion efforts?
Ashley explores reporting from The New York Times and HR Brew, explains how language changes shape priorities and accountability, and shares practical steps for advocates to keep disability visible even as organizations back away from DEI messaging. Language is power—and protecting it protects progress.
Disability@Work is a production of Disability Solutions, a non-profit job board and consulting firm dedicated to helping people with disabilities achieve career success—partnering with corporate employers to help them understand the value in hiring and retaining top talent from the disability community.
Tune in for fresh conversations and bold perspectives on disability inclusion. Host Ashley Sims explores the cultural, social, and systemic factors that shape access, opportunity, and equity for people with disabilities. Whether you’re an employer, advocate, or ally, this podcast gives you quick, practical insights to help build a more inclusive world.
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Transcript
Introduction to 'Disability at Work'
00:00:07
Speaker
Welcome to Disability at Work, formerly morning disability, but that's a story for another day. This show is going to be a place where we talk candidly about disability inclusion, what's happening in the disability community, what's happening inside workplaces, and honestly, what's really going on behind the scenes across the disability community.
00:00:28
Speaker
My hope is that disability at work becomes a safe space for all of us. disabled folks, allies, leaders, learners, to explore, question, grow, and challenge what we think we know.
00:00:41
Speaker
Because disability inclusion isn't a box to check, it's a journey. And journeys are better taken together. I'm your host, Ashley Sims.
Personal Journey and Learning about Disability
00:00:50
Speaker
And a little bit about me before we dive in. I'm the Director of Marketing and Communications here at Disability Solutions. I'm also a pretty introverted neurodivergent human just trying to figure things out, just like everybody else.
00:01:05
Speaker
I was diagnosed with dyslexia back in first grade. And as of just a few weeks ago, at the age of 36, I have the official diagnosis of both autism spectrum disorder and ADHD. If you know me personally, I doubt that that surprises you.
00:01:22
Speaker
um But I share this for a reason. Neurodivergence, disability, identity, these things aren't always easy to talk about. And for a long time, i didn't talk about them.
00:01:35
Speaker
I have been masking pretty much my whole life. I had big parts of myself that I didn't have the language for. And then I came to Disability Solutions about three years ago. And in that time, I've learned so much about the disability community, about confronting my own internalized ableism, about unlearning assumptions I didn't know I had, about advocating not just outwardly, but inwardly, too. And I'll be honest with you, I'm still learning.
00:02:06
Speaker
I'm still growing. I'm still figuring things out in real time. So if you're listening and you feel you're still learning, too, perfect. That's exactly who the show is for.
00:02:18
Speaker
So we're going to talk, ask questions, make mistakes, name the uncomfortable things, celebrate the wins, call out the gaps, and learn together as we go.
Impact of Removing DEI Language
00:02:30
Speaker
I'm really glad you're here, so let's get started. Today we're talking about something that's been happening quietly, but with big consequences.
00:02:41
Speaker
Dei language disappearing from government agencies and corporate spaces and what that means specifically for disability inclusion. The New York Times recently reported that federal agencies under the Trump administration have removed words like equity, inclusion, racism, and even disability from public facing websites.
00:03:03
Speaker
This isn't an official ban, but it's a quiet systemic removal of language tied to diversity and accessibility efforts. And here's why that matters. When disability related language disappears, disability work usually disappears with it.
00:03:20
Speaker
When agencies or companies stop using terms like disability, inclusion, accessibility, or accommodations, it becomes easier for the work behind those words to be Deprioritized.
00:03:34
Speaker
Programs lose visibility, budgets get moved or shrunk, accountability fades because no one owns it anymore. And we're not speaking in hypotheticals.
00:03:44
Speaker
Here at Disability Solutions, we've seen this firsthand. Over the past year, more companies we've talked with have started reducing or eliminating their diversity hiring budgets, especially the portions tied to disability.
00:03:58
Speaker
It's often described as restructuring or resource optimization, but the impact is the same. Fewer initiatives, fewer opportunities, and disabled job seekers pushed further to the margins.
00:04:12
Speaker
But an important reminder, the ADA is still the law. Section 503 is still the law. No language change on a website erases legal obligations. and not naming disability doesn't remove the responsibility to include, accommodate, and ensure equal opportunities.
00:04:33
Speaker
HR Brew recently shared that over half of the Fortune 100, about 63 companies, have changed or removed DEI language since the 2024 election.
00:04:45
Speaker
Most didn't say a word about it. They simply edited websites quietly in the background. Many of these companies were once seen as DEI leaders. Now that language and the programs that went along with it have evaporated.
00:05:01
Speaker
Experts say the shift is driven by legal pressure and reputation risk more than ideology. But regardless of the reason, the impact is clear. When companies stop talking about DEI publicly, accountability weakens internally. And disability often gets hit first because disability is often folded under a broader DEI umbrella.
Human-Centric Workplace Strategies
00:05:22
Speaker
So let's talk about the deeper issue.
00:05:26
Speaker
Empathy. Executives often forget something simple but essential. Your employees are human beings. They have medical conditions, disabilities, neurodiversity, families they care about, stressors they carry, and full lives beyond their job titles.
00:05:46
Speaker
Your workforce is not a machine. It's people, humans. People are not disposable or interchangeable. People deserve to be treated as whole humans.
00:05:58
Speaker
And when that happens, when employees feel understood, respected, and valued, everything improves. Engagement rises, retention skyrockets, innovation strengthens, and loyalty becomes real.
00:06:13
Speaker
For disabled workers, this is even more true because so many have been misunderstood, underestimated, or overlooked. When leadership shows empathy, not pity, but respect, curiosity, and flexibility, disabled workers thrive.
00:06:29
Speaker
And leaders, your business thrives too. So let's talk about what leaders can do right now to keep disability front and center, especially in a climate where DEI messaging is shrinking.
00:06:42
Speaker
So one, keep disability visible explicitly. Don't hide it under a diversity or talent or culture umbrella. Say the word, mean it, measure it. And remember the ADA and Section 503 are still the law.
00:06:57
Speaker
Compliance didn't disappear just because some websites changed their language. Two, build workplaces where people feel understood. Let people be human. Let them communicate needs without fear.
00:07:10
Speaker
Workers are human first. Three, ask harder internal questions. Why did our language change? What message does that send? Who is affected?
00:07:21
Speaker
What's the real impact on trust and culture? Does this shift actually support our goals or undermine them? What's the effect to our actual business bottom line?
00:07:32
Speaker
And four, invest in your people. Truly, slogans don't retain talent. Understanding does. Accommodations do. Respect does. Psychological safety does. Create that space for your employees.
00:07:47
Speaker
Five, organizations like disability are here to help. This is where leaders learn what they don't know. Where companies build stronger systems grounded in disabled expertise.
00:07:59
Speaker
Where compliance becomes confidence. When disability language disappears, Disability inclusion loses visibility, priority, and momentum. And when workplaces start treating people like replaceable parts, empathy gets replaced with efficiency.
00:08:16
Speaker
And that's a dangerous trade-off because people who feel seen stay. People who feel valued grow.
Closing Thoughts and Call to Action
00:08:25
Speaker
And people who feel safe innovate.
00:08:28
Speaker
So let's keep disability front and center. Let's build workplaces where language, culture, and humanity align. Thanks for listening to the first episode of Disability at Work.
00:08:41
Speaker
Be sure to like, share, and subscribe, and keep leading with empathy. Thanks.