What is BenchmarkABILITY?
BenchmarkABILITY is a self-assessment tool for organizations who are interested in the representation of people with disabilities in their workforce. Workplace leaders can use this tool to track progress toward the implementation of effective HR policies and practices around disability in six specific categories:
- Recruitment & Hiring
- Career Development & Retention
- Accessibility & Accommodation
- Compensation & Benefits
- Diversity & Inclusion
- Metrics & Analytics
BenchmarkABILITY is designed to increase employer understanding of leading practices to create a disability inclusive workplace. It highlights research-based strategies for creating a climate that promotes:
- Effective recruitment of qualified candidates with disabilities.
- Representation of people with disabilities at all levels of your organization – including leadership.
- Self-disclosure of disability for the purposes of affirmative action compliance.
- Strategic use of employee data to evaluate the success of disability-inclusive strategies and improve outcomes.
Who Should Use BenchmarkABILITY?
The checklists in BenchmarkABILITY can be completed by a single individual, or by a team of individuals. In larger organizations, the checklists may be divided between Human Resources, Diversity and Inclusion, Recruitment, and Compensation personnel. In smaller organizations a lead Human Resources representative could compete all of the checklists.
It is also possible to use the checklists to assess the knowledge of frontline managers and supervisors about internal policies and practices related to disability. By requesting that managers take the checklists and by reviewing the results, it may be possible to discover where training and information efforts should be concentrated across the enterprise.
What type of reports can I create?
Individual reports will include your checklist responses, as well as explanations of why certain practices are effective in improving your organization’s approach to disability inclusion.
Each report can be printed or shared electronically to assist in the strategic planning around disability inclusion in the workplace.
How do I get more information and support?
BenchmarkABILITY users have access to customized on-demand training and support.
For organizations wishing to receive more in-depth information, consultation and training to make changes or improvements to disability policies and practice; faculty and staff at Cornell University’s Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability (YTI) can provide a variety of customized options, many of which may be low or no cost.
Resources
For further resources for each of the BenchmarkABILITY topic areas, visit the resource page.
