Intersection: Making equal opportunity a reality

DELIVERING ON DIVERSITY, GENDER EQUALITY, AND INCLUSION

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In this issue, we consider Americans with disabilities—their experiences at work and in the job market—and we take stock ahead of National Coming Out Day in countries around the world.

THE FACTS

More than six million working Americans have a disability; estimates vary, and another source puts the figure close to 9.5 million. These workers make powerful contributions to their companies, their communities, and the US economy. At the same time, Americans with disabilities continue to face substantial barriers to employment, advancement, and full inclusion in the workplace.

Less than one-fifth of Americans with a disability are employed, as compared with nearly two-thirds of those without a disability. Women and people of color with disabilities face heightened challenges, both in job seeking and at work. In the latest Women in the Workplace study—conducted by McKinsey in partnership with LeanIn.Org—less than half of surveyed women with disabilities said that they feel they have equal opportunity for advancement, and almost a quarter said that their disability has led to missing out on a raise, promotion, or chance to get ahead. Women with disabilities are also far more likely to face microaggressions such as being spoken over or having their judgment questioned. Still, only about a quarter of all employees surveyed said that their company prioritizes disability in its diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

An equitable economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic will include Americans with disabilities—and the future growth of the US economy will be strengthened by their participation. McKinsey research shows that expanding labor-force participation among Americans with disabilities who want to work could add nearly $215 billion to US GDP by 2040. Addressing barriers to work for people with disabilities could boost global GDP by a total of $400 billion. To realize this potential for growth—and to make equal opportunity a reality worldwide—employers would need to provide assistive technologies, make buildings fully accessible, create inclusive cultures, and offer workers with disabilities more flexibility, without negative consequences for taking advantage of it.

THE VIEW

“In addition to being the me I am at work, who is a decent lawyer, I’m also somebody who is a woman and a lesbian and a mother and a daughter, and all of those other things. I don’t think it defines me, but I think that if people don’t know who I am, then it’s more difficult.”
— Nicola Northway,
FTSE senior executive

National Coming Out Day is around the corner in many countries around the world. In “LGBTQ+ voices: Speaking out and looking ahead,” six business leaders share their perspectives—and their visions for the future.

— Edited by Julia Arnous, an editor in McKinsey’s Boston office

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