Like any movement, changing business culture to encourage more inclusivity is going to need leaders.

Companies who want to foster a diverse and innovative workplace are going to need a diversity champion within the organization who will lead the way. A diversity champion is someone that can raise the profile and break down barriers, creating paths to employment for people with disabilities.

Most companies have policies and practices in place for accommodating existing employees who acquire disabilities, however most don't utilize this expertise to actively connect with potential new hires that are already disabled in some way. This is often because there is no clear and straightforward approach to identifying qualified candidates with disabilities. Community partners and government programs could potentially assist, but employers have limited recruiting time to identify and access potential candidates and adding another element to those processes in a lot of cases is more work than they're willing to take on.

Identifying a diversity champion within your organization, as well as diversity committees or workgroups, can have a major impact on the culture of the workplace, and that should be the first step for businesses looking to adopt more inclusive policies and practices.