Liz Johnson

How the Paralympic gold medallist is working to bridge the workplace diversity gap

According to the UN, one group is the “world’s largest minority”, accounting for 10% of the global population. That group is people with disabilities – and the UN points out they still face widespread discrimination and fewer opportunities in the workforce. In some countries, the unemployment rate reaches 80%. But one person in particular is working to change that.

That’s Liz Johnson, the British swimmer who’s won multiple medals at the Paralympic Games and International Paralympic Committee World Championships. Born with cerebral palsy, she’s made it her mission to advocate for differently abled professionals to have the same job opportunities in the workforce. Her non-profit organisation, The Ability People is “staffed exclusively by people with impairments” to help individuals with disabilities find jobs.

Johnson is not alone – major global companies are stepping up too. Companies including Microsoft and Bank of America have launched programmes to hire more candidates with autism, or develop support systems for people with intellectual disabilities. “I believe obstacles create opportunities and I want to empower people to take chances when they come,” Johnson says. Closing the diversity gap could help everyone in the office: according to 2018 study from Accenture and the American Association of People with Disabilities, offices with more inclusive hiring practices for differently-abled candidates made 28% higher revenue and double the net income than their competition.

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Image credit: Piero Zagami and Michela Nicchiotti.