Business to Business Interview – Meg O’Connell (Booz, Allen, & Hamilton)

Vicki Brooke: What are the business reasons for hiring people with disabilities?

Meg O’Connell: There are a lot of business reasons for hiring people with disabilities, the 
most important one I think is that people with disabilities are a viable part of our 
workforce and part of our diverse populations.  So it’s important for companies who are 
focusing on diversity initiatives to focus on people with disabilities as well. 

Vicki Brooke: What are some myths employers face when hiring people with disabilities?

Meg O’Connell: Yeah there are a lot of myths that employers face when hiring people 
with disabilities.  The most common one is that they are not going to be able to perform 
effectively.  That once they are hired they are not going to be able to advance and it’s 
going to be difficult to accommodate them, their not going to be able to perform at the 
same level as other employees and quite frankly that is just not true.  We have employers 
all over the nation who are involved in employment programs for people with disabilities 
that are out performing their coworkers without disabilities.  Coming to work on a 
consistent basis and once they have the Assistive Technology that they need it really 
levels the playing field for them so their able to succeed just like everybody else in the 
workplace.

Vicki Brooke: What do you think companies should consider when recruiting individuals 
with disabilities?

Meg O’Connell: I think the most important thing for companies to consider when 
recruiting individuals with disabilities is creating an environment that is inclusive and the 
best place to start with that is in your facilities making sure that your business is disability 
friendly, people can get in through your front doors, that your individuals within the work 
place that are your greeters, your receptionists, your Human Resource folks that are 
meeting people at open house days that their aware of disability related issues and how to 
act with individuals, how to interact effectively with them.  That’s probably the most 
important recruitment effort that any business can make.

Vicki Brooke: Do you feel like corporations face a lot of myths in promoting and 
advancing individual with disabilities and how do you feel they can overcome them?

Meg O’Connell: Yes corporations face a lot of myths again in promoting and advancing 
individuals with disabilities and I think the easiest way to overcome that is by focusing 
on the same strategies that you use with all of your employees.  Do you have 
management training programs, are there opportunities for mentorship programs for 
individuals with disabilities in your organization.  Another strategy that we see a lot of is 
the form of affinity groups, a lot of companies now in their diversity programs have 
African American forums, Asian American forums, and several other affinity groups and 
people with disabilities are forming those affinity groups as well.  So when companies 
are forming these disability forums what’s happening is it allows an immediate network 
of people with disabilities within an organization to come together, talk about the issues 
within the firm, talk about what’s working well, what isn’t and really foster that 
mentorship program to allow them to continue to advance and move up the corporate 
ladder within their organization.