Originally Published by TD Bank.
December 3 was International Day of Persons with Disabilities, aiming to promote the rights and well-being of individuals with disabilities in all spheres of society and development. As part of TD Bank’s commitment to inclusive hiring, the bank has partnered with Getting Hired, an online recruitment solution dedicated to helping employers hire professional individuals and veterans with disabilities. Kelley Cornish, Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion at TD, sat down with Getting Hired to discuss disability inclusion, what it means to her, and how TD is leading the way in this important initiative.
Why is disability inclusion important to you
Disability inclusion is important to me for a very personal reason. My brother-in-law has had paraplegia for over 30 years due to injuries from a vehicle accident while in the military in his mid-twenties. He and my sister had four small children living overseas, and she has acted as both a caregiver and mother for years. Watching and having a close family member as a caregiver over the years has been an amazing journey, and one that I have learned a lot from. From this personal connection, I can say that our family has become both understanding and empathetic to the day to day challenges individuals with disabilities may have that we may not experience. I also love that our family has created an inclusive environment by ensuring that all family events, special occasions, and holidays are both accessible and accommodating.
The theme for International Day of Persons with Disabilities this year is “Empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring inclusiveness and equality.”How does this resonate with you
At TD, Diversity & Inclusion are core values, and part of our strategic advantage. They’re grounded in a belief that our future business success depends on the quality and engagement of our colleagues to achieve our shared purpose. We know that to build our capacity for innovation and drive differentiated results we need to bring together and engage all of our backgrounds, skillsets and mindsets to create value in a unique and inclusive environment. So for us, it’s really about having access to the widest talent pool. In addition to Getting Hired, TD works with a number of other organizations to provide us with access to strong talent.
What impact has TD seen from its commitment to disability inclusion
We are recognized year after year for our work in the space. For example, we were recognized with a score of 100% from the National Organization on Disability (NOD) for four consecutive years.
By being a host employer for Project SEARCH in our Mt. Laurel, NJ campus, we’ve seen young adults grow and blossom, become more social and learn valuable skills that they can take to an array of employers. We’ve also engaged with great external partners, like Disability: IN and Getting Hired to help with our talent sourcing, as well as provide us with subject matter expertise, consulting, and sharing best practices.
We also work with Specialisterne, a company that helps people with autism find meaningful employment by matching them with companies like TD Bank Group. They have brought us numerous employees with great success focused, diligent, productive and results oriented.
But overall, I would say there is a cultural shift happening at TD. Colleagues and leaders are joining in the dialogue, using face to face gatherings, online discussion forums, social media and videos to share their own stories and experiences stories that historically have not been part of the workplace conversation. Whether it is about mental health challenges or physical disabilities, the sharing reminds us of the benefits of human experience in growing the leaders of the futuremore resilient and determined, more empathetic and patient.
