How Government Agencies Can Approach Workplace DEIA

Today’s workforce expects public sector employers to be more inclusive and conscientious. As a result, government agencies need to understand the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA). Labor shortages throughout the US are making these concerns even more top-of-mind for anyone trying to attract or retain talented employees.

While the government faces high DEIA expectations and requirements due to related laws and regulations, building better workplace environments is a win-win. Not only will it improve people’s lives, but it provides significant benefits to the organization as well.

Here are some reasons that DEIA is important to government agencies and a few ways to start taking action.

Biden’s Order on DEIA

In June 2021, President Biden issued an executive order specifically addressing DEIA². Some key features of that order include requirements that federal agencies:

Laws that Impact DEIA for Government Employers

Numerous laws address workplace discrimination at federal agencies. Some laws that government professionals should be aware of include the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Civil Rights Act of 1991. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing these regulations.

In general,  the EEOC can take legal action against government agencies that carry our acts of employment discrimination against any protected class, including:

• Race
• Color
• Religion
• Sex
• National origin
• Disability
• Age

Accessibility-related laws, like the Rehabilitation Act, don’t just ban discrimination but set out requirements for actively accommodating  individuals with disabilities. For instance, employers may need to offer an employee who is Deaf or hard of hearing captioning for their conference calls.

It’s critical to be mindful of these laws, but it’s also important to remember that legislation creates a floor, not a ceiling. In today’s world, employees expect more than checking off legal boxes and avoiding outright discrimination. In order to meet the demands of the modern workforce, agencies need to promote DEIA principles actively.

Taking Action to Improve DEIA

Making meaningful improvements to agency DEIA is a long-term process. Here are some methods to help jump-start positive change.

Start with an assessment

A DEIA assessment can identify areas of weakness. Data collection should go beyond a tally of employees that fit various underrepresented groups. Certain departments or levels within an organization may be more diverse than others. A detailed analysis may identify whether underrepresented groups are not experiencing the same upward mobility as others. Learning this information is a critical step toward remedying the issue.

It’s also worth noting that an initial survey might reveal serious flaws, but that should not scare the agency away from performing this important internal analysis. The assessment should uncover shortcomings so that the agency can effectively allocate resources and efforts to those areas that need them most.

Build from within through mentorship

One mistake that employers in public and private sectors often make is to focus solely on hiring new diverse candidates to boost their numbers, This strategy is flawed and does a disservice to the agency’s employees. In reality, diversity efforts should address every level of an organization, including its leadership.

In fact, recent assessments indicate that the highest levels of government agencies are the most in need of diversity

People of color in the public sector:

Government employers are already doing a better job of hiring diverse candidates than are private businesses

Creating a truly inclusive environment means giving everyone opportunities for upward mobility within the organization. One way to achieve this is through a mentoring program. Cornell University conducted a study that revealed that mentorship programs in the private sector increase the percentage of minority representation in management positions from 9% to 23%. Women and people of color were also more likely to remain with an organization if they participated in a mentorship program. Similar efforts may help government organizations ensure that underrepresented groups have the resources and support they need to progress in their careers.  

Use diverse sources for new hires  

Government employers are already doing a better job of hiring diverse candidates than are private businesses. It is essential to keep sourcing new employees 
from various backgrounds. Partnering with universities that cater to underserved populations or organizations that specialize in matching people with disabilities with jobs can help agencies find strong candidates while also boosting their inclusivity.  

Be more flexible and creative with solutions  

The pandemic showcased the juggling act of work and childcare that many professional women face. Work from home arrangements benefited some of these employees as well as many people with disabilities. The success institutions experienced with work from home policies highlights the fact that accommodating employees isn’t always about offering expensive solutions. Rather, ensuring that employees have what they need often means developing creative ways to eliminate obstacles. 

For instance, statistics show that most accommodations for employees with disabilities come at no cost or a moderate one-time cost. Additionally, some accommodations that agencies might need to offer employees are solutions they must also offer the public. Captioning and audio description are two examples of solutions that fall into this category.  

However, knowing what employees need is impossible unless the agency promotes open communication. 

Improving accessibility with Verbit  

Keep communication channels open and active 

When it comes to improving DEIA, one of the most important practices is to ensure that employees feel comfortable expressing their struggles or concerns. To achieve this, agencies can establish formal communication channels that make it easy for employees to report their needs.  

Including employees in DEIA strategies will also help show them the agency values them and their input. 

Some advocates for people with disabilities point out that employers sometimes overlook the “A” in DEIA. Initiatives may discuss race, gender and LGBTQ+ factors but leave out disabilities. In fact, the “A” isn’t always added to the end of DEI and is a more recent addition to the acronym.  

It’s important to include accessibility in diversity assessments because measuring it means that it receives attention and visibility. Additionally, addressing this one factor is beneficial for employers, who often see improvements to their overall retention when they offer more accommodations for people with disabilities.  

Agencies can start improving accessibility by partnering with Verbit to provide some common accommodations, including:  

Captions

Captions are a text version of audio content that appears on a screen or monitor. If an agency is using training videos, Verbit can convert the audio content into captions post-production. In the case of conference calls, webinars and other live events, Verbit provides a real-time captioning solution to support access for those who rely on captions. Captions are also useful for non-native speakers and people with varying learning styles.  

Transcriptions

Transcripts are a word-for-word text version of audio content. Verbit’s searchable transcripts are a useful tool that matches video content so that people can find specific parts of recordings quickly and easily. In addition to providing another resource for people who are Deaf and hard of hearing, interactive transcripts help researchers perform their jobs. 

Audio description

Audio description involves having a speaker describe the visual aspects of a video. This solution helps provide important context and information to people who are blind or have low vision so they may participate with equity.  

All three of these solutions can boost the accessibility of video content, which is a content form that government agencies are using more. Although professionals might be more familiar with captions and transcriptions than audio descriptions, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires that federal agencies use them for video content.