USBLN Conference Chair &
Accenture’s General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer

Why are you passionate about disability inclusion?

As an amputee, I know what it feels like to be different and have people make assumptions about what I can and can’t do.

Disability inclusion is about overcoming those assumptions and creating a workplace where every individual can bring their unique talents, build meaningful careers, and contribute to a better workplace and world.

While I do believe we need to focus on inclusion for people with disabilities, I also think we need to look beyond labels. What is a disability? Truly, every person faces adversity at some point in their lives. The idea that some receive a full package of “abilities” and that the world is divided neatly between the “abled” and “disabled” is misdirected.

Our focus should be how we adapt, overcome…and then utilize our individual gifts. Becoming disabled, for me, involved a lot of suffering. I spent a month in the hospital, endured many surgeries, battled infections, and spent a full year healing and learning how to work, walk, ski, bike, and do all the other things I love to do.

Looking back, I am so grateful for what I experienced. I wouldn’t change a thing. It showed me the good in others. It made me more durable and more thankful. It gave me the opportunity to be a role model for my children. And it made me a more compassionate leader. So, am I disabled or enabled?

Read more about Chad and his commitment to disability inclusion.

Check out our USBLN Conference Track Chairs, including Technology Chair Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Chief Accessibility Officer at Microsoft.