As we move past October’s Disability Employment Awareness Month, meet Jacob Mason, a data analyst at the Human Development Institute HDI whose experience shows how an inclusive, flexible workplace boosts both productivity and well-being. His story highlights the power of accessibility.
Jacob is a data analyst for HDI’s evaluation department. It’s his job to enter and evaluate data and records to determine the effectiveness of a project. He is a person with disabilities modeling effective strategies that enable him to thrive in a supportive environment and in return HDI is able to retain a talented and valuable employee.
There are, as Mason pointed out, many benefits to his mental health he gains working at HDI. His job allows him to create his own routine. “They’re pretty flexible with my scheduling,” he said. “If I need extra help or anything, they give it to me. They know me and they know that I turn in the stuff they assign me. They know I’ll get the job done no matter what.”
Mason started working at UK after he graduated with a degree in statistics. He initially jumped onto the team on a temporary basis. “I worked for them for two weeks, and then they asked me to come back in August to do more work with them,” he said. “That was in 2019.”
Around that same time, Mason was also working as a substitute teacher. When the COVID pandemic began, Mason dropped the substitute teaching work and pivoted more heavily to his job with HDI. It wasn’t long after that he was offered a full-time position. He’s found working remotely has offered extreme flexibility, which allows him to better care for his health and wellness.
Plus, he feels he hasn’t been judged for his disability at HDI. In turn, he’s learned much more about disability in general while working there, including the history of the disability rights movement – information he says has gone way further than anything he learned in high school and college.
For people with disabilities entering into the workforce for the first time, Mason has a few suggestions.
“Make sure they’re hiring other people with disabilities as well to show that they’re committed to improving not just certain types of people, that they’re improving everybody,” he said. “Look around at the workplace culture and make sure that [people with disabilities] are welcomed in and contributing.”
