Abby Lee
Pronouns: she/her
Research Mentor(s): Christopher Samp
Research Mentor School/College/Department: City of Detroit – Office of Disability Affairs / NonUM
Program: UROP
Session: Session 7 (4:40pm – 5:30pm)
Authors: Olivia Lee, Angela Ebreo
Abstract
According to the CDC, 1 in 4 adults in Michigan has a disability. In 2022, 21.3% of individuals with disabilities were employed (Bureau of Labor). Although there are many employees with disabilities, the workplace is not the most inclusive and accommodating environment. It is essential to make the work environment accommodating for all employees to ensure the best work for everyone. This project aims to help foster inclusive work environments in the city of Detroit by educating employees about disabilities. This study will use surveys to capture the before and after opinions of Detroit employees completing self-paced courses provided by the Office of Disability Affairs. The course is meant to educate and inform city employees about disabilities and improve the inclusivity of the work environment. The results will help the Detroit community embrace diversity in the workplace and make it more unifying. Furthermore, the implications made from this project in Detroit will hopefully expand to other cities and the rest of society so that all environments are able to foster the inclusivity that all people deserve.
