AT&T is Committed to Inclusion in Disability Employment

By Guest Blogger Avalyn Jackson, AT&T Lead Talent Attraction Manager

AT&T celebrates diversity regardless of a person’s race, gender, disability or any other category. But diversity must be inclusive. Being inclusive means championing the voice of every employee and empowering each to make meaningful contributions. This includes people with disabilities. We make this commitment to every employee and to all candidates seeking to join the AT&T Family.

Inclusive Recruitment Strategies

As a member of AT&T’s Talent Acquisition and Diversity teams, I match people with disabilities with employment opportunities that fit with their skills and career goals. I attract candidates through targeted recruitment and advertising and by attending disability career events. I also partner with professional and community organizations to help identify candidates who may have a disability and provide them with resources to succeed at AT&T.

The robust programs and tools AT&T uses to make the application process smoother for applicants with disabilities support my efforts. Our att.jobs website is one such tool. AT&T designed the site to meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG2.0). People using assistive technology during their job search can access the site. We also accommodate job seekers during every step in the application process — from application to assessment to interview.

Leadership in Inclusive Technology

AT&T’s work helps people of all abilities use their mobile devices to seek and find employment, access household appliances, monitor home security systems, and do much more. At AT&T, we bring together diverse perspectives, identify needs, and work with individual communities to find new and innovative ways to meet those needs through technology. That defines our inclusiveness.

AT&T is a recognized leader in accessibility innovations. For example, we won the prestigious AAPD Connector Award in 2016. This honor recognizes companies that work to enable members of the disability community to connect with their world anytime, anywhere and on any device. AT&T has also earned a 100% rating in the Disability Equality Index (DEI) for the past two years. The DEI, an initiative by American Association of People with Disabilities and U.S. Business Leadership Network, provides businesses with objective evaluations of their policies and practices for disability inclusion.

AT&T is also a proud member of The 5000 Initiative: Autism in Tech Workforce summit. The summit unites global companies that help those on the autism spectrum get hired in the tech industry. We aim to help meet the growing business demand for tech talent by creating 5,000 new jobs for people with autism by 2020.

I’m proud to work for a company that really “gets it” when it comes to recruiting people with disabilities. Members of this community are intelligent, talented and hardworking — just like anyone else. They just need the opportunity to demonstrate their personal talents. I sincerely hope more companies join the effort to recruit people with disabilities. When every voice matters, every company can succeed.

For more information on AT&T’s diversity and inclusion efforts, visit http://about.att.com/sites/diversity.

About the Guest Blogger

Avalyn Jackson is AT&T’s Lead Talent Attraction Manager responsible for attracting people with disabilities and other diverse candidates. Avalyn was previously a Lead Compliance Analyst at the Corporate Accessibility Technology Office, Associate Marketing Director for Disability and Mature Products at AT&T Mobility, and Chairperson for the AT&T Advisory Panel on Access and Aging. She has worked in the telecom business for over 20 years. Avalyn represented AT&T at the Ticket to Work Virtual Job Fair in August 2016.