Hannah Olson is the co-founder and CEO of Disclo. When she was in college, she was diagnosed with Lyme disease, which caused her to spend hours each day hooked up to an IV. At the time, she didn’t really see herself as someone with a disability, even though it meant spending hours each day feeling sick and exhausted. Today, Hannah uses her experience with Lyme disease to help other people who are living with disabilities feel more comfortable in their own skin. She works tirelessly to create inclusive communities and promote positive self-image for people who have chronic illnesses or disabilities. AsDisclo CEO and co-founder Hannah Olson continues working towards achieving greater equality for all people, she proves that anything is possible when you focus on your goals and refuse to give up on yourself.
In an effort to learn more about navigating the workplace and creating a support system for her condition, she consulted with disability employment advisors. This experience gave her a greater understanding of what she was up against and how to best navigate the challenges. She decided to build Chronically Capable, a company that provides information and resources on managing chronic diseases in the workplace. With Kai Keane as her business partner, they were able to take their idea from concept to reality.
Chronically Capable has been helping people with disabilities and chronic illnesses find flexible jobs since 2013. Disclo, an Atlanta-based startup, is building software that helps employees ask for accommodation requests at work and empowers employers to collect, verify, and manage health disclosures and employee accommodation requests in a HIPAA-compliant way.
Many fashion designers have been vocal against the current state of 2018’s fashion industry. Along with designers like Prabal Gurung and Demna
According to Disclo CEO Aviv Zohar, there’s a need for an accommodation platform that can guarantee that startups have a properly implemented hiring process in place. Chronically Capable and Disclo provide these services together, ensuring that the interests of the company and the individual are always taken into account.
Keane says that it is not a matter of startups being thoughtful, but of following established regulations. This is something that he feels is important for startups to do in order to avoid problems down the line. By following these regulations, startups can ensure that they are taking the necessary precautions in order to protect themselves and their customers.
Since several companies are not following the letter of the law when it comes to disclosing information regarding their customers, enforcement agencies have begun to action these offenders. This includes providing necessary training for employees and creating electronic records that are easily accessible by regulators. In an effort to make sure that all businesses are in compliance with regulations, some have begun to think of this issue as going beyond just following the law. It is now seen as a responsibility and something that needs to be done in order for businesses to protect themselves from potential legal penalties.
Disclo is a startup that helps employees know their rights and work with employers in order to get accommodations. Their existence is one step closer to making sure everyone has the same opportunities, regardless of their disabilities.
As a result of the recession, many tech employees are more motivated financially to sue their employers. This is especially apparent in cases of discrimination and wrongful termination, both of which are more likely to lead to lawsuits in times of economic hardship.
Remote work is growing in popularity, but employers should take disability requests more seriously as employees have been increasingly requesting accommodations. These requests may show that a worker needs support to work from a remote location, and employers should make sure they are providing that support.
Disclo is an innovative piece of software that anonymizes what an employee’s disability is, instead telling the employer that the individual has filed a disability notice and could use the following accommodations to feel more supported at work. This could help given that not all disabilities are visible, and not every person with a disability feels comfortable declaring that they have one. If implemented well by employers, this system could help break down barriers for people with disabilities who want to stay in the workforce – but may face prejudice or discrimination from their peers or superiors.
Olson’s personal experience with disclosing her autism and seeking accommodations at her previous job underscored the difficulty of navigating the process, and finding a company that “embraces” what she needs. Disclo doesn’t force startups to provide certain accommodations, but puts a framework in place for a company to be more aware and able to support their employees. For Olson, this adventure was difficult in terms of both navigating the bureaucratic process of formally requesting accommodation, as well as finding an employer who was open-minded about how best to accommodate her condition.
There is some frustration among HR technology startups that their innovative platforms have not been put to use more products designed to help those with disabilities in the workplace. The large slew of HR tech startups seem determined to disrupt other parts of the workplace, such as payroll and recruitment, even though restrictive laws don’t allow employee data to be stored inside most companies’ HR platforms. While disability accommodation providers do exist within large companies, they tend to be retained by disability insurance providers who offer discounted rates. There is also a desire on the part of many disabled individuals to self-organize and dictate their own working lives without relying on third-party assistance.
When it comes to accommodating a disability, there are many things companies can do that go beyond simply dealing with insurance claims. One of the biggest benefits of the Office on Disability Rights is their willingness to work collaboratively with businesses in order to find solutions that not only meet the needs of employees with disabilities but also provide a more efficient workplace for everyone involved. By understanding and accommodating individual disabilities, companies can avoid problems down the road as well as receive glowing reviews from employees who are happy to have been given the opportunity to be productive despite obstacles.
The lack of disability reporting from tech companies is becoming a glaring issue. In 2016, Steve O’Hear wrote an article about the lack of disability reporting from tech companies and the impact it has on employees with disabilities. He stated that this issue needs to be addressed sooner rather than later because more and more employees are coming out as having a disability. If tech companies take this issue seriously, they will be in good standing with their employees and customers alike.
The writer of the text asks if the technology industry is doing well in terms of employing PWDs. They note that underreporting makes it difficult to determine how well any given company is doing, but they urge better transparency to allow for better accountability. One possible solution would be greater emphasis on diversity reporting, including disability statistics. If companies were transparent about their efforts and successes in this area, it could help open up opportunities for PWDs who may be out of reach currently.
Disclo is confident that it has the first software company working on this specific niche, and they are ready to become an early adopter in the tech industry. They believe that their technology can make a large impact on many sectors of society, and they are excited to prove it to the world.
