What can YOU do?

Today the Campaign for Disability Employment is launching the "What Can YOU Do?" campaign and web site. The purpose of the campaign is to draw attention to the value and talent that people with disabilities add to the workplace. I am extra excited about this because my good friend Mat McCollough is starring in the campaign's PSA video and is the face of the website's front page.

A recent article in The Economist highlighted a successful effort at the Mexico City international airport that employs wheelchair bound workers. Despite this and other efforts to advance the cause of disabled rights in Mexico, "employment among the disabled, who represent nearly 10% of Mexico’s population, is less than half that of the rest of society, according to the National Council for People with Disabilities."

As project managers, what can WE do? Having managed diverse project teams, I know firsthand that diversity adds depth and increased value to the work experience of all. However, this doesn't happen on its own, project managers have to make an active and continued effort to team-build and build team cohesion.