Empowering accessibility: voices of disability inclusion at AWS

AWS Global Inclusion Ambassadors at the group's 2023 summit in Seattle.

At AWS, we continuously work to build a more accessible future. Justine Pascalides, head of accessibility at AWS, owns the accessibility of customer experiences across AWS products and services.

“Our vision is to be Earth’s most customer-centric company. For us, that means making our customer experiences accessible to everyone,” Pascalides said. “Accessibility is a cornerstone of the AWS customer experience." 

Pascalides highlights Amazon.com Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Dr. Werner Vogels' 2023 re:Invent keynote, in which he said accessibility is non-negotiable for AWS. Pascalides and her team work to incorporate accessibility and inclusive design into AWS’s software development lifecycle, which begins with ideation of a customer experience during design, includes testing the customer experience throughout product development, and fosters a culture of ongoing evaluation.

“To me, inclusion at AWS means it is key to create a culture where all employees—regardless of ability or disability— feel valued, supported, and empowered to contribute their full talents," Pascalides said. "Inclusive practices at all levels make a big difference in the employee experience."

About one in six people globally live with a significant disability, many of which are non-apparent. Manisha Mehta is a global employee disability inclusion leader at Amazon who spearheads the employee disability inclusion strategy, training and awareness of available support, and accessibility recruiting tools. She works with a team of global stakeholders to ensure that every person with a disability who interviews with Amazon or joins the company has what they need to succeed.

"I don't think we speak enough as employees about how inclusive Amazon is," Mehta said. She highlighted the "whole host of tools, resources, and support structures" available when employees with disabilities join, including the thriving People with Disabilities affinity group with chapters across the globe.

Amazon has earned the top score of 100 on the Disability Equality Index the last two years (scores are released in June each year), recognizing the company as a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion. Mehta is proud of the distinction, but more importantly she’s proud that the work never stops.

“The whole purpose of many of our roles in the employee inclusion space across Amazon is to give you what you need to succeed," she said. "And if that translates into an accommodation for any long-term condition that you may have or a diagnosis of a disability, then we’re here to support you."

At the 2023 summit for Amazon’s Global Inclusion Ambassadors—a group of employees who either work in full-time roles supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion or volunteer to support these efforts in their spare time—employees came together to discuss how to keep building upon Amazon’s DEI progress. Disability inclusion is a major topic that continues to get attention in these forums.

Amazon doesn't just accommodate disabilities; it celebrates the unique strengths and innovative perspectives this talent pool brings. It's also leading important innovations around inclusive technology practices.

Charli Riggle, a principal accessibility program manager for AWS’s software builder experience team and interim co-chair of Amazon’s People with Disabilities affinity group, points to Amazon's Work Wellness Coaching as a thoughtful corporate program that supports employees with disabilities. Work Wellness Coaching is a 12-week program of weekly one-hour sessions for employees with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, traumatic brain injury, and other mental health conditions.

Riggle was first diagnosed with autism about three years ago and requested the Work Wellness Coaching sessions. She said its impact for her personal employee journey was "quite simply amazing."

“I didn’t know what to expect. The advice I often hear as an autistic person is just to be less autistic, and that doesn’t work. The Work Wellness coaches know that—they really are experts,” Riggle said. “They understand the impact of neurodiversity in the workplace, and they provide nuanced support to employees in all roles and at all levels.”

Riggle said another noteworthy Amazon program is the Blind/Low Vision Customer Experience Innovation Team, which works on equitable experiences for employees who are blind or low vision so they can safely and effectively work at Amazon.

Matthew Krajewski is a senior program manager for accessibility in the AWS Training and Certification organization, where he thinks about accessibility and inclusion from the very start of product design and development. Building in accessibility and inclusive practices from the ground up allows products to reach the broadest possible audience and communities, he said.

“Accessibility is an ongoing process,” he said. “The important thing is that you’re on the journey and you’re listening, and signaling to a community that you’re aware, willing to listen, and make changes when asked.”

Krajewski emphasized the importance of having diverse perspectives and experiences represented on teams to overcome inherent biases and build truly inclusive technology.

“Accessibility is an element of inclusion that I consider to be foundational to how we think about inclusion,” he said. “Generally, the disability community is the largest minority in the world.”

While initiatives around training, community-building, and inclusive design processes are vital, Amazon also celebrates employees like Nemri who are putting inclusive AI innovation into action. At the 2024 AWS Summit in Paris, Nemri presented several "AI for Accessibility" solutions he developed at AWS.

"Personally, experiencing disabilities opened my eyes to the countless ways AI can revolutionize accessibility and independence," he said. "I envision these technologies removing daily frustrations and limitations."

Nemri enthusiastically shares his experiences to inspire representation. His said his own career progression at AWS exemplifies how Amazon empowers long-term opportunities for employees with disabilities.

Part of Mehta’s work as a disability inclusion leader is to ensure employees feel comfortable requesting accommodations. She’s found that senior leaders across the organization are making sure the day-to-day culture reflects the company’s values.

"I've had loads of senior AWS leaders reach out to me saying, 'we want to do more for our employees, tell us what to do,'" she said. "Having that kind of openness and sponsorship from senior leadership has made a huge difference in how much we have moved the needle."

Riggle said communicating openly is essential for disability inclusion and equity. She includes the following in her email signature:

“I use the Atkinson Hyperlegible font from the Braille Institute for email.
I am autistic. Differences in our communication styles and expectations may result in the need for clarification.”

“If we shy away from discussing and advocating for disability and accessibility, our road to equity will be that much longer and more difficult,” Riggle said. “We hope to help Amazonians recognize that disability is just another set of differences that adds to our community’s strength through diversity.”

Mehta said this open culture extends to Amazon’s hiring process, and through thriving affinity groups, leadership engagement, and continuous trainings.

“Whether it’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities or Global Accessibility Awareness Month, there are always events and conversations happening around disabilities and neurodiversity inclusion,” Mehta said. “We are learning and improving the employee experience for the persons with disabilities community every day.”