Disability inclusion in the workplace is rarely understood until it is lived. This is one story of what it looks like when a company chooses to see possibility instead of limitation.
When people think about recruitment, they often picture interviews, CVs, and job offers. Very few people think about the first conversation that makes all of that possible.
For me, that first conversation is where everything begins.
I live with a physical disability that significantly limits my mobility. There are many things my legs simply cannot do, and for a long time I questioned what my place in the working world would look like. Like many people living with a disability, I wondered whether I would ever be given an opportunity to prove my value based on my abilities rather than my limitations.
That opportunity came when Lorraine, CEO of Dananda Global Talent, believed in me and gave me the chance to join the business as a Client Acquisition Consultant.
She didn’t see what I couldn’t do.
She saw what I could.
Disability inclusion in the workplace is not about lowering the bar. It is about trusting people to reach it in their own way.
What Disability Inclusion in the Workplace Actually Looks Like
Every day I sit behind my desk making outbound calls to HR Managers, Talent Acquisition Specialists, HR Directors and business leaders across South Africa and the United Kingdom. Some days I speak to dozens of people, other days it is well over a hundred. Every conversation is an opportunity to build a relationship and understand how Dananda Talent can support an organisation’s hiring needs.
Many people would describe what I do as telesales.
I see it differently.
I see it as creating opportunities.
When I secure a meeting, I hand the opportunity to one of our Account Managers. They take the conversation further, understand the client’s recruitment challenges and develop the partnership. From there, our Talent Acquisition Specialists source, interview and present exceptional candidates.
How One Phone Call Becomes Inclusive Recruitment in Action
Eventually, someone receives a phone call that changes their life.
Someone who may have been unemployed is offered a job.
Someone is able to provide for their family.
Someone starts a new chapter in their career.
When that happens, I smile because I know that the journey started with one conversation. It started with a phone call. It started with my voice.
My legs may not always take me where I want to go, but my voice allows me to open doors for others.
Purpose isn’t defined by what we can’t do. Purpose is defined by the difference we make.
Finding Purpose With a Disability: What It Has Taught Me
That has taught me something incredibly important: purpose isn’t defined by what we can’t do. Purpose is defined by the difference we make.
Dananda Talent has shown me what true disability inclusion in the workplace looks like. Inclusion isn’t simply hiring someone with a disability. It’s believing in their potential, trusting them with responsibility, and allowing them to contribute in meaningful ways.
Today, I don’t measure success by the number of calls I make.
I measure it by the lives our team changes together.
Every Placement Is a Collaboration — and It Starts Here
Every placement represents a collaboration. It begins with business development, continues through client engagement, is brought to life by our recruitment specialists, and ends with someone walking into a new job and a brighter future.
I may not meet every candidate we place. I may never shake their hand.
But knowing that I played a part in helping them find employment reminds me every single day that my work matters.
Because sometimes changing a life doesn’t start with walking through a door.
Sometimes it starts with picking up the phone.
Roxanne Mills
Client Acquisition Consultant
What does disability inclusion in the workplace mean to you — and have you seen it done well?
