People with Disabilities

The Office for Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) is committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion for people with disabilities at MSHS. To this end, we seek to broaden our staff, faculty and students’ understanding of people with disabilities and to create an equitable environment for all by:

• Creating opportunities for people with disabilities throughout the organization.
• Fostering an environment that supports and empowers people with disabilities and their loved ones.
• Raising awareness about the unique needs and talents of individuals with disabilities.
• Building partnerships and leveraging existing resources.

Key Initiatives

Enhancing Cultural Effectiveness and Education
We are currently offering an in-person education called Cultural Awareness: Understanding People with Disabilities. This education focuses on understanding disability concepts, identifying how bias and unconscious bias impact how we interact with people with disabilities, and best practices on inclusive behaviors. Contact diversity@mountsinai.org for more information or to schedule a session for your department.

On-Demand Module are also available on PEAK On-Demand Modules (network log-in required): Unconscious Bias: Understanding People with Disabilities

Increasing Engagement and Inclusion
The ADAPT (All Differing Abilities Partnering Together) Employee Resource Group (ERG), primarily serves as a platform to promote awareness about people with disabilities. The group also serves as a resource for employees who have disabilities and/or care for patients or loved ones who have a disability - providing an educational forum for sharing ideas and information to improve care throughout the System.

In addition, the Caregiver ERG serves as a resource to employees, supporting a healthy balance between work-life and home-life for all. ODI is also collaborating with Mount Sinai Calm to bring self-care resources to staff. For more information email 4calm@mountsinai.org or visit the Mount Sinai Calm intranet (network log-in required).

Enhancing Demographic Diversity
ODI is partnering with Talent Acquisition through a special workgroup to increase recruitment efforts around people with varying abilities. Additionally, we offer customized unconscious bias educational sessions to support the recruitment process and offer strategies to mitigate bias in the interview and selection processes. For information on employment opportunities within the Mount Sinai Health System, please visit our careers website. Talent Acquisition and Retention Employment partnerships include such organizations as FedCap Rehabilitation Services, Inc. and Manhattan Educational Opportunity Center to hire veterans and people with disabilities. The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan Adaptation Job Program directly targets people with disabilities to internship to employment opportunities.

Enhancing Patient Experience
ODI is committed to improving the patient experience. To achieve this aim, ODI is an active leader on the MSHS ADA/Accessibility Steering Committee and has on-going initiatives with Patient Experience to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for our patients. To learn more about our collaborative efforts, please see published case study with The Beryl Institute.

Collaborations with ISMMS
ODI works closely with Student Disability Services Office (SDS) to address diversity and inclusion of staff and students with disabilities. For information on student accommodations please contact SDS.