Mount Sinai’s ADAPT Employee Resource Group Is Raising Disability Awareness

A message of inclusion, accessibility, and equity is being delivered by All Differing Abilities Partnering Together (ADAPT) a system-wide Employee Resource Group (ERG) centering on the disability community. Formerly known as the Abilities ERG, ADAPT is newly rebranded and has three new co-leaders.

The ERG’s purpose is to create a more inclusive work environment, raise awareness, create safe spaces and open dialogues, and educate the Mount Sinai Health System community on issues important to people with disabilities.

Co-leads Yi-Ting Chiang, Elva Herrera, and Joy Womble work together to encourage the community and assist in breaking down barriers.

“As a health system, we can do more to better support employees with disabilities and one another. This ERG can help,” says Ms. Chiang, Technology Specialist II at the Mount Sinai Health System.

The group focuses not only on people with disabilities, but also allies, families, caretakers of people with disabilities and anyone who wants to learn more.

They emphasize that disabilities can be apparent or non-apparent, which may not be obvious or noticeable to someone else.

“Both advocacy and education are needed to raise disability awareness,” says Ms. Womble, Senior Instructional Designer in Human Resources for Mount Sinai. “ADAPT wants to part of the change that drives equity across the Health System, our country, and the world.”

The mission of the ADAPT ERG is to:

• Strive toward building a fully inclusive work culture by maximizing the potential of employees’ talents and strengths
• Raise awareness of disability to purposefully and consciously create a diverse environment that is free from discrimination, bias, and inequity
• Create a safe and empathetic space where people with disabilities, their allies, and/or loved ones can openly discuss issues important to them
• Provide an educational forum for sharing ideas and information to improve care for patients with disabilities throughout the Health System
• Support open dialogue between employees and stakeholders on physical and digital accessibility issues in the workplace

“ADAPT is not only for those with disabilities,” says Ms. Herrera, Lead Clinical Research Coordinator II for Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at The Mount Sinai Hospital. “This group is for anyone who wants to learn and support those with disabilities. You are welcome to bring your ideas. Your voice will help us raise awareness and make a difference.”

ADAPT is looking to grow its membership and engagement with hopes of increasing knowledge and normalizing disabilities in the Mont Sinai community and beyond for a better employee and patient experience. All staff, students, faculty, trainees are welcome.

To join, or for more information and additional disabilities-related resources, please visit the Mount Sinai Office for Diversity and Inclusion site.