Pega was excited to celebrate Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM) with various activities and events to mark the occasion. Acknowledging individuals with visible and invisible disabilities in the workplace is critical to creating a welcoming and inclusive work environment. Recognized each October in the U.S., the theme this year was “Advancing Access and Equity.” This is particularly significant for Pega as we not only strive to create an equitable workplace for our own teams but also to help create equitable workplaces for all our clients and their teams through our software. As President Biden stated in his official proclamation recognizing this awareness month, “While the Rehabilitation Act and the ADA made significant strides toward equal opportunity for people with disabilities, there is more work to do.” We need to incorporate access and equity into our strategy and policies as well as our day-to-day work.
Engaging in the conversation
Pega has undertaken various initiatives to engage in conversation and drive equitable outcomes.
Persons with Disabilities (PwD) Employee Resource Group (ERG)
Launched in November 2021, this team of passionate individuals has opened candid conversations across Pega, provided educational opportunities for staff and, most importantly, provided a support system for individuals with visible and invisible disabilities across the organization.
Some exciting events we hosted in October 2023 included discussions on neurodiversity and supporting children and healthy wellbeing. We sponsored a wonderful guest speaker, Anna Landre, to talk with us about disability, identity, and culture, as well as a session on endometriosis and other disabling women’s health issues. PwD@Pega also has hosted various events over the course of the past year including Lunch & Learns and fundraisers with local organizations.
"The core mission of PwD@Pega is to foster understanding of disabilities, both visible and invisible, and to dismantle unconscious biases, thereby nurturing a culture of transparency and a vibrant community where everyone can flourish.”
Pega Internship Program
Pega’s award winning internship program continues to strive for equitable experiences as the company recruits and hires more individuals with disabilities into the organization to provide new and different perspectives in our workplace, both digital and physical. This fall we have welcomed an intern who relies on assistive technology to help us create more inclusive Pega academy courses.
"This internship is a great way for me to learn and advance my career."
Pega Infinity ’23 with Constellation
Recently released, this latest UI architecture was designed accessible-first and is by far the most accessible product solution offered by Pega. We are excited to bring our new product forward to help organizations create inclusive digital work experiences of their own.
“By embedding accessibility into its Constellation design system, Pega is ensuring new features incorporate accessibility standards by default and is setting a consistent standard for inclusive workforce solutions.”
These are just a few initiatives, and many other teams are taking steps forward in creating an inclusive environment at Pega. We are proud to have been recognized as a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” in the Disability Equality Index for the second consecutive year in a row! However, we know there are always more ways to improve.
As we conclude our Disability Employment Awareness Month celebration, we will continue to look for ways to improve and explore “Disability Pride,” embracing and celebrating all our unique qualities and abilities.