THE BUSINESS CASE FOR INCLUDING DISABLED PEOPLE IN ROTARY. 

Mark Wafer

Transformational change leader

Equity and Inclusion Specialist, Relentless Human

Disability rights activist

Generally speaking, it should be considered conventional wisdom that all people would be welcome into Rotary as members of our esteemed organization. The reality however is that certain demographic groups such as those living with disabilities tend to be ignored as potential club members. The most common reason for this is a communities wholesale buy-in to a series of misperceptions and stereotypes, all of which are myths, not accurate, not helpful. As well there is a general level of fear based most commonly on the concept of unconscious bias but with an added emphasis on poor knowledge and awareness. Assumptions are easy to make. 

Although wrongly understood to be a small niche market, the disability community makes up one in five of the worlds global citizens. This group has a disposable income of one trillion United States dollars.  When immediate families are added to that group the disposable income becomes $8T USD.

"Although wrongly understood to be a small niche market, the disability community makes up one in five of the worlds global citizens. This group has a disposable income of one trillion United States dollars.  When immediate families are added to that group the disposable income becomes $8T USD."

Counter-intuitively the facts support the opposite to the perceived norm of societies ingrained beliefs of the value of the disabled. This applies to Rotary membership also. 

The reality in regards to the positive attributes of the inclusion of disabled club members is clear. There is a business case. One which others will find great difficulty arguing against. 

There are 3 keys areas that make up the business case for including disabled members of our community and in our clubs.  In fact, if we were to ensure those individuals became leadership candidates, committee members and chairs as well as sitting on boards of directors the number of key benefits increase. 

Firstly, inclusion increases membership and member retention within a club. This is  true for any marginalized demographic but more so when disabled people are embraced as members. In many cases the Rotary club becomes that individuals only source of social connection. Those individuals are unlikely to leave a club that welcomes them while at the same time other members are likely to remain loyal to a club that embraces all of those who make up the fabric of their community.

Therefore just as the churn rate, or retention numbers improve in the private sector when the inclusion of the disabled ensues, so too does the churn rate improve in Rotary. The key however isn’t just membership, it’s engagement as well. 

Secondly, potential members to a Rotary club who are not disabled are far more likely to be attracted to a club that includes the disabled. Although 15-20% of any communities members are disabled, 65% of the community are actually directly effected by disability. Either they have one or they have a loved one at home who has a disability. Therefore at least every second potential member has disability on their radar. If a club embraces that mindset, new potential members are more likely to choose that particular club or indeed a Rotary club over a club belonging to another service organization. 

A third and very powerful aspect of including the disabled is that they are likely to have very different problem solving skills. This is borne from the ongoing need to navigate their world in ways the rest of us don’t need to think about.  This is how innovation is created. Clubs and districts that include the disabled usually have more innovative events and projects, more innovative fundraising initiatives and more innovative membership drives. 

In addition to the three obvious business case benefits there is the adaptability of changes made to both the physical space, programs, meetings and online tools that are adjusted to accommodate disabled members that have clear benefits to non-disabled members. Not only is technology adaptable but so too is the physical plant and universal design.