Momentum at Work: What the Latest LinkedIn Disability Report Reveals—And Why It Matters for Today’s Employers
By Tamara Burks, Founder, Burks Strategic Holdings & The Small Business Whisperer
As a professional who identifies as a person with a disability, this report is more than data—it’s personal. And as a former HR, DEI, and talent leader, it’s profoundly professional.
A Moment of Truth for Businesses Everywhere
The 2025 Momentum at Work report from Disability:IN and LinkedIn highlights something many of us with disabilities have known for years: talent isn’t the issue—systems are.
The data confirms that professionals with disabilities are not leaving the workforce. We are staying, striving, and advancing—but too often, advancement only happens when we leave our employer.
According to the report, in the U.S., 32.6% of LinkedIn members with disabilities changed firms within just one year, compared to 26.1% of those without disabilities. That’s a six-point gap—and an expensive one for companies to ignore.
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The reason?
Internal mobility pathways are still not built with disability inclusion in mind.
We’re Advancing—Just Not Internally
Across seven countries, the pattern is consistent:
People with disabilities stay at their jobs, but
rarely move up within the same company, and therefore
rely on changing firms, industries, and roles to advance to higher seniority.
In the U.S., only 3% of employees with disabilities received an internal promotion that resulted in higher seniority.
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As someone who has had to navigate this reality personally, I felt that data in my bones. Many of us don’t leave because we want to—we leave because the ceiling refuses to move.
Gen Z Is Redefining the Future of Disability Employment
One of the most hopeful findings is the generational shift.
Gen Z professionals with disabilities are narrowing, and in some countries even reversing, employment gaps:
In Canada and the UK, Gen Z workers with disabilities have higher employment rates than those without disabilities.
In the U.S., 41.8% of Gen Z nonworking members with disabilities became employed the next year, slightly higher than their non-disabled peers.
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This tells us something powerful:
Young workers are entering the workforce with stronger expectations for access, equity, technology, and transparency—and they're refusing to shrink.
As someone who has mentored and coached dozens of emerging professionals, I see firsthand how Gen Z is reshaping the conversation around workplace accessibility and self-advocacy.
The Cost of Avoidance: Turnover vs. Accommodations
The report highlights a financial truth that every business leader should internalize:
The majority of disability accommodations cost companies $0.
(61% have no cost; the median for those that do is just $300.)
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Meanwhile:
Replacing an employee costs 50–200% of their salary.
For even a mid-size company, that’s hundreds of thousands to millions annually.
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In other words:
Retaining disabled talent isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s the financially smart thing to do.
What This Means for Business Leaders, Consultants, and Ecosystem Builders
As the Founder of Burks Strategic Holdings and Small Business Whisperer, I see this report as a call to action—and a roadmap for opportunity.
Here’s the truth:
Companies with outdated systems, inaccessible technologies, and unclear mobility pathways will continue to leak talented people with disabilities—and pay dearly for it.
But companies that:
Build accessible internal promotion tracks
Invest in accommodations proactively
Measure disability outcomes with tools like the Disability Equality Index®
Cultivate psychological safety for employees to self-identify
Treat accessibility as a business value, not a compliance chore
…will gain a competitive advantage that is both moral and financial.
This is where my work with business owners and corporate teams intersects:
Inclusion is strategy. Accessibility is retention. Equity is a growth lever.
A Personal Reflection: Why This Report Matters to Me
Professionally, I’ve spent years in HR, DEI, and organizational development, helping companies understand the power of inclusive systems. Personally, I navigate life and business as someone who identifies with a disability.
Reading this report wasn’t just enlightening—it was validating.
I saw:
My story
My challenges
My triumphs
The barriers I’ve had to navigate
And the brilliance of a global community proving that disability is not a deficit—
it is a source of innovation, resilience, and leadership.
This report affirms what I’ve always known:
We are not underperforming—systems are under-supporting.
And that is something business leaders have the power to change.
The Path Forward
If your organization genuinely wants to improve retention, reduce turnover costs, and build a workforce prepared for the future, start with three commitments:
1. Measure your disability inclusion outcomes.
Data is accountability. Tools exist—use them.
2. Build real internal mobility pathways.
Career growth should not require leaving.
3. Invest in accommodations and accessible tech—before you’re asked.
Accessibility is not reactive. It’s strategic infrastructure.
Your future workforce will thank you.
Your current workforce will stay.
Your bottom line will improve.
Final Word: Talent Is Not the Problem—Access Is the Solution
For companies willing to do the work, this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build workplaces where people with disabilities don’t just enter—they excel.
And I’m committed, both personally and professionally, to helping businesses step into that future.
If your organization is ready to strengthen retention, elevate inclusion, and create systems where all talent can thrive, Small Business Whisperer is ready to partner with you.
Accessibility is good business. Inclusion is smart strategy.
And the momentum is already here.