Meet the Cast of the “Disability:
Part of the Equation” PSA

Lauren Bacon Smith
Lauren Bacon Smith is the Chief People Officer at Enabled Intelligence (EI), a technology firm specializing in artificial intelligence (AI) testing and data labeling for government and commercial clients. In her efforts to foster a productive and inclusive company culture, she has helped ensure that employees with disabilities are a central part of EI’s inclusion equation. A number of EI employees identify as neurodivergent, but EI’s workplace includes people with and without disabilities, and all employees are offered competitive wages and benefits. “I think the biggest way that you can create an environment that’s inclusive is by really celebrating all different types of people and creating a safe space where your employees and your team members can feel like they can truly be themselves,” she says.

Cody Hart
Cody Hart is a data annotator at technology firm Enabled Intelligence (EI). He identifies as neurodivergent and is excited to put his skills to work every day on behalf of his company’s clients. Prior to joining the EI team, Cody worked in a grocery store deli and for a period of time was unemployed. Today, he’s thriving in a technology career he enjoys alongside people he has come to call friends. Cody understands the value and talent that disabled people can bring to the workplace firsthand. “The reason why I think neurodivergent people like myself should be part of the equation is because we offer certain skills, qualities and perspectives that you won’t get from just anyone, that you won’t get from people who haven’t lived this life,” he says.

Daronte Rollins
Daronte Rollins is a Construction Project Manager at Maggie Walker Community Land Trust in Richmond, Virginia, which develops affordable homeownership opportunities for low-income families. In this role, he oversees day-to-day operations for both new home builds and renovations, working closely with general contractors to ensure everything is built properly, on time and within budget. Daronte, who sustained a spinal cord injury in a motor vehicle accident in 2014, has paraplegia and uses a wheelchair for mobility. “Having the perspective of a person with a disability has given me new insight on how to navigate and how to do my job every day,” he says. “It has given me a skill set that is so valuable to any employer. Given an opportunity, a person with a disability can far exceed any expectation that is set for them.”

Evelyn Valdez
Evelyn Valdez is a logistics management specialist at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, where she serves as a liaison to the agency’s operations support center and filters IT requests as a member of its asset management team. Due to a retinal degenerative eye condition, Evelyn has been blind since she was 17, but that hasn’t stopped her from building skills and putting them to work. “I feel that if you possess the knowledge, the skills, the attitude, then you have to be part of the equation,” she says. “I have to produce the same amount of work that my sighted counterparts have to, and there are no excuses because I don’t have excuses for myself.” Eveyln also beta tests new technologies, helping developers ensure they’re accessible. “Why not count on the person who is problem solving all day to be the drive behind innovation?” she asks.