Author: Jennifer Chonillo
NCDIT strives to ensure that our workplace environment and services are inclusive and accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities.
Support for Team Members with Disabilities
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, individuals with a disability experience unemployment at a higher rate than those without a disability. However, as highlighted by the theme of National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2024, “Access to Good Jobs for All,” the focus should not solely be on the number or people with disabilities who are employed, but also on the quality of opportunities available to them.
To support the diverse needs of our employees, we offer flexible scheduling as well as remote and hybrid work options. We also fully comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and maintain equal opportunity in employment for all qualified persons with disabilities through the state’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy.
In addition, we offer our employees comprehensive benefits that they can customize as needed. Along with health insurance coverage and retirement benefits, employees have access to a variety of optional benefits.
NCDIT values work-life balance and provides a wide range of leave options, including 12 paid holidays each year. Employees are also given Personal Observance Leave, which can be used for one calendar day of personal significance annually, and a set number of community service hours each year to support volunteerism, if they choose. Parents can use this leave for involvement in their children’s schools.
State employees also have free, confidential access to the North Carolina Employee Assistance Program that provides support and resources to address personal or work-related challenges and concerns.
Neurodiverse Internship Program
Another notable way we are making our workplace inclusive of individuals with disabilities is through our Neurodiverse Internship Program. This program provides paid, experiential learning opportunities to candidates from the neurodiverse community with some educational background related to information technology. Since its launch at the beginning of 2023, the Neurodiverse Internship Program has helped participants develop a passion for information technology-related careers in a welcoming and supportive environment.
Our department also continues to work with the Autism Society of North Carolina, LiNC-IT and TEACCH to provide resources and education that help support neurodiverse team members and their supervisors and colleagues.
Accessibility and the People of North Carolina
We are driven by a vision of strategically leveraging technology for an equitable, prosperous, healthier and educated North Carolina. One way we achieve this is by providing guidance and tools for state agencies to offer high-quality, user-friendly digital resources that are accessible to all North Carolinians.
More than 10.8 million North Carolinians go online each year to access digital government services and information, and we prioritize accessibility in the state’s digital presence, especially for those individuals using assistive technology to access digital information and services. We make sure that all state of North Carolina websites are easy to navigate, present clear and consistent information, offer keyboard accessibility and use legible, high contrast colors.
In April 2024, NCDIT published guidance that aims to prioritize a "digital-first" public experience that is seamless, accessible and secure. The Digital Accessibility and Usability Standard offers guidance for designing and delivering websites and digital services to all state agencies. Agencies are also encouraged to apply the standard to internal websites and digital services.
To assist state of North Carolina agencies, our department offers website quality assurance and accessibility monitoring as one of the many services we provide. We have also established Digital Accessibility Community of Practice, a collaborative and inclusive forum that allows individuals across from across state government organizations to share insights, expertise and best practices that promote a culture of accessibility. Topics discussed by this group include how to make graphics, websites and documents more accessible to all individuals.
Interested in being part of a flexible, inclusive team dedicated to making a difference for North Carolina? Learn more about why you should work for NCDIT