Skip Navigation
Skip to Footer
Booz Allen Hamilton logo in black on white background

Booz Allen Hamilton: 2016 Employee of the Year has Hidden Disabilities

Rockville, Md., Oct. 17 – For Eli Hinson, a Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH) Associate who has dyslexia and a hearing impairment, “having a disability doesn’t mean you can’t reach for the stars.”

“Don’t let your disability stop you from doing what you enjoy whether it’s a career or whether it’s a hobby,” said Hinson.

Hinson was named 2016 employee of the year, an award that recognizes “the professional and personal achievements of outstanding individuals with disabilities.”

“I’m proud to work for a firm that supports all its employees and provides them with the tools and environment they need for success,” said Hinson.

Hinson leads the management consulting firm’s diverseAbility forum, which was created to educate and build awareness for all employees on disability-related issues in the workplace. She is a member of BAH’s section 508 Community of Practice (CoP), which endorses the firm’s inclusion initiatives, as well as a dynamic presenter on BAH’s Disability Mentoring Day.

Hinson is supported by BAH’s founding principles to meet her full potential while providing the best possible products and services to clients. BAH also supports its employees when their aspirations take them elsewhere.

David Egan is a former BAH Distribution Clerk who has Down syndrome.

“I am treated like other employees at BAH,” Egan said. “I receive benefits, time off and an annual 360 degrees assessment like everyone else. I go to compulsory training and participate in All Hands meetings, and corporate events. The company cares about my personal and professional development.”

Egan seated behind a table with other panelists, with bottles of water and nameplates in front

Egan speaking at the 2011 Alliance for Full Participation Summit, along with Randy Neal who works on inclusion at Walmart

After 14 years of service at BAH and with a recommendation from Ralph W. Shrader, BAH Chairman of the Board, Egan pursued and got his dream job as a Public Policy Fellow with the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation as an aide to the House of Representatives Ways & Means Committee in the U.S. Congress. The Kennedy Fellowships enable its participants to learn how federal legislation is initiated, developed, and passed by the Congress, as well as how programs are administered and regulations promulgated by federal agencies. At the same time, they give government leaders and opportunity to see the talents and dedication of workers with disabilities first-hand.

“I want to cut through partisanship and to find ways for people like me to be contributing members of our society,” Egan said. “I hope that I am a reminder on the Hill that people with intellectual disabilities matter and can contribute.”

RespectAbility’s campaign #RespectTheAbility highlights companies like Booz Allen Hamilton that recognize and implement best practices for their employees, regardless of their disability.

BAH is one of 19 companies who scored 100 on the first annual Disability Equality Index Survey, a joint initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities and the U.S. Business Leadership Network. They remained at the top in both 2016 and 2017. This transparent tool offers businesses the opportunity for an objective assessment of their overall disability inclusion policies and practices.

“Excellent client service—our highest calling—takes the best people from all walks of life to solve our clients’ toughest problems. Thus, the principles and practices of diversity and inclusion are woven into every aspect of how we operate,” Shrader said.

About RespectAbility

RespectAbility is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that fights stigmas and advances opportunities for people with disabilities. We understand we are a stronger community when we live up to our values – when we are welcoming, diverse, moral and respect one another. We work with entertainment, policy makers, educators, self-advocates, nonprofits, employers, faith-based organizations, philanthropists, journalists and online media to fight stigmas and advance opportunities for people with disabilities. Led by people with disabilities and those who love them, we know that people with disabilities and their families have the same hopes and dreams as everyone else, even if they face different challenges. We do not lobby; we educate. Our free tools and factual resources inform so people with disabilities can achieve the education, training, jobs, security and good health that everyone needs and deserves. Learn more: https://www.respectability.org.

Meet the Author

Lauren Appelbaum

Lauren Appelbaum is the VP, Communications and Entertainment & News Media, of RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities so all people with disabilities can fully participate in every aspect of community. As an individual with an acquired nonvisible disability – Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy – she works at the intersection of disability, employment, Hollywood and politics. She regularly conducts trainings on the why and how to be more inclusive and accessible for entertainment executives throughout the industry. Appelbaum partners with studios, production companies and writers’ rooms to create equitable and accessible opportunities to increase the number of people with lived disability experience throughout the overall story-telling process. These initiatives increase diverse and authentic representation of disabled people on screen, leading to systemic change in how society views and values people with disabilities. She has consulted on more than 100 TV episodes and films with A&E, Bunim-Murray Productions, NBCUniversal, Netflix, ViacomCBS, and The Walt Disney Company, among others. She represents RespectAbility on the CAA Full Story Initiative Advisory Council, Disney+ Content Advisory Council, MTV Entertainment Group Culture Code and Sundance Institute’s Allied Organization Initiative. She is the author of The Hollywood Disability Inclusion Toolkit and the creator of an innovative Lab Program for entertainment professionals with disabilities working in development, production and post-production. She is a recipient of the 2020 Roddenberry Foundation Impact Award for this Lab. To reach her, email LaurenA@RespectAbility.org.

0 comments… add one

Leave a Reply

Respect Ability - Fighting Stigmas. Advancing Opportunities.

Contact Us

Mailing Address:
RespectAbility
43 Town & Country Drive
Suite 119-181
Fredericksburg, VA 22405

Office Number: 202-517-6272

Email: info@respectability.org

Operational Excellence

RespectAbility is recognized by GuideStar at the Platinum level, and has earned a Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator.
© 2023 RespectAbility. All Rights Reserved. Site Design by Cool Gray Seven   |   Site Development by Web Symphonies   |      Sitemap

Back to Top

Translate »