Partner Spotlights
Disability inclusion is a business imperative.
At Disability:IN Chicagoland, we are proud to work alongside partners committed to advancing disability inclusion throughout the Chicagoland region.
Our Partner Spotlight series highlights the employers, leaders, and organizations helping to create workplaces where people with disabilities can thrive. Through these conversations, we share stories, best practices, and insights that demonstrate how disability inclusion strengthens workplace culture, drives innovation, and creates opportunities for all.
Each spotlight offers a closer look at the unique approaches our partners are taking to foster accessibility, belonging, and meaningful impact within their organizations and communities.
We invite you to explore these spotlights and learn from the leaders helping shape a more inclusive future.
Ryan Specialty
Advancing Disability Inclusion Across the Insurance Industry
Advancing Disability Inclusion Across the Insurance Industry
About Ryan Specialty
Ryan Specialty is a rapidly growing insurance organization built on a strong foundation of values, including a deep commitment to inclusion. Over the past 15 years, the company has scaled significantly while maintaining a clear focus: embedding inclusion as a core thread throughout its culture and operations.
Driving Inclusion Forward
At Ryan Specialty, disability inclusion is rooted in culture. Their Culture & Inclusion team—established in 2022 and led in partnership with executive leadership—has spent the past four years building a more inclusive workplace where all employees can thrive.
This includes:
• Creating an environment where employees with both apparent and non-apparent disabilities feel educated and supported
• Encouraging individuals to bring their full selves to work
• Embedding inclusion into leadership, hiring, and day-to-day culture
In Their Words
“Disability touches all our lives – whether we have a disability ourselves, acquire one in the future, or care for a disabled loved one. I’m glad we are continuing our Culture & Inclusion work at Ryan Specialty and see more opportunities for our industry to work with the disability community. We appreciate Disability:IN Chicagoland for leading in this space and their partnership in kickstarting this important conversation. This was a great start and there’s a lot more work to do – I look forward to what we can achieve through collaboration.”
— Michael Blackshear, Chief Compliance and Privacy Officer, Head of Culture & Inclusion
Leading Industry Collaboration
Ryan Specialty recently partnered with Disability:IN Chicagoland to host a first-of-its-kind networking event, bringing together leaders from across the insurance industry to focus on disability inclusion.
Key outcomes included:
• Representation from leaders of firms across the industry
• Open dialogue across organizations at different stages of their inclusion journey
• Shared best practices, particularly within HR and workplace accommodations
• Identification of a significant opportunity to collaborate across competitors
The success of the event has sparked momentum toward a quarterly roundtable, with plans to expand both locally and nationally.
Expanding Access & Opportunity
The insurance industry is at a pivotal moment. With an aging workforce approaching retirement and a new generation entering the field with greater expectations around transparency and inclusion, there is a clear opportunity to expand access to careers for people with disabilities and address underemployment across the community.
From art history to zoology - there are endless possibilities of career pathways that can lead to insurance, and specialty insurance is always looking for top talent to solve problems...the industry needs to become more visible, expand our talent pools and become more inclusive to ensure we are attracting and retaining that top talent and expertise (source: https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-careers-and-employment
Our Partnership
Ryan Specialty partners with Disability:IN Chicagoland to access expertise, data, and a strong network of organizations committed to advancing disability inclusion. Together, we are working to create more equitable workplaces and expand opportunity across the region.
Call to Action
Disability:IN Chicagoland promotes disability inclusion by heightening awareness, advising corporations, and sharing proven strategies for including people with disabilities in the workplace, supply chain and marketplace. We expand opportunities for people with disabilities by helping companies invigorate their disability initiatives, explore best practices, drive cultural transformation and realize positive business outcomes.
What are the Benefits of Disability:IN Chicagoland?
Network with professionals with disabilities and allies in the Chicago area
Share best practices on disability inclusion
Engage with local, regional and national experts at events and programs on the hottest topics in disability inclusion
Connect with local certified disability-owned businesses
Identify local sources of talent with disabilities
Engage with non-profit and government disability inclusion resources
Build relationships with other Chicago professionals prioritizing disability inclusion
Interested in becoming a Disability:IN Chicagoland partner? Join Us