Ready & able: A different perspective on disability, a catalyst for innovation

At Bloomberg, we focus on the unique abilities people bring to our team. It means putting the right programs and accommodations for people with disabilities in place. Every day, we strive to provide a supportive and inclusive environment, so that every employee can deliver on his or her potential.

While there are real challenges to living with a disability, our employees share their personal stories to show the creativity, talent and powerful character of people with disabilities.

Ready & unbeatable.

My name is Dragan Tubonjic.
I have TAR Syndrome.
That means I was born with a short left arm.
And have to overcome unconscious bias.
About what I can do.
Every day.
It means educating colleagues and raising awareness.
So every employee feels empowered.
To impact the business.
And rock their unique talents.

In his day-to-day, Dragan researches General and Limited Partners in the Private Equity sector, serves as the President of Bloomberg Toastmasters and co-founder of the Abilities Community at Bloomberg. He also has presented to senior executives from Goldman Sachs and Bloomberg regarding the 10,000 Small Businesses program. These accomplishments are driven by his determination, and his humility in wanting to be seen just like everyone else makes him – unbeatable.

Ready & adaptable.

My name is Mary Quinn.
I am visually impaired.
It means I rely on assistive technology to do my job.
And a great memory to navigate the office.
It means I’m more perceptive.
A more creative thinker.
And more aware of the value collaboration unlocks.
Because an open and supportive environment.
Is the key to helping all employees find success.
Whether they have a disability or not.

Mary is the HR Business Partner for the Trading & Analytics department in Engineering and the CTO office. She works with leaders to understand the people-related challenges and help them devise strategies on how to overcome them, maximizing the success of employees. She attributes much of her success at Bloomberg to her managers and colleagues, who advocate for her. From tactical things like reading information that she can’t see and access to assistive technology, to a workplace environment that is open to and supportive of people with disabilities. Mary was recently featured in a New York Times article on accessibility technology.

Ready & achievable.

My name is Kfir Shtrosberg.
My three-year-old son was born deaf.
My passion is making sure his generation.
Avoids the workplace barriers we’re tackling today.
That means organizing awareness days.
And giving managers the tools and understanding.
To help all employees reach their potential.
Because people with disabilities are no less able.
And a truly inclusive environment.
Can have a real commercial impact.

Kfir works in our London office and leads the Bloomberg Valuation (BVAL) team for the European and Asian markets. As a team leader, he has observed that employees often feel uncomfortable disclosing their disability. Since many disabilities are invisible, this can be unnoticed by managers. Once a manager is aware of the disability, they often don’t have the right tools or knowledge on how to correctly handle it. By forming relationships with charities and raising awareness in the workplace, Kfir is helping teams and management understand what to do (or not to do) to help people with disabilities.

Ready & relatable.

My name is Stella Lam.
I have ADHD – Inattentive Type.
It means I have trouble sustaining concentration.
And I have to constantly adjust my behavior.
At every interaction and task.
To get things done and keep up with conversations.
It means I’m a strategic thinker
And emotionally aware.
Because empathy and intentionality.
Helps to generate new, holistic ideas.

Stella helps to tell Bloomberg’s company brand story through content such as blogs, videos and social media to global audiences. Being on the Content Marketing team allows her to utilize the spontaneous creativity that comes with having ADHD in her work, like using Bloomberg Terminal socks in a holiday social post. This creative environment lets her write compelling stories to connect the external audience with Bloomberg’s inclusive values like building character with robots,  women leaders at Bloomberg and defining the A to Z of LGBT.

Ready & disruptable.

My name is Chaz Weiner.
I was born with spinal muscular atrophy.
That means using a power wheelchair to get around.
And a virtual, on-screen keyboard.
To get the job done.
It means I think about tasks differently.
Finding creative alternatives to manually keying in data.
Such as coding a tool to transform an hour-long chore.
Into a five-minute task.
A tool that ultimately anybody can use.

Chaz is a Mutual Fund and ETF Analyst in Global Data based out of the Princeton office. He collects and maintains funds market data for the Bloomberg Terminal and answers client questions about funds data or related Terminal functions. His manager is always making sure he can successfully perform his job whether that’s sending him notes after a meeting or being able to work from home. The supportive culture at Bloomberg has been extremely accommodating to ensure his disability does not impede his work.

Ready & recruitable.

My name is Emily Nathan.
I work to recruit, retain and develop top talent.
Including people with disabilities.
Because diversity doesn’t stop with race, gender or sexual orientation.
That’s why Bloomberg partners with Employability.
Reaching out to disabled students and graduates.
And connecting them to opportunities.
Not only because it’s the right thing to do.
But because hiring from this rich pool of talent.
Has a powerful impact on our business.

Emily is on the Diversity & Inclusion team covering the EMEA region working closely with managers to implement their diversity business plans through talent acquisition and management. For people with disabilities, each case is different and ensuring that Bloomberg provides the appropriate accessibility and accommodations is certainly a challenge. But, taking the effort is worth it. By doing so, it allows those with disabilities to come to work as their authentic selves, to use their unique talents and perspectives. Learn more about our careers, here.

Being inclusive of people with disabilities increases and broadens our capacity to think and act differently, creating new solutions. Bloomberg fosters a welcoming environment for employees to feel comfortable in discussing disability in the workplace.

Because diversity drives innovation.