INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – On Wednesday, “All Indiana” live hosts Felicia Michelle and Cody Adams spoke with CEO and President of Tangram, Sam Criss, and Chief Administrative Officer, Shannon Duggan, about Tangram’s work in helping organizations and individuals optimize diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

Tangram has operated for nearly 40 years, serving individuals with disabilities across Central Indiana and its surrounding areas. With a focus on DEI, the organization’s business resourcing division helps companies optimize their hiring practices and build accessible environments for employees and customers.

“Our Tangram business resourcing is really a consulting arm of our organization,” said Criss. “We want to really work with businesses on two fronts. One is to make sure that they can attract the people that we’re working with to fill jobs, and the other is to make sure that their business is accessible to customers who might want to shop or use their business.”

Tangram will celebrate its 40th Anniversary next year. When asked why it is so important to continue focusing on these initiatives, Duggan expressed that they want to be innovative with their clients and in the workplace.

“We want people to think about diversity and inclusion in new landscapes,” Duggan said.

Duggan also stressed that most businesses do not intend to be inaccessible or exclusive, “A lot of this isn’t malicious…We want businesses to really understand that if they invest in the clients that we serve, there really is a return on their investment.”

Businesses can reach out to Tangram for feedback on how to make their businesses more inclusive, even if it’s something as small as making their website more accessible. Businesses are given an assessment that helps to identify blind spots, and then Tangram provides feedback on how to tackle them.

To learn more about Tangram, visit thetangramway.org.