This October, Protiviti is proud to celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), to recognize the talent and value of all employees with disabilities and their endless contributions within our organization. To honor this month the Disability Employee Network (DEN) will host a conversation with a renowned advocate for inclusive leadership.
DEN supports employees who identify as having a disability, being a caregiver, or serving as an ally. DEN promotes learning, inclusion, and intersectionality within the disability space across Protiviti.
Employee Spotlight
We spoke with Dell Stinnett-Christy, Technology Consulting Associate Director based in our Atlanta office. Dell is a member of DEN’s Advisory Panel and is sharing her personal story and why she got involved with DEN.
“I got involved with DEN because I feel I have a lot to offer based on my own experiences as someone who deals with what I call “structural issues” and as the parent of a now-grown daughter who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when she was a teenager. I love mentoring others, and I feel my lived experience gives me insight into how to deal with many issues for both myself and as a parent.
I was diagnosed with osteo-arthritis when I was nineteen and Fibromyalgia about thirteen years later. I later learned that these were both a result of Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) which is a genetic issue that affects how my body builds collagen, causing joints to hyper-extend and cartilage to deteriorate. Because of this, I’ve been dealing with chronic pain for 30+ years.
This can affect my work by making it somewhat difficult to travel or recover from travelling. Since there have been years in my consulting career where I was travelling anywhere from thirty to fifty weeks of the year, it was important that I learn how to manage taking care of myself. I have learned to take the time I need after my workday to rest and take care of myself so that I’m able to be up-beat when dealing with my clients or facilitating a challenge school (which I LOVE to do!)
When the opportunity came up to join DEN as it was starting a couple of years ago, I grabbed it! I participated in the DEN Leadership calls and was soon asked to become a member of the DEN Advisory Council. Throughout my career, I have been very open about my physical struggles. One of the things I really like about Protiviti, is that I’m not penalized for that. I feel like I can provide an example for others on how to be successful and provide encouragement for those who are going through similar issues. I get a lot of satisfaction from that.
To repeat what Natasha Shindler said in last year’s NDEAM blog, living with a disability can be incredibly isolating, mentally and physically, but it doesn’t have to be. I encourage anyone searching for community and support to join a group like DEN.“
Protiviti’s works to amplify our efforts in the disability space through strategic partnerships with organizations like DisabilityIN, who recently recognized us as a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion for the second consecutive year. We’re proud to share Protiviti received the highest possible score on the Disability Index in recognition of our ongoing commitment to prioritizing and advancing accessibility in the workplace.
We invite you to spend October, learning together, creating inclusivity, and understanding one another’s perspectives by visiting the National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) | U.S. Department of Labor (dol.gov) to find more ways to support NDEAM 2025.
Thank you for embracing a workplace where we can expand our knowledge together and support each other.
