Supporting disability, neurodivergence & mental health inclusion

Personal tragedy struck Prashant when his mom passed away in 2019. He was struggling with grief and confusion when he took a leap of faith and had a candid conversation with his manager and colleagues. 

They introduced him to CapAbilities, Capital One’s BRG for associates with disabilities, caregivers and mental health support. 

“I found a community of people who were very open in sharing their own stories and had similar experiences,” said Prashant, assistant general counsel and CapAbilities co-lead.

CapAbilities creates supportive environments where associates work together to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone. 

Building community and sharing resources

In order to connect associates with available resources and remove the stigma of talking about disabilities, CapAbilities supports specific workstreams tailored to different needs, including neurodiversity and illness. 

Prashant got his start in CapAbilities by joining Gray Matter, which provides resources and support for associates’ mental health.

“Gray Matter helped me unlearn my own misconceptions and stigmas I associated with mental health,” Prashant said.

Rachel, a supply chain manager, was a founding member of the workstream that supports associates who experience chronic, or ongoing, illness due to a variety of conditions. She originally joined to find support for her own struggles with chronic pain.

“It’s terrifying to tell someone you're in pain all day. So it’s magical to have this safe space with people that get it,” Rachel said. “It’s the proudest thing I’ve done at Capital One.”

The accessibility workstream, which focuses on ensuring everyone has what they need to succeed, helps associates advocate for their needs. The accessibility team pioneered an initiative to increase the availability of captioning in Zoom meetings so associates can better follow along with the transcript of the audio.

Cameron, senior manager of Card Risk and co-lead of the national CapAbilities chapter, credits the CapAbilities workstreams (Neurodiversity, Gray Matter, Chronic Illness, Storytelling and Accessibility) for cultivating belonging and acceptance in our associate community.   

“The CapAbilities BRG fosters a culture of acceptance. This encourages our business partners to meet associates as they are to leverage their value as they may show up and think differently,” Cameron said.

Education and engagement pave the way for inclusion

CapAbilities’ mission prioritizes education and engagement. Throughout the year, the BRG hosts webinars, discussions and informal gatherings to bring awareness and understanding to various topics surrounding seen/unseen disabilities. 

CapAbilities partners with other BRGs across Capital One to celebrate intersectionality. They host events for Minority Mental Health Month in July and Autism Awareness Month in April, among others. 

During a recent National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), Prashant attended a talk with two executives at Capital One who shared how their mental health struggles have affected their careers.

“Having two leaders be candid about their own struggles was so impactful,” Prashant said. “It showed the power of vulnerability on your career journey.”

Different perspectives inspire innovation

As well as educating associates and driving acceptance, CapAbilities provides an opportunity for associates to network and meet peers throughout Capital One. Cameron credits the BRG by giving her an opportunity to meet folks outside of her backyard and flex muscles in leadership roles. 

“I can’t count the number of times where I've met somebody at a CapAbilities event where I've either later worked on their team or I needed their support on a project,” Cameron said. “The BRG helps me prioritize building relationships and connections.”

Prashant agrees. As he’s grown in his role in CapAbilities, he’s learned about diverse associate experiences. This has changed how he approaches work.

“Being a leader of CapAbilities has taught me about empathy, and understanding how my role impacts others and what I can do both for myself and for my colleagues,” Prashant said.

Diversity is key to Capital One’s innovative approach to banking. In her own work, Cameron has found it inspiring to learn from those who think differently than her.

“Capital One prioritizes hiring people that not only look differently, but also think differently. That’s how we innovate at Capital One,” Cameron said.

Are you a candidate looking for accommodations throughout the application process? Please contact Capital One Recruiting at 1-800-304-9102 or via email at RecruitingAccommodation@capitalone.com. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodation.