Disability and Work Topics 101: What is Allyship?

Authors: Elmira Izadi, Noor Al-Azary, Michelle Willson, Rachel Bath

Ally and Allyship

Understanding Allyship

You might have heard the words “ally” or “allyship” in conversations about inclusion or accessibility. Many workplaces, schools, and organizations encourage people to “be an ally,” and some people also describe themselves that way.

The word “ally” usually comes up when people are talking about marginalization, or the exclusion or unfair treatment of people based on identities such as sexual orientation, race, disability, gender, and Indigeneity, among others. But what does it mean to be an ally?

Allyship means supporting groups of people who experience discrimination when you are not part of that group yourself.¹ The language of allyship has roots in civil rights and social justice movements, where it was used to describe the people who supported them.^2,6 Allies show solidarity, speak up when they witness unfair treatment, and use their position to support fairness and inclusion. For example, someone who is not a person with a disability can be an ally to those who do have disabilities by standing up for them when they experience discrimination and ensuring they have equal access to workplace opportunities.¹

Anybody can be an ally. But allyship must be earned through consistent action and accountability to the communities being supported. Rather than being a title someone claims for themselves, allyship is demonstrated through actions that marginalized communities recognize as meaningful and beneficial.³

Allyship Requires Action, Not Performance

In recent years, scholars and activists have increasingly discussed the difference between meaningful and performative allyship. Performative allyship happens when support is offered for public recognition, rather than genuine commitment to change. For example, an organization may post statements about inclusion online while failing to address barriers to inclusion within its own workplace.⁴ Similarly, individuals may publicly express support for marginalized communities but stay silent when accessibility concerns come up in everyday situations.

Meaningful allyship requires more than symbolic gestures. It involves taking responsibility for learning about discrimination, reflecting on assumptions, and speaking up when exclusion happens. Going back to the workplace dinner example, allyship might look like:

• Raising concerns about the restaurant’s accessibility in a respectful way.
• Asking whether the timing of the event may exclude colleagues who are fasting for Ramadan.
• Helping identify a more accessible and inclusive alternative.

Actions like these can have a huge impact on making people feel included and respected. They help create environments where everyone can participate fully, challenge barriers to inclusion, and create real change.¹

Intersectional Allyship

It’s important to remember that people’s experiences with discrimination and privilege are shaped by multiple aspects of their identity, such as sexual orientation, race, gender, disability, and class. Because of this, a person can experience advantages based on some parts of their identity, and discrimination based on others. For example, a White man with a disability who identifies as gay may experience more advantages or have more opportunities as someone who is White and a man, while also experiencing discrimination against their disability and/or sexual orientation. While no one chooses the advantages they are born into, those advantages can create greater access to power, resources, and opportunities to influence change. Allyship asks those with greater access or privilege to consider how they can use their position responsibly to help remove barriers and challenge unfair treatment, recognizing that remaining silent can allow existing inequalities to continue.

This means that intersectional allyship requires recognizing how privilege operates, meaning you see how some people benefit from systems much more than others. It also requires understanding of how different systems of inequality intersect (how they connect and affect each other).⁵ Support must be flexible and responsive. The actions that are helpful in one situation may not be appropriate in another, so listening to and centering the experiences of those most affected by discrimination is essential.

Allyship and Disability Employment Inclusion

Allies play important roles in helping people with disabilities, who often face significant barriers to employment. Disability allyship involves a commitment to rejecting ableism, which are the attitudes, beliefs, and practices that devalue persons with disabilities, treating disability and the ways that people with disabilities live and work as something to be “fixed.”³

Disability allyship in the workplace can take many forms. Allies may advocate for accessible workplaces, support inclusive hiring practices, or speak up when they witness discrimination. By doing so, they help remove barriers for their colleagues with disabilities and make everyday environments more accessible and respectful. These actions can also help create a greater sense of belonging and inclusion, creating workplaces where employees feel supported, valued, and better able to take part in everything happening at work.³

Within disability communities, allyship can also take place across disability groups by refusing to treat everyone in the community as the same. For example, individuals with one type of disability may advocate for the rights and accessibility needs of people with other disabilities. This approach recognizes that the disability community is diverse and that no single experience represents everyone.

In both cases, allies help people with disabilities take part fully by making sure they have access to the supports, protections, and opportunities they are entitled to.

Pause and Reflect

Allyship is not about being perfect or having all the answers. It is about paying attention to who is being excluded, listening to the experiences of others, and being willing to act when barriers arise.

When people choose not to act, exclusion often continues unnoticed. Workplace events remain inaccessible. Harmful assumptions go unchallenged. Opportunities are missed. Over time, these experiences can affect whether people feel respected and valued, and whether they are able to fully participate in their workplaces and communities.

As you think about being an ally in your own life, consider:

• Have you ever noticed someone being excluded from a workplace, school, or community activity? How did you respond?
• What forms of privilege, access, or influence do you have, and how might you use them to support others?
• When accessibility or inclusion concerns arise, are you willing to speak up, even when doing so may feel uncomfortable?
• How can you ensure your support for others is reflected through action, not just intention?

Allyship is not a destination or a title. It is an ongoing practice of learning, listening, and willing to take responsibility for helping create environments where everyone can participate and belong.

To learn about inclusive employment support in your community, find a CCRW location near you and explore our accessible employment services and inclusive workplace supports for people with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, and other equity-deserving communities across Canada.

References:

1. Suyemoto, K. L., Hochman, A. L., Donovan, R. A., & Roemer, L. (2021). Becoming and fostering allies and accomplices through authentic relationships: Choosing justice over comfort. Research in Human Development, 18(1-2), 1-28.
2. Wolbring, G., & Lillywhite, A. (2023). Coverage of allies, allyship and disabled people: A scoping review. Societies, 13(11), 241.
3. Pietri, E. S., Moser, C. E., Derricks, V., & Johnson, I. R. (2024). A framework for understanding effective allyship. Nature Reviews Psychology, 3(10), 686–700. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-024-00359-0
4. Gilles, E. E., & Campbell, S. M. (2023). Beyond Performative Allyship. In Communication and Organizational Changemaking for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (pp. 111–127). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003333746-9
6. Stephenson, J.H. (2024). Intersectionality and Organizational Allyship. In: Allyship in Organizations. Palgrave Studies in Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Indigenization in Business. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-64961-5_3
7. ally. (n.d.). Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/ally