At Sodexo Live!, inclusion isn't just a corporate value. It's lived experience. For members of SOAR (Sodexo Opportunities and Resources), the company's employee resource group for people with disabilities, that distinction makes all the difference.
"If we don’t become advocates for ourselves and others, we’ll never get where we need to be," says Brooke Capritto, SOAR's Communications Chair. It's a philosophy that drives both her personal journey and her work with the organization.
More Than a Support Network
With over 375 members across Sodexo's various segments, SOAR provides resources and accommodations for employees with disabilities while creating a space for education, advocacy, and genuine connection.
Ralph Eddy, SOAR's National Chair with over 32 years at Sodexo, also sees the group as essential to solving real business challenges. “When you look at the availability of employment-ready individuals that are out there, many have a disability of some sort or another. For me, it's really been a journey about creating employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities and working to change the notion that it takes more work, costs money, or is harder to manage a workforce that includes individuals with disabilities."
When Invisible Becomes Visible
For Brooke, SOAR's mission is personal. Diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis at 19, she spent months unable to walk. More recently, a two-year journey with chronic pain led to an endometriosis diagnosis. "People can look at you and you look absolutely fine," she reflects. "But they don't know what's going on internally."
Invisible disabilities that don't fit neat categories shape SOAR's approach to advocacy and education. The group works to create awareness and inclusions around all disAbilities or conditions, even the ones that aren't immediately apparent, from chronic pain to neurodiversity.
"The worst thing is assumptions," Brooke notes. "We make so many assumptions as human beings, and that's a hard habit to change. We never know people's stories until they tell them, and not everyone wants to share. I shouldn't have to share my story to be given grace."
Creating Real Change
SOAR's impact extends beyond individual support to organizational transformation. The group launched Sodexo's Disability Hiring Initiative, which connects talent acquisition, human resources, and operations to actively recruit and retain employees with disabilities.
"We've got great stories and examples of practices in pockets," Ralph explains. "It's great to recruit an individual, but if we're not creating an environment in which they can succeed, we start the process again when they leave."
The initiative focuses on education: teaching recruiters and hiring managers to ask the right questions and offer the right information from the first contact. Simple changes, like providing interview questions in advance to neurodivergent candidates, can make the difference between accessing talent and missing out.
Ralph recalls hiring a completely blind employee who worked with knives and slicers in the kitchen. "The majority of individuals, myself included before I really started to embrace it, would have said there's no way that person can work in my kitchen with a sharp object," he admits. "That's what needs to change: allowing someone's disability to influence our predetermined assumptions about their capability."
Building Bridges Across the Organization
What makes SOAR unique is its reach across Sodexo's diverse business segments. The National Leadership Team includes representatives from healthcare, universities, seniors, and other operations, bringing together perspectives from across the organization.
"It makes me feel less like I'm on an island," Brooke says. "We come from all different segments, and I just love seeing that representation."
Ralph sees similar intersectionality in his district manager role overseeing university partnerships in the Northeast. SOAR's focus on disability awareness naturally connects with other employee resource groups, particularly around veterans' issues and mental health support.
Safe Spaces and Ongoing Education
SOAR has created programming that meets members where they are. The recently launched "SOAR Safe Space" offers members a place to share challenges, collaborate on solutions, and offer mutual support.
The group also partners with organizations like Disability:IN to stay current on evolving best practices, particularly around neurodiversity in the workplace. Members regularly participate in webinars, review research, and attend training sessions that help them better understand and advocate for accommodations and supports.
Looking Forward
"One of the things we're focused on is ensuring that disability awareness remains a focal point for the organization," Ralph says. "There's a lot of intersectionality. Disability really intersects with all dimensions of diversity."
For Brooke, the work is personal and professional in equal measure. "I've had so many bad patient experiences," she reflects on her healthcare journey. "I never want anyone to feel that way if we can prevent it. Putting communication frameworks and processes in place helps with that. The number one driver of patient satisfaction is communication: getting rid of the unknowns, being clear with how we speak to people."
That same philosophy drives SOAR's mission: clear communication, accessible resources, and the fundamental belief that everyone deserves a workplace where they can thrive, not despite their differences, but because of the unique perspectives and strengths they bring.