Flarability: Cloudflare’s Newest ERG Puts Accessibility Front and Center
Cloudflare has announced the formation of Flarability, its newest Employee Resource Group (ERG) dedicated to accessibility and supporting employees with disabilities. The announcement lands during Cloudflare’s Impact Week, coinciding with the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) signing.
The group’s origin traces back roughly two years to informal conversations between colleagues. Initial concerns ranged from the open-floor layout of the San Francisco office to the placement of interview rooms, both of which posed challenges for some employees. What began as a simple chat room quickly grew into a structured community with a clear identity and purpose.
Flarability’s stated mission is threefold: curate and share resources about disabilities, provide a supportive community for employees with disabilities and their allies, and actively guide Cloudflare’s broader accessibility programs.
A Community Built on Shared Experience
The group deliberately encompasses the wide spectrum of disability experiences. Members include those with intellectual and developmental conditions such as autism and depression, alongside colleagues with physical impairments like deafness and blindness. Recognizing that not everyone is comfortable being “out” about their status, Flarability emphasizes a space where disclosure is optional and members feel safe to express themselves on their own terms. The group frames its work within a historical context of marginalization, noting that while awareness has grown, significant work remains.
Putting Mission into Practice
Flarability’s influence is already being felt in concrete ways. One significant partnership is with Cloudflare’s Places Team, which handles office design. As the company plans its return to the office—framed internally as “back to better”—the Places Team has actively sought consultation with Flarability leadership during the design and construction process.
Nicole, a member of the Places Team, describes a collaborative evolution in how office spaces are developed. Previously, the team would open a new office and then crowdsource feedback to make adjustments, often reactively. Now, Flarability leaders are brought into the conversation during the design phase itself, allowing for proactive inclusion of accessibility needs. Nicole also points to an existing ergonomics and work accommodations program that ensures teammates are equipped with workplace gear tailored to individual requirements. For ongoing advocacy, the Places Team maintains an anonymous feedback form, providing a safe channel for any teammate to submit requests for change.
Defining Accessibility Through Personal Lens
For Flarability members, accessibility is deeply personal. Watson, an employee, describes it as integration—the ability to participate in society with the same opportunities as everyone else. Reflecting on a childhood marked by a disability that was treated as shameful, Watson notes that it was only a few years before starting elementary school that New Jersey integrated children with disabilities into classrooms. The trajectory from being taught to hide one’s identity to finding community is central to why Watson now identifies proudly as autistic. The contrast between that formative experience and the current workplace environment underscores the group’s value: a space where employees can bring their full selves to work.
