I have been interested in disability in the workplace throughout my career, as it has always been a part of my legal work in the employment law arena. Most of the time, I have approached it from a legal perspective.
A recent editorial by a parent of a disabled child who wants his son to be gainfully employed caused me to have another perspective. We owe it to ourselves, our co-workers, and our communities to consider strong programs for hiring disabled workers.
After a bit of research, it quickly became clear to me that employers who do this are smart. A major study by Accenture found that employers who do see an increase in their bottom line. Why? Because employees living with a disability bring talents and characteristics to the workplace that are tremendously useful.
Doing this well is a key to success. Respect ability has a list of helpful resources to employers who want to wish to be inclusive, including:
- Starting a program
- Benchmarking your efforts
- Finding reasonable accommodations
- Building an inclusive culture
- Recruiting assistance
Uncovering this sometimes-hidden talent may be what you need to bring more employees to your workplace. After you find the applicants, Employers Council can help to hire them. We have online resources, classes, and even staff available on an hourly basis to assist with recruiting. Contact us for more information.
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