The Importance of Disability Employment

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, otherwise known as an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of disabled workers and shine a light on disability issues in the workplace. In this article, we’re looking at the importance of inclusion at work and how employers can do better for disabled workers, to do better for their business. 

The Employment Gap 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an estimated 22.5% of people with a disability are employed. This figure is the highest on record since data was first collected in 2008—but still far below the ratio of employed people without a disability, which sits at 65.8%. The Bureau’s data also found that workers with a disability were more likely to be employed part-time, usually because their hours had been cut or because they were unable to find full-time work. 

The reasons for the disability employment gap are numerous. Offices may be unable to prove necessary mobility accommodations, workplace technology may be difficult to use for people with a visual, aural or fine-motor disability, and people with a cognitive disability may find it impossible to adhere to a traditional office schedule. Sadly, discrimination also plays a role. Employers may screen out potential hires with a disability, fail to offer reasonable accommodations to staff, or overlook disabled employees for advancement opportunities.  

Exponential Benefits of Inclusion  

Bringing more disabled people into the workplace is good for everyone—employees, businesses, and the economy at large. Harvard Business Review cites a number of competitive advantages disabled workers can offer their teams, including specialized skills, a more collaborative and productive workplace culture, and a stronger value proposition for customers. New research from the consulting firm Accenture, meanwhile, found that companies which lead in disability inclusion make an average of two times the economic profit of other businesses.  

Of course, opening the door to all kinds of employees is also the right and legal thing to do. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guarantees equal opportunities for employees with disabilities, as do various other laws intended to remove employment barriers. While many disabled workers choose not to move forward with legal cases of discrimination (due to the time and cost of pursuing such action, or simply because discrimination isn’t always possible to prove), it is important for employers to fully understand and follow these laws.  

The Cost of Accommodations 

As outlined above, the cost of not including disabled employees in the work force is usually far higher than the cost of making accommodations. In fact, many workplace accommodations are simple and cheap, if not completely free. An employer might start by rearranging office furniture to modify the layout of a workspace, using closed captioning at meetings or work events, allowing service animals in the office, or designing a more flexible schedule to accommodate medical appointments. 

Employers can also accommodate disabled employees by making sure they get hired in the first place. This means job ads that highlight the company’s inclusivity, hiring processes that emphasize hard skills over first-interview impressions, and recruitment that targets qualified workers who may be disabled. American Job Centers and Centers for Independent Living are just two examples of organizations that connect businesses with a diverse pool of workers.  

Success Stories 

There are many example-setting organizations which proactively strive to hire disabled workers and make the workplace more inclusive for all. Publix, a chain of supermarkets, won the Disability Employer Award for hiring over 1,000 people through Florida’s Vocational Rehabilitation Program. In 2017, Starbucks launched its Inclusion Academy program to boost retail training for people with physical and cognitive disabilities. And, for people interested in working in the public sphere, the Social Security Administration actively recruits employees with disabilities, including via special hiring programs for disabled veterans.  

Any business can become a champion for disability employment by implementing more accessible offices and policies, plus making a true effort to recruit disabled candidates and support their career advancement.