Employing people with disabilities has multiple advantages for both government agencies and private businesses. These individuals bring different perspectives with them and can help your organization achieve important goals. In fact, a study shows that actively hiring individuals with disabilities can result in “28 percent higher revenue, double the net income, and 30 percent higher economic profit margins†over a four-year period.
People with disabilities often want to work but are not given the opportunity due to prejudice or concern on the part of employers that it will be too difficult to employ them. The fact is that employing people with disabilities can be rewarding and is often not nearly as complicated as organizations may think. The important thing is to understand the laws and regulations around hiring in the disability community.Â
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Reasonable Accommodations
Signed into law in 1991, the ADA provides protections for people with disabilities in the workforce. Essentially, its purpose is to ensure employers are not able to discriminate against people with disabilities during the hiring process or employment.Â
When you hire an individual with a disability, it is important to work with them to figure out reasonable accommodations. Many employers worry that this will be expensive. In truth, the average cost of reasonable accommodations cost $500 or less – with many of them not costing the employer anything.
Additionally, there are tax benefits that come along with providing reasonable accommodations and employing people with disabilities.Â
Providing a Welcoming Workplace
Not only is it important to provide accommodations, but you also want to create a workplace where individuals with disabilities can feel comfortable. Having a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policy in place (and enforcing it) ensures that people with disabilities feel safe and heard in the workplace.Â
Additionally, DEI programs can help you attract top talent across the board. Overwhelmingly, Millennials and Gen Z are showing a preference for working for organizations that prioritize diversity and inclusion.Â
Make sure that your organization practices what it preaches, though. If you have the DEI policy, it is critical that all individuals follow it, from C-level executives to interns and everyone in between. Hold regular training sessions so all employees know expectations and can be welcoming and accommodating to everyone who walks through the door.Â
Find Recruiting Resources for Employing People with Disabilities
When your team takes the step to start hiring employees with disabilities, you want to make sure that you are following all the rules and regulations for hiring and preventing discrimination. An agency or service that specializes in hiring people from this community will be up-to-date on any law and policy changes.Â
In addition, they can provide a number of resources to help your business thrive as you search for and hire individuals with disabilities.Â
The Applied Development team can help you start on this journey. We provide training for human resources (HR) teams to ensure they have the tools that they need to properly screen and hire people with disabilities. We also offer DEI services to help you retain those employees once they are part of the team.
To learn more, give us a call today at 410.571.4016 or contact us online.