Why it’s Important to Hire People with Disabilities

There are many advantages for employers to hire people with disabilities; some of these benefits include increased knowledge about how to provide services to people with disabilities, increased workplace diversity, new and different perspectives that can be applied to solving problems, and new insight into the needs of customers.

In an article published by Forbes, Career Coach John M. O’Conner explains that hiring people with disabilities is a win-win. You can hire a superhero when you hire someone with a disability. Additionally, these superheroes can boost team morale by bringing a positive attitude to work that can motivate other employees.

The Forbes article also mentions when a company hires people with disabilities, it shows its dedication to promoting diversity within the organization. In return, employees are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs, as it proves to their team that diversity is a valued asset to the company. This leads to greater loyalty and a more positive connection with the company and its practices. Increasing employee positivity will also reduce turnover rates. Having a lower turnover rate means a company doesn’t have to spend more on training new employees. According to Training Magazine’s 2020 Training Industry Report, the average company spent $1,111 per employee on training in the U.S. this year. A study published by the University of New Hampshire explains that turnover is a concern for business and the turnover rate among people with disabilities is much lower, just 20%, compared to non-disabled coworkers who have a turnover rate of 150%.

Did you know that there are federal and state tax incentives?

Tax incentives are offered by the government to encourage business owners to hire employees with disabilities. According to Business.com, federal financial incentives include:

Companies are increasingly seeking out people with disabilities for the great benefits that exist. A number of businesses, such as Target, Home Depot, Publix, Chick-fil-a, and Walgreens actively hire people with disabilities. In addition, the University of New Hampshire study highlights that Walgreens is a pioneer in proactively recruiting people with all kinds of disabilities (inclusive initiative). Their distribution centers aim to employ twenty percent of people with disabilities and their stores ten percent.

If you are looking for ways to join this list and Find Candidates with Disabilities check out Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion.