Disability Awareness and Inclusive Management
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. As we consider the importance of people with disabilities gaining competitive integrated employment, it is important to look at disability awareness related to employment and inclusive management practices that will enhance successful employment opportunities. People with disabilities are an untapped resource of qualified talent who can make a significant difference for employers.
As we read the news, many employers across the country express difficulty in hiring and keeping people in the current job market. Employers are reporting that they have more job openings than they have experienced in recent memory. What if the answer to the lack of applicants and the inability to retain employees could be solved by employers considering a new market? Depending on the source considered, people with disabilities represent 20-25% of the American population. Yet, because of misunderstandings about qualified workers in the community of people with disabilities and ongoing myths about hiring people with disabilities, they remain an untapped resource. The answer to meet employers’ needs for filling positions and retaining quality employee could rest with increased disability awareness among human resource teams and employers. This would include a focus on inclusive management practices. People with disabilities represent qualified, dependable workers who can meet the needs of the marketplace. Vocational rehabilitation counselors and community rehabilitation programs represent the perfect resource to connect people with disabilities with employers.
Disability Awareness
First, disability is mainstream! People with disabilities are part of the daily fabric of American culture and make up a quarter of all people in our country. They are the single largest heterogenous minority represented in society. They span all races, ethnicities, genders and ages. Second, people with disabilities are often represented by the biased perception limited to people in wheelchairs, people who are blind or deaf, or people with intellectual disabilities. What does disability look like? There are thousands of different kinds of conditions that create disabilities. Some are congenital. Some are acquired. Some conditions are visible, and some are invisible. Some require little or no accommodation and others require more extensive accommodations. People with disabilities cannot be put into a single box. This diversity requires an open mind on the part of human resource departments and employers. It may require creativity to consider viable solutions. Very simply, one size does not fit all. This is where the role of qualified rehabilitation counselors and community rehabilitation programs become important. They are essential partners to employers to successfully navigate employment options that meet employer and applicant needs.
Vocational rehabilitation agencies have regularly pointed out that hiring a person with a disability is not charity, it is good business. People with disabilities have equal or greater attendance records than the general public, but most importantly they have retention records with employers that far exceed traditional employees. They represent a group of people who stay with their employers. This creates stability in many jobs for employers. Applicants from the community of people with disabilities represent a large range of skills from college educated professionals to individuals that can bring a specific set of skills that can be adapted to meet an employer’s needs.
The Biggest Myth
Perhaps the biggest myth promulgated for hiring people with disabilities is that it is too expensive to make accommodations. The reality is that this is simply not true. According to the Job Accommodation Network of the US Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (Rousey, 2021) more than half of all accommodations have no cost. On average the rest of the accommodations cost about $500. The majority of all accommodations provided are one-time only expenses. About 5% of all accommodations are annual expenses and exceed the median of $500. Most accommodations can be resolved by looking at modified duties, modified schedules, and other cost-free changes. Skilled vocational rehabilitation counselors can work with employers to make the best adaptations needed in the workplace.
Inclusive Management
Inclusive management practices require employers and human resource professionals to be proactive in seeking people with disabilities as viable job applicants. It requires willingness, desire, and creativity on the part of the employer. People with disabilities can make a positive contribution to the employer’s bottom line if the employer is willing to actively and intentionally create access. Employers are struggling to fill positions; however, developing a willingness to be flexible can increase success for the employer to fill positions. This means considering if non-essential duties can be removed to fit the person and the job they will perform. It means the employers deciding to change structure to fit people with disabilities. Examples might include reviewing and changing policies that potentially exclude people with disabilities, adapting work hours and schedules, considering remote work, not requiring exclusive lifting requirements when they are not essential to the job, not requiring a driver ‘s license when other travel options are available, and intentional design of work to be inclusive. Yes, there may be purchased accommodations that are necessary, but in most cases, these have minimal cost and often also benefit other employees.
I am fortunate that my employer, Alliance Enterprises, has provided me with technical accommodations that inlcude a large print keyboard and two large monitors to meet my visual needs. They do not require me to have a driver’s license and allow me to use alternative travel options. They also allow me to work remotely for a significant part of my job. The total costs for my accommodations…just a little over $500. Employers who decide to be inclusive in their management practice open a whole new pool of available qualified workers to meet their needs. Community rehabilitation programs and qualified vocational rehabilitation counselors are effective partners to help employers make these decisions.
It’s Time to Begin!
Disability is diversity. Employers can open a whole new pool of workers by increasing their disability awareness and practicing inclusive management. State vocational rehabilitation agencies, developmental disability agencies, and state workforce boards through their local one-stop service providers have numerous programs to assist employers successfully hire people with disabilities. Federal tax-exemptions exist to help manage costs. As we celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month, it is the perfect time for employers to consider hiring people with disabilities to successfully meet their needs for filling critical positions. Vocational rehabilitation counselors and community rehabilitation programs stand ready to help employers be successful. This is a change in business practice that will positively affect the employers bottom line. Let’s get started!
Rousey, B. (2021). Average costs of reasonable accommodations in the workplace. Job Accommodation Network of the US Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy. https://www.accessibility.com/blog/average-costs-of-reasonable-accommodations-in-the-workplace.
