3 Reasons Your Company Should Hire People with Disabilities

By Hannah Wilson:

October was Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM). The theme was “America’s Workforce: Empowering All.” DEAM works to celebrate all that America’s workers with disabilities bring to the table while providing an abundance of education, resources and support.

Hiring individuals with disabilities adds a new attitude and skill set to any team. From having new perspectives to a problem-solving attitude, disabled workers are just as capable as anyone else.

Bring in a Different Point of View

Companies should be excited about diversity within their organization! A diverse workforce includes multiple perspectives. Building a successful talent pool takes sourcing, recruiting and referring to find the best candidate who is capable of performing the tasks. To find not only someone to complete the job description but someone who will go above and beyond requirements, employers have to consider everyone.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 13% of Americans have a disability, which in other words is 1 in every 8 people. When you think of it that way, it brings it closer to home how someone having a disability isn’t rare. Often times when people think of a person with a disability, they think of someone who is incapable of completing the tasks those without disabilities take for granted.

This is the problem in the first place: labeling those with different qualities as incompetent. Since October is DEAM, it’s the perfect month to set aside those predetermined thoughts and start understanding how beneficial this different point of view can be to businesses.

Gain a Problem-Solving Attitude

Many professional job descriptions say the employer is looking for someone who is a quick, critical and creative thinker. To be a great problem solver, you not only have to possess those thinking skills but also the ability to be creative and come up with new and innovative solutions.

It is interesting to note the U.S. Bureau of Labor found only 18.7% of persons with a disability are employed. This is equivalent to almost 1 in every 5 people. It’s crazy to think how 1 in every 5 people might not get the job just because of a disability.

Who is better for the job than those who have to use those skills every day? Sure, the average human being can solve problems when presented with them. But, people with real-life, problem-solving experience drive innovation itself. Hiring someone who has been solving problem after problem in their everyday personal life would allow a company to gain an exceptional problem-solving attitude.

Turn Disability into Ability

People with disabilities are just as capable as anyone else. Technology has even allowed those who experience disabilities to be able to work much easier. Assistive technologies aid visual, hearing and motor impairments, and provide people who have disabilities with the ability to be more productive and competent in the workforce.

It is important to note 32% of employees with a disability work as professionals or managers. It’s amazing how one in every third person working with a disability has a high position within a company. When you change your thinking from disability to ability, positive changes can happen in the work environment.

Every company is searching for ways to incorporate more diversity into the workplace. A great way to increase diversity is by hiring those with the ability to bring more openness and acceptance into the work environment.

Employment Network organizations, like Ticket to Work and Allsup Employment Services, help tons of people who have disabilities find or begin jobs. They also show how to protect Social Security Disability Insurance and Medicare benefits as they progress into their full-time job.

It’s time to challenge your company to start something new. Hiring people with disabilities can transform your company in more ways in one. Creating a diverse workforce brings in a different point of view and changes your thinking from disability to ability.

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