PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — About 1 in 5 people with a disability was employed in 2021, compared to nearly two-thirds of employed people without a disability, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Easterseals, a nonprofit that helps people with disabilities, is reminding employers during National Disability Employment Awareness Month that there are many benefits to hiring people who are disabled.
“Every community looks different,” said Dr. Mindy McCormick, president and CEO of Easterseals Eastern Pennsylvania. “It is made up differently, and if we want to be serving the community and be an active role in the community, we need to make sure that we’re inclusive of everyone.”
Studies show companies that champion people with disabilities outperform others, driving profitability and shareholder returns. In some instances, revenues were 28% higher, net income 200% higher, and profit margins 30% higher.
In addition to improved profitability, research shows organizations that employ people with disabilities have greater retention, reliability and punctuality; employee loyalty; inclusive work culture; and enhanced company image.
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Easterseals New Jersey recently updated its free Inclusive Hiring Guide to help more employers hire more people with disabilities. It raises awareness of the myriad of forms disabilities take, including physical, mental health, deaf and hard of hearing, and learning disabilities, among others. It gives detailed guidance for recruiting, interviewing, accommodating and training workers to bring talent and diversity to the workplace.
“This country is facing the worst labor shortage since the end of WWII,” said Easterseals New Jersey CEO and President Brian Fitzgerald. “Instead of complaining, let’s do something about it and recruit and hire the thousands of available people with disabilities. We understand that it can be intimidating and confusing, but with the right resources, businesses can — and must — learn how to open the door for talent that might otherwise not be considered.
“We know that New Jersey employers have good intentions to hire people with disabilities, but too many still aren’t doing it,” he continued. “We want to help turn their good intentions into action, and this guide will help do that.”
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McCormick said employers need to think outside of the box.
“It’s no different than accommodations that may be needed for someone with a disability, but their unique and incredible strengths and ability is what they bring to the table. That’s something that somebody else around that same table doesn’t already have,” she said, “that life experience, that understanding, their own skills.
“They have an ability to take the organization in the direction that nobody else around the table could have initially done.”
