October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), which aims to raise awareness about disability employment issues and celebrate the contributions of America’s workers with disabilities. “Expect. Employ. Empower” is the theme for 2014. And the Office of Disability Employment Policy has ideas and resources for recognizing the month and building awareness.
Unemployment and underemployment remain very serious problems for people with disabilities. In September, just 31.1% of people with disabilities were participating in the workforce, according to the Kessler Foundation/University of New Hampshire Institute on Disability. That compares to a 76.2% labor force participation rate for people without disabilities.
Not all employers are familiar with the many benefits of hiring people with disabilities, so we wanted to round up three of our most popular blog posts on this topic:
RETURN ON DISABILITY: THE BOTTOM LINE
Rather than thinking about disability employment as a philanthropy or diversity initiative, why not think about it the way you think about any other business decision? Rich Donovan suggests that we should “look at disability through the lens of economic value, rather than social value.”
LOOKING TO IMPROVE YOUR BOTTOM LINE?
We’d be surprised if you answered “no” to this question, and you may be surprised by our solution: hire people with disabilities. Countless big-name companies like Walgreens and Marriott Hotels have made concerted efforts to hire people with disabilities. As a result, they’ve seen benefits like reduced costs, increased productivity, and reduced employee turnover.
The Business Benefits of Hiring People With Disabilities: A Roundup of Recent News
It’s great to see stories in the media about employers who have experienced the benefits of hiring people with disabilities. Last winter, three articles caught our eye, including one on how software company SAP is leveraging the talents of employees with autism.
Interested in learning how DePaul Industries can help your business benefit from the talents of people with disabilities? Contact us today.
