With economists predicting that the labor shortage will last for years, many are wondering if the key to overcoming the obstacles in the market lies in unlocking untapped labor markets like the workforce with disabilities. With factors like inflation and an impending recession continuing to drive the shortage, the higher rate of unemployment also plays a part. Only 21.3 percent of persons with a disability were employed in 2022 according to The Bureau of Labour Statistics. While much emphasis and news coverage have previously been dedicated to helping businesses prevent injuries in the workplace, there is a stark contrast between the efforts being made to remove the obstacles for employees with disabilities in the U.S. workplace.
Why Disability Inclusion Is Important For Workplaces Going Forward
Driving disability inclusion forward in the workplace would strengthen the American labor market. This is according to the recently released report by the Center for American Progress. Today, 1 in 4 or 25 percent of job seekers and employees are likely to be people with disabilities. That accounts for a significant portion of America’s labor market. The Center for American Progress believes that if disabled people experienced the same employment rate as their other colleagues, there would be more than 14 million more people employed in 2021 and the labor shortage gap would be significantly filled. From a company-wide perspective, businesses would enjoy a much wider casting net and have an increased chance of creating a well rounded workforce with better talent. An Accenture study also showed that businesses that are leaders in disability employment and inclusion had on average 28% higher revenue and 30% higher economic profit margins.
Hire An Expert
Another interesting thing that continues to come to light is that many employers and managers simply do not know where to begin when it comes to improving disability inclusion in their workplace- or where to go for the right resources. This includes incorporating the best practices for hiring and retaining disabled employees. In this case, it can be hugely beneficial to hire an expert to help with the entire process, whether it is redesigning your hiring process or educating your employees on their rights regarding temporary impairments and employee restitution. For instance, many short-term disability policies can last up to 2 years as stated by the Guide to Government Information and Services.
Understand That Disability Inclusion Is A Process
Improving the culture and inclusion of disabled employees in the workplace has to be a continuous effort, not a one-off project. It involves regular reviews and transparent audits of a workplace’s policies to keep them aligned with the needs of current and prospective employees with disabilities. A great place to begin is the current recruitment process, which happens to be one of the largest barriers to disability recruitment. Employers and managers need to commit to asking the tough questions, including “How inclusive and accessible is our hiring process?”
Have a Conversation With Your Current Workforce
Another barrier to disability inclusion in the workplace today is the way employers and managers think of, and approach the diversity and inclusion topic. According to Ollie Thorn of Michael Page, a branch of PageGroup, “Businesses are really struggling to hire people at the moment,” says Thorn. “Yet there are so many people with disabilities looking for work. The businesses that can be innovative and move in this space have a serious competitive advantage because they are going to be able to tap into this incredible talent pool.”
Special emphasis should be placed on educating the managers of the workplace on how to best support their team, including those with disabilities. Failure to provide the right training and resources for managers means employers are essentially leaving their managers ill-equipped to best manage their disabled employees, and in many cases, deter prospective employees from applying. With the labor shortage predicted to grow this year, it seems disability inclusion has just risen to the top of the workforce agendas.
Also read: Fran Killoway: A Messiah For The People Living With Disability
