The Business Case for Employing People with Disabilities

By: Joan Browne Kose, ​The Ability Center Disability Dialog

Earlier this month, the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce hosted its second event in the Chamber U: Diversity & Inclusion Series. Hosted at Lott Industries, a panel of three experts made the business case highlighting differing abilities in the workplace and showcased resources available to businesses looking to grow their workforce in a way that pays. 

What are your workforce solutions?

Research shows that disability inclusion efforts are a gain to employers, specifically across six key areas of “inclusion incentives:” 

• Reputation
• Increase innovation
• Improved shareholder value
• Improved productivity
• Access to the supplier ecosystem
• Improved market share
  
  

For the 57 million Americans living with disabilities, the largest barriers to employment usually stem from stigma about what individuals with disabilities can achieve and contribute to the workforce. Lucas County is home to approximately 65,000 people with disabilities per the 2015 census and 1 in 4 Toledoans will become people with disabilities at some point in their lifetime. However, the labor force participation rate for people with disabilities is only 29% compared to 68% for people without disabilities (Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 2018).

You may be thinking “this sounds great, but won’t it cost a great deal of money to accommodate these workers?” A report from the Job Accommodation Network within the US Department of Labor showed two-thirds of “accommodation solutions” cost less than $500, with a quarter costing nothing. More than half of employers surveyed in the report said the accommodation benefited their organization and led to average gains of $5,000. 

Do you really know your market?

The U.S. Office of Disability Employment Policy categorizes persons with disabilities as the third-largest market segment in the U.S., after Hispanics and African Americans. This market expands with over $3.9 trillion in disposable income when family members, caregivers, and others who prioritize goods and services that are inclusive of persons with disabilities are counted.

A survey undertaken by the National Business and Diversity Council in 2017 found that 66% of consumers will purchase goods and services from a business that features person with disabilities in their advertising, while 78% will purchase goods and services from a business that takes steps to ensure easy access for individuals with disables at their physical location.
​
Bottom line: persons with disabilities tend to be more brand loyal and also make more shopping trips and spend more per trip than the average consumer. 

Is your leadership leading the way?

There is a trend for businesses to claim they are diverse, but exclude disability from their definition of diversity. Research by EY commissioned by #valuable has found disability is still absent from the majority of board level discussions globally – with the majority (56%) of global senior executives rarely or never discussing disability on their leadership agendas. Business cannot be truly inclusive if disability is continuingly ignored on leadership agenda.

If you fear your blind spots may be impacting your organization’s ability to grow its workforce and succeed in all market segments, register for the next Chamber U: Diversity & Inclusion Series - Unconscious Bias: What it is, where it comes from, and why it matters. This session focuses on what we can do to avoid the negative impact or consequences of bias, how can we become more self-aware and learn to manage our filters, and identify and respond to microaggressions (verbal, behavioral, or environmental slights) in the workplace. Join us on the morning of June 13 at Brady Engineering Innovation Center.
​
Registration and information is available here: https://toledoohcoc.wliinc19.com/events/Chamber-U-Diversity-Inclusion-Series-Unconscious-Bias-What-it-is-where-it-comes-from-and-why-it-matters-1923/details