Neither legal compliance nor charity translate into strategies for competitive advantage. Disability inclusiveness does. With support from the Henry H. Kessler Foundation, this program aims to promote disability inclusive workplace practices by building new human resource strategies, practices and partnerships.
When most employers think of disability, two ideas probably come to mind. First, they may think of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This is understandable; the ADA has clear implications for workplace policies and practices. Second, they may think of charity. This is also understandable; for many years, employers have been hearing slogans about the goodness of "hiring the handicapped."
But has the significant attention given to legal compliance and charity eclipsed what is arguably the most important side of this issue? The real risk for employers may have less to do with running afoul of the law or their conscience and more to do with being unprepared for the new reality of the emerging workforce.
People with disabilities are the largest diversity population in our country. One in five people in the U.S. has a disability. The number of people with disabilities in the workforce will be increasing in the years to come as our population ages and as our enhanced ability to diagnose and treat disability conditions enables more people to work. Further, the face of disability is changing. Many skilled, talented younger workers are now entering the workforce with non-obvious disabilities that were undiagnosed just one generation ago: ADD/ADHD, auditory processing disorders, learning disabilities or Aspergers syndrome. This generation, the first to come of age with the services and protections of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, understands that their disability need not stand in the way of fully contributing their talents to the workplace. And they are less forgiving of employers who approach their disability with misperceptions, stigma or lowered expectations.
Because of these trends and others, there are significant costs and lost opportunities for businesses who do not have in place effective disability-inclusive workplace practices. These businesses run the risk of dis-engaging 20% of their current and potential talent-base at a time when it is likely that a talent shortage is imminent. Further they risk losing touch with the significant portion of their customers who use their products and services with a disability.
So, the question for employers shifts from "Can I afford to employ and accommodate people with disabilities" to "Can I afford to disengage a significant portion of my current and potential talent-base in the face of an upcoming talent crisis?" The question shifts from "Are we legally compliant?" or "Are we being charitable?" to "Are we ready?"
