Author: Ema Oberpfalzerova
Date of Publication: 04/02/2023
Disabled people are more likely to deal with bias, judgment or rejection many more times than people without obvious disabilities. Workplace is, unfortunately, one of the places where discrimination against those people has a very high rate. Luckily, organizations became more aware of the importance of this problem, and released non-discriminatory acts signed by 160 nations around the world. Thus, to raise general knowledge about this problem, it is necessary to talk about this topic. Therefore, in this article we will focus on recent statistics, the advantages of hiring disabled people and how to reduce the barriers. Also, we will provide you with some tips on where and how to find a job as a disabled person.
Recent numbers and statistics
Several studies have proven the biased approach against people with different disabilities, from spinal cord injuries to variate syndromes. When applying for a position, those people received 26% fewer positive responses than applicants with no disability mentioned. What’s more, over two-thirds of unemployed people are disabled. Autistic people are facing the highest unemployment overall; 85% of them are either underemployed or without a position at all.
Advantages for your organization
The unfortunate numbers mentioned above are often unreliable for the qualities and skills disabled people have. However, there are many advantages to hiring a disabled applicant, not only for the team but for the organization as a whole. Disabled people tend to be very stable and reliable at work, and as a result they can bring diversity to your company.
List of advantages:
discover the potential
turnover reduction
organizational culture/morale improval
wider consumer market
meet federal contractor requirements
How to reduce the barriers for disables people
People with different disabilities face a variety of barriers during the job-seeking process. For example, autistic people cannot express themselves properly during an interview, followed by a lack of eye contact or missing social cues. This may have a negative impression on the interviewer. But that was just an example as there are many more. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the selection process and reduce the unemployment numbers of disabled people.
Potential solutions to reduce barriers:
Involving a disabled professional when developing a hiring programme
Writing clear job descriptions without buzzwords or obliquities
Emphasizing skills that are necessary for the job
Allowing candidates to prepare and rest
Providing the interview questions in advance to help them prepare
Letting the applicant demonstrate the skills instead of justifying them
Where to find a job as a disabled person
There are several websites or organizations helping disabled people when looking for a job. Don't hesitate to ask for help and contact them.
List of websites:
In conclusion, the high numbers of underemployment or unemployment of people with disabilities are only proving the biases and judgments, often based on false and mistaken facts. Hence, it is necessary to be aware of this problem and take steps for a more bright future for disabled people. Reduce the barriers, discover the potential and improve the workplace of your company.
Reference List:
Ameri, M., Schur, L., Adya, M., Bentley, F.S., McKay, P. and Kruse, D. (2017). The Disability Employment Puzzle: A Field Experiment on Employer Hiring Behavior. ILR Review, 71(2), pp.329–364. doi:10.1177/0019793917717474.
Burke, J., Bezyak, J., Fraser, R.T., Pete, J., Ditchman, N. and Chan, F. (2013). Employers’ Attitudes Towards Hiring and Retaining People with Disabilities: A Review of the Literature. The Australian Journal of Rehabilitation Counselling, [online] 19(1), pp.21–38. doi:10.1017/jrc.2013.2.
Diska rogers1996. (n.d.). [online] Available at: https://cpr.bu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/diska-rogers1996.pdf [Accessed 27 Jan. 2023].
Herson, K. (n.d.). Council Post: Seven Reasons Why Hiring People With Disabilities Is Good For Business. [online] Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2021/12/03/seven-reasons-why-hiring-people-with-disabilities-is-good-for-business/?sh=66417e0b1832 [Accessed 27 Jan. 2023].
Nedvin, J. (n.d.). Council Post: How HR Leaders Can Reduce Barriers To Employment For Autistic Adults. [online] Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2022/12/20/how-hr-leaders-can-reduce-barriers-to-employment-for-autistic-adults/?sh=6ae766897635 [Accessed 27 Jan. 2023].
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