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Disability inclusion in the workplace is a powerful way to strengthen your organization. Galt Foundation highlights three key ways individuals with disabilities bring value to the workplace, from providing unique perspectives and increasing profit margins to boosting morale.
If you’re looking to strengthen your workforce, look no further than the disability community. Individuals with disabilities make up a loyal and motivated talent pool that has a lot to offer – from unique perspectives to improving your bottom line.
Galt Foundation has always believed in the value of individuals with disabilities in the job market. Our decades of experience have amplified our understanding of the importance of building an inclusive workplace by hiring employees with disabilities.
In our latest blog post, we’ve outlined why employers should consider looking to this diverse talent pool for their next hire.
Gain Access to a Talent Pool of Loyal and Skilled Employees
Disability inclusion in the workplace opens organizations up to a talent pool of loyal and skilled workers. Employees with disabilities tend to look for stable and long-term work, resulting in higher retention rates and lower turnover.
Having a diverse and inclusive workforce can also lead to increased innovation, as individuals with disabilities have unique problem-solving skills and perspectives to offer. NASA is a prime example of the immense benefit having a diverse and inclusive workforce can have on operations.
Despite this, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that only 31% of working-age Americans with disabilities were employed in 2021, compared to 73% of people without disabilities in the same age group. The untapped talent pool of individuals with disabilities has great potential, and according to Accenture, “The GDP could get a boost up to $25 billion if just 1 percent more of persons with disabilities joined the U.S. labor force.”
Improve Your Bottom Line with DEI Practices
Fostering an inclusive workplace is great for your bottom line, as it can improve profit margins. In Accenture’s Getting To Equal: The Disability Inclusion Advantage study, companies that excel in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives had 28% higher revenue than their peers who didn’t have the same DEI priorities.
Shareholders appreciate diversity too, as proven by Accenture’s study, which found that companies that improved their inclusion of persons with disabilities over time were four times more likely to have total shareholder returns.
Making accommodations for employees with disabilities also positively impacts your profit margins. As found in a study by the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), accommodations are extremely low cost, typically requiring a one-time expenditure of $500 – if they cost anything at all. Not only that, JAN found that accommodations save your business money by reducing insurance, compensation, turnover, and training costs while increasing productivity, retention, and morale, increasing profitability by 20%, on average.
Boost Workplace Morale with Inclusivity and Accommodations
Knowing that you employ and empower individuals with disabilities will impact how others see your company. Disability is diversity, and employees are more likely to take pride in their work when they feel the environment is inclusive of everyone.
In a 2018 review by a group of researchers at the University of Toronto, it was found that a number of studies show that morale increases when people with disabilities are employed at the company, as discussed in Accessibility.com.
Let Galt Foundation Help
Galt Foundation is a professional staffing organization that provides access to a diversified talent pool. As a mission-driven nonprofit, Galt focuses on providing supportive employment services to aid in the successful placement of people with disabilities.
Looking to fill a role at your organization? Submit a staffing request here or contact us at info@galtfoundation.org.
Job seeker? Check out our job board to find the latest employment opportunities.
We look forward to hearing from you! Call us toll free at 1-877-361-1277 or submit our contact form here.
