Hiring Employees With Disabilities: Best Practices

Discriminating against a person with a disability is illegal.

There have been many laws and organizations created to fight for the rights of disabled workers, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, protections from the Human Rights Commission, as well as proactive business leaders who appreciate and understand the value a company gains by looking past a persons’ disability and focusing on their abilities.

Today, companies are recognized for their commitment to workplace diversity and the inclusion of disabled persons.

When business leaders share their best practice stories and experiences with disabled persons in their workplace, it becomes evident that progress is being made.

Think Beyond the Label

Think Beyond the Label, which works to promote the hiring of individuals with disabilities.

One of the sections I really enjoy reading on their website is the company success stories, where business leaders discuss the positive impact hiring persons with disabilities has had within their organization.

RELATED: 4 Ways to Achieve DEI in the Workplace

DiversityInc. Magazine

DiversityInc. Magazine annually publishes The DiversityInc. Top 50 List, recognizing 50 companies for their commitment to hiring persons with disabilities.

Here are some examples of companies demonstrating best practices through the hiring of persons with disabilities.

Holiday Inn Express

In an interview with Think Beyond the Label, Dawn Nagel, the manager of the Holiday Inn Express in Ft. Pierre discussed the positive impact that hiring employees with disabilities has had within her workplace.

Approximately 30% of employees at the Holiday Inn Express in Ft. Pierre have a disability.

In the article “Featured Success: Holiday Inn Express,” Nagel stated:

“An employee with a disability is often times a more productive and loyal employee than a person who does not have a disability; she feels that spending a little extra time with them in the beginning of their employment makes the difference. They are treated just like any other employee.”

In the same article, Nagel also discusses her commitment to developing a better understanding of the disabilities faced by her employees and setting a good example.

Johnson and Johnson

Our Credo by Johnson and Johnson sets the tone for diversity and inclusion within the company.

In 2018, Johnson and Johnson was ranked #1 on the The DiversityInc. Top 50 List, for demonstrating a continued commitment to workplace diversity. Johnson & Johnson has used a business methodology to gather insights from across the organization, enabled the company to focus on three key areas that were crucial for advancing diversity and inclusion at the company.

According to the company, the three areas are:

“Advancing a culture of inclusion and innovation, building a diverse workforce for the future and enhancing business performance and reputation.”

Through understanding the needs and challenges of their own employees, Johnson and Johnson has applied this knowledge to product development, helping maintain their position as an industry leader.

RELATED: How Do the World’s Most Ethical Companies Prevent Discrimination?

Ford Motor Company

Inclusion and the presence of employees with disabilities isn’t new at Ford Motor Company.

While reading about the company’s history of diversity and inclusion, I came across this statement, which discusses the company’s recent initiatives:

“2016: FordWorks launched as an innovative and inclusive hiring initiatives for individuals with disabilities. Ford of India partnered with the Blind People’s Association to hire sight-impaired employees, Ford North America launched a program to hire individuals with autism.”

Ford Employees Dealing with disAbilities (FEDA) is a network group designed for Ford employees living with disabilities.

FEDA focuses on inclusion and diversity at Ford, helping employees maximize their contributions to the workplace and eliminate social barriers encountered by employees working with disabilities.

At Ford, employees with disabilities help the company better understand the challenges faced by persons with disabilities when it comes to selecting a vehicle.

Ford Mobility Motoring designs vehicles for persons with mobility issues who require vehicle modifications in order to drive. Ford identified workplace tasks that could be completed by those with disabilities, opening up opportunities for increased workplace diversity.

Ernst & Young

AccessAbilities is a resource network at Ernst & Young, raising workplace awareness about employees with disabilities.  The group discusses ways in which the firm can better support these employees and is comprised of both employees with and without disabilities.

As a matter of fact, about two-thirds of AccessAbilities members do not have disabilities themselves.

AccessAbilities members meet monthly via conference call and have Abilities Champions who make sure disabilities-awareness messages and educational material are part of communications, meetings and events

In the SHRM article Do You Need an Employee Resource Group for People with Disabilities? Lori Golden, AccessAbilities Leader at Ernst & Young states that:

“Ernst & Young’s goal is to identify and accommodate any needs its people have, not to identify the reason they have those needs. We want to know what we can do day-to-day to keep our people more productive and safe. We also ask people in any new situation– such as when they are scheduled to go out to engagements at clients– if they need any accommodation so we can work with clients from the get go to ensure the right accommodations are in place.”

These are just a few of the examples of companies executing best practices when it comes to employees with disabilities.

There are many more companies out there striving to achieve similar goals, helping to reduce workplace barriers one step at a time.